2004 U.S. Open
Date: 2004-08-30
Mauresmo def. Irvin 6-4, 6-2

Question You've had so many close calls in the last few Grand Slams. Do you feel right now this is sort of your time to get beyond the quarters, semis? Do you feel higher expectations coming in this week than you have in the past?
Answer Not really. But, yeah, my goal is still the same: to go a little bit further in these events. You know, I don't feel more pressure here than Wimbledon or the Australian Open. French Open is a little different for me. But, yeah, I want to go one step or two further.

Question Is there a special aura that the US Open has? Wimbledon is steeped in so much...
Answer Tradition. It's more a show here, I think. It's more of a big, big show. Here in the States, you know, people only look at the US Open, and that's the main event for them. I mean, for us it's one of the big ones. Of course, you want to do well. But, yeah, to me the special thing here is the show.

Question I was reading an article, interview with Roger Federer. He feels when he comes to New York, it's the only place in the world that he feels any anonymity. Tennis doesn't receive the attention it does elsewhere. Do you agree with that?
Answer A little bit, yeah. You have so many other sports, like basketball, hockey, the baseball also is very big here. In Europe or even in Australia, there's really a big thing with tennis, which doesn't really happen here except for two weeks. Yeah, I agree with that.

Question Does that make those two weeks even all the more special in terms of sport?
Answer Of course. You want to make sure that tennis is known here the way it should be and the way it is in Europe or even other countries.

Question You're feeling well?
Answer Yes.

Question Any particular significance to the fact that the No. 2 is the highest seeding for a Grand Slam event?
Answer Not really. Not really. Again, I don't feel the pressure of being No. 2 or No. 3 seed or whatever. Again, my goal is still the same coming here as it was going to Wimbledon or the other Grand Slams. I want to go to the end and try to get that trophy. The same for me.

Question Can you talk about the way you played? It looked like you were coming in a little bit more on the second serve.
Answer Yeah, my serve was pretty good today. I felt very comfortable on that side of the game. The rest, I think I made too many errors and let her come back into that first set where I shouldn't have. You know, it's the first rounds, never easy. I guess I have a few things to adjust in my game. But overall, you know, good start of the tournament.

Question Are the court conditions comparable?
Answer Yeah. It's about the same as last year.

Question What else do you need to do to win that trophy that you haven't been able to do in the past?
Answer You know, probably mentally, try to be more confident with myself and change probably a few things when I get to the last round. We'll see when I get there.

Question What do you have to change, though?
Answer The way of playing, being more aggressive probably, taking advantage, try to take more control of the game where I used to probably be little wait -- wait a little bit and these kind of things.