US OPEN
Date: 2005-09-05

US OPEN

September 5, 2005

Amelie Mauresmo
NEW YORK CITY
The Moderator Questions for Amélie.

Question Your game is obviously coming together. You've been to this place so many times before in a Slam. Is there anything different for you to finally take it a couple rounds further?
AMELIE MAURESMO: We'll see. You know, I'm just trying every time I had a disappointment in a Grand Slam to really think about it, what I made right, what I made wrong, and what I could maybe improve in the next times. I really felt that, you know, I'm doing better and better, even though it hasn't come yet to go to the last -- to the end, I mean. So, you know, I'm just taking it very -- in a very relaxed way this year here at the US, just the way I think I was at Wimbledon. I'm trying to, you know, keep that momentum going. You know, I feel good. As you said, I think my game has really come together in the last few weeks. Just really trying to focus on that.

Question Is there any good reason for you to watch tonight's match or just wait for the results?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No, I'm going to have a look at it. Maybe not all the match, but obviously I'll watch maybe a good part of tonight's match. Of course, you can always learn things here and there that you maybe haven't seen or that you didn't really notice before. So, yeah, I'm going to have a look at it.

Question You've seen these players so many times.
AMELIE MAURESMO: I know.

Question How unusual is it, as you're watching, where you pick up some glitch that you haven't seen before? How often does that happen?
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's not very often. It's most of the time just a confirmation of what you already know. Just make sure, you know, what you've seen before is still there. Maybe, you know, also sometime as player can change a few things here and there. So, yeah, just see what could be new.

Question A lot of the people consider you one of the finest players never to win a Slam. As you get older, does that get harder to carry that burden along?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No, because, as I was telling you, I really think I'm taking these tournaments in a much more relaxed way than before. I really felt I was putting a lot of pressure on myself before, and I feel that this is coming off, you know, as I grow up as a tennis player, because I still do. Yeah, I feel that it's much better now. Obviously, it's a little easier now.

Question No pressure as you get older?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, not for me, not now, because I think I still improve. That's the main thing for me. You know, if I felt I was going down or whatever, then I might feel different.

Question Are you still working with Yannick?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No.

Question When did that end?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Oh, he has another job, you know (smiling). He was on the tour for a few months. He couldn't do a lot.

Question How long did you work together?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I mean, we didn't work together as a daily basis, you know. For a few months we were in touch. You know, we still in touch sometimes, but for different reasons. It was good actually. It didn't pay off on a short-term period, but I now feel that it was really a good thing to do.

Question Why is that?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, the few things he told me at the time that I now, you know, use a little bit more here and there technically, mentally, and on the tactical part of the game, as well. It's good.

Question What did Yannick tell you mentally?
AMELIE MAURESMO: You won't know. No, it's nothing really precise. It's just a way also of thinking sometimes at some point. But it was interesting.

Question Justine and Mary, two different players, is there a style you prefer to play?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No, I don't have really preference. I actually think they're both hitting the ball pretty hard. Mary, as you said, maybe hitting the ball a little harder, but moving maybe a little slower, even though she improved a lot on that area in the last couple months. I think overall maybe at the end of the day we're going to see a match with very similar games.

Question We will have two American men in the next round playing each other. The possibility of playing another French woman, even though it's not in France, does that add a separate impact into that match?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, actually, we've played a couple times this year, with Mary and I. I really felt that the matches we've played, the emotional part didn't really get into the result. You know, that's what I feel. I'm sure she probably would tell the same thing. So I see that as a good thing for women's tennis, especially Fed Cup coming up. It would be great.

Question If you were able to come through and win here, would there be more a feeling of excitement or relief?
AMELIE MAURESMO: We'll see. I'll talk about that when it comes.

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