19-March-1999

Q. The beginning of the match, you looked a little bit tight. You hadn't played a lot of matches lately. Were you?

AMELIE MAURESMO: I was a bit tight in the beginning. I haven't played matches since two weeks. Just to get in the rhythm again. It was okay after.

Q. How long did it take? At what point did you say, "I'm all right"?

AMELIE MAURESMO: I think after three or four games, I was really into it. Yeah, it took me like four games, I would say.

Q. Would you have liked it to go on a bit longer, obviously to win? Would you rather have played the full set out?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah. I think it would have been good, of course, to play the match till the end. She was a little bit injured, I think. It's okay. It was 3-0 second set. I think it's already good.

Q. What have things been like for you since Australia? It was such a big thing for you to break out there. Has your life changed much or is it actually the same as before?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, there is more journalists in the conference (laughter).

Q. That's it, though?

AMELIE MAURESMO: That's it. I'm still the same person. I think people around me are still the same also. You know, I keep playing my game as always.

Q. How about in France? Do you have more fans, more people?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, of course. After Australia, I played a tournament in Paris. It was really huge, a lot of people, a lot of fans. It was great. Yeah, that's one thing that have changed.

Q. After your performance, your great performance in the Australian Open, do you feel like people are expecting more from you, and yourself are expecting more?

AMELIE MAURESMO: No.

Q. It gives you certain pressure.

AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, yeah, of course, it gives me a little bit more pressure. But I think I've handled it well in Paris. It was a big pressure in France, in my country. So now I think I have confidence in my game, in myself. I think for the moment, it's good for me. It's not too much.

Q. Do you actually find yourself enjoying --?

AMELIE MAURESMO: -- the game?

Q. The fans, the pressure. When you make a breakthrough, do you actually enjoy it?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, for the moment I actually enjoy it. I play good game, good tennis. That's the most important for me today. The rest is following.

Q. With so much that has changed for you in the last few months, you worked so hard to get to this point, are you finding it hard to keep feet on your ground? Do people help you do that?

AMELIE MAURESMO: For the moment, I think I'm doing okay. I'm not I think the kind of person that - I don't know - leave the feet off the ground. People around me, it's true, are helping me to do this. I'm fine for the moment.

Q. During the Australian Open, your personal life became very much -- ceased being personal, became public. Are you glad you let that happen?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I think it was a good thing for myself and for my tennis to do this. I was relieved after this. I don't regret anything.

Q. Has it made you freer in a way because now there's no question?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Of course.

Q. Now you get on and live your life?

AMELIE MAURESMO: You don't have any more questions to ask me (laughter). Yeah, I think in a way I'm free now. I can play my game the way I want to play it. It's good.

Q. And live your life the way you want to live it, as well?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Exactly.