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Patty
Schnyder beat Rita Grande 6-4 6-3
Q. One curiosity I have
about you is: You are in the Top-10 now. I think you
probably have been asked this before. A lot of teenagers
who come here have never been in the Top-10. You have won
five tournaments this year. But yet, to a lot of people,
you are not really known at all. A lot of people are more
famous than you are actually, even younger than you. Just
wondering, maybe, why do you think that is or how do you
feel about it?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: The age is, yeah, that is a big reason, I think,
and since two years a lot of young players are coming up
and the Williams sisters and Kournikova, they get a little
more attention than me. Yeah, they are playing good, I am
playing good, so it is all right.
Q.
Why do you think that is, that they get a lot of
attention? Some of them -- obviously Hingis has done more
--
PATTY
SCHNYDER: She is No. 1.
Q.
Right.
PATTY
SCHNYDER: They are just kind of special players, and I
think their management, they just started very young to
push them a little bit with the press and, yeah, their
image, and me, I just come, because of Martina probably we
are second Swiss and, yeah, I just a little in the shade,
I came up.
Q.
Speaking about today's match, how pleased are you with
that forehand of yours? You seem to keep Grande away from
the net whenever you wanted to, placing it very well.
PATTY
SCHNYDER: Yeah, my forehand, I was very happy today. I
felt comfortable, but, yeah, still a lot of points in my
game that I have to improve and especially my backhand was
not really good, but, yeah, my forehand I can leave it
like that. I am fine.
Q.
You have improved a lot since the start of this year
ranking-wise, and is this maybe the best year of your
career so far? Do you feel like you're in a groove right
now?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: For sure this is the best year so far, and I
hope that I can stay in the Top-10 next year. It is not
really easy to defend all those titles. Yeah, I just-- I
think I have to improve a lot of my game also and then it
is automatically I can make good results.
Q.
Is there something sort of against your personality -- you
mentioned that Kournikova and the Williams sisters, their
management sort of pushes the publicity. Is that something
that you don't mind -- you don't involve yourself in or
you don't care?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: No, I mean, I am really happy with my life and
how things go with my coach and my manager and my family,
so it is a little different world, I think also, but I
like my life. I wouldn't like to change with them. Of
course, I would like to play more Center Court or -- that
is probably it. I think they have an advantage, but still,
I mean, as long as I win my matches, it is all right also.
Q.
Is that at a disadvantage because they have more
experience playing in front of big crowds?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: For sure they have a little more, a lot more
matches played on big stadiums and, yeah, I think it is an
advantage to know how it is and to go on the Center Court
as the favorite, especially in first rounds, but also to
play against top players, I think you can learn a lot of
that.
Q.
Does it help you that maybe they get all the attention or
more attention than you do, you maybe can concentrate on a
little more tennis?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: Yeah, I think so. When I want my time I just can
go into the hotel and then it is really relaxing for me.
Like I said, I just like it the way it is.
Q.
You mentioned some points that you'd like to improve about
your game. What are some of those?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: My serve, my first serve I would like, and also
my backhand normally my backhand is solid and -- but
today, I mean, I made far too many mistakes. Also I think
I can still play more aggressive, go to the net more
often, and that is about it.
Q.
When you look at this draw how do you think you will fair?
How do you think you match up against some of these top
players?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: I mean, the field is so strong here, so every
match you have to play 100% otherwise you lose it. So just
go rounds after round and I am very happy every match I
can win.
Q.
Looking at your record, you have beaten a lot of the older
players and had success -- you have beaten Novotna,
Coetzer and Sanchez-Vicario, but I don't think you have
beaten any of the so-called famous four young players like
Serena, Venus. Is that just a coincidence, do you think?
Does it matter whether you are playing -- do you feel a
sense of a rivalry with the younger players as well?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: Yeah, that is it true. I lost three matches
against all the young players. But, yeah, before, I could
beat Kournikova also. I think it is -- it is pressure to
play against them, they have really aggressive tennis and
play more powerful than, like, you said the Sanchez or
Coetzer. I like to have a little more time and just
prepare the points and to play the rally and they just --
they go for a lot of balls and that is more difficult for
me.
Q.
But aside from their style, just because they are also
teenagers and you are, I guess, part of -- do you want to
do well against them for that reason or --
PATTY
SCHNYDER: Yeah, but I want to do well against all top
players or against all of them. But when I am on the court
and I just forget who it is. It is just my opponent. I
have to fight and try to win it.
Q.
With your ranking having climbed into the Top-10 now and
the US coming up next week, how important is it for you to
do fairly well here?
PATTY
SCHNYDER: Yeah, it is always nice to go with a few
matches, few wins into a Grand Slam and especially then if
you are seeded and, yeah, you earn a lot of rest because
if you do well in the tournaments before, means it is only
the second hard court tournament since long time for me,
so, I need some matches.
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