Agnes Szavay Interview - September 3

An interview with: Agnes Szavay
Monday, September 3, 2007 

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Are you surprised at your own success here? You haven't lost a single set.
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, I'm surprised. But I'm very happy. Yeah, I played good.

Q. This is only your third Grand Slam. You're in the quarterfinals. Can you point to anything that you're doing right now that it's all coming together for you?
AGNES SZAVAY: No. I can say always the same, like last year I had mononucleosis. I'm playing since September last year. So I'm always improving, playing better and better.

Q. How long didn't you play?
AGNES SZAVAY: I didn't play for two months. But I was keep playing with the mononucleosis because we didn't know I had that. When they said I have it, then it was already too late. I played like half year with that. Then I rest for two months.

Q. When you retired in New Haven with your back injury, did you even think you'd be able to play?
AGNES SZAVAY: No. We thought I'm not going to play.

Q. How long did it take before you knew you had a chance to play?
AGNES SZAVAY: Just the day before I was playing my first match, yeah, I could hit half an hour and it was not bad. I felt it, but it was not so painful.

Q. How is it now?
AGNES SZAVAY: Perfect. Don't feel it at all.

Q. Did you have special treatment?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yes, I had also treatment with the chiropractors and the physios here. They are really, really good. They put always this Kinesio tape on my back. It helps me a lot. It keeps it warm.

Q. What makes you interested in tennis? We don't think of Hungary for tennis.
AGNES SZAVAY: My parents just play for hobby. They took me to the court. I really liked it. I always went back. Just enjoy it.

Q. Who did you look up to when you were growing up? Was it somebody like Andrea Temesvari or somebody more famous?
AGNES SZAVAY: I really liked Steffi Graf and Agassi. They were my dream team. But now my favorite is Roger, of course. He's so good.

Q. Do you look at this half of the draw as a great opportunity when you look at the way things have worked, the top seed not there?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, there are some junior girls I played together with. Yeah, it's surprise, but they are really good players also. Players are changing a little bit I guess now. I played Kuznetsova. She's seeded. I don't know exactly what seeded is she.

Q. 4.
AGNES SZAVAY: 4, so that's one of the top seeded players.

Q. Can you explain some of the reasons why you've been so successful these couple of weeks? Something you're doing different in your game before?
AGNES SZAVAY: No. I do everything the same. Maybe I have a little more confident. My coach tell me that the important points I really played good.

Q. Did he say something specific to do on the court this summer?
AGNES SZAVAY: No.

Q. When you won the challenger in Houston last fall, at the time you said you were feeling well. Got you headed where you are today.
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, I mean, I played really good that tournament.

Q. You were fully well at that point.
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah. That was last September, if I'm right.

Q. October.
AGNES SZAVAY: October. So I decided to play these challengers in America. That was also great weeks. But this one is a little better (smiling).

Q. At the time it seemed your backhand could not possibly improve any. Have you improved other aspects of your game?
AGNES SZAVAY: I guess my serve really improved a lot, and also my forehand. Yeah, my backhand was always like this. I'm really happy for that. But today I missed so many from my backhand, so...

Q. What happened?
AGNES SZAVAY: I don't know. It was really tough to play against her because she's playing so fast. You have no time for anything. And then when you get the chance, then you feel some pressure that now you have to make it 'cause the next one gonna be just before the line, deep and fast.

Q. Have you been doing anything fun in New York?
AGNES SZAVAY: Not yet. I played every day (smiling). One day doubles, one day singles.

Q. Anything you look forward to doing?
AGNES SZAVAY: Shopping. I want to go to shopping. And also to this Central Park. I never been. And it's really close to our hotel, so I will go there for sure before I leave New York.

Q. Do you get homesick with your life on the road?
AGNES SZAVAY: If I play good, then I'm not. If I lose in the first round in the tournament then I have to be there for five more days then go to the next tournament, then it's tough. But if you play good then it's easier.

Q. Are you surprised how quickly some of the players you came through as juniors with are making it at this level?
AGNES SZAVAY: I'm not so surprised because it was a good year for us. I think they are also great players. They can do it also.

Q. What kind of things do you like to do besides tennis?
AGNES SZAVAY: I love horses. I like to ride horses. I love every sport which one has a ball. I don't like running or stuff like that, but I like everything what has a ball.

Q. You have two coaches. I was told you travel just only with one. Which one is it?
AGNES SZAVAY: Zoltan is here now, Zoltan Kuharszsky. The other one is at home now. Sometimes I go with him and sometimes I go with Jozsef. We are always switching.

Q. When you were suffering with mononucleosis, were you concerned it was really going to set your career back or were you patient with the problem?
AGNES SZAVAY: Well, I was playing, as I said, for half year without knowing it, that I have this. And that was very bad and tough mentally because we didn't know what's my problem. I was losing everywhere. I was always tired. Then when they said I had mononucleosis I was really happy, really, because we didn't know what's my problem. I was happy to know that and then we rest. I started to practice hard and started everything from the beginning because I have no fitness, nothing. Well, yeah, I try to improve and I have two great coaches. I try to come back.

Q. You played a match a in Bogota, which is at high altitude and you were quite ill at the time and she beat you very badly. Was that when you were at your worst?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, I was. At that time I had the mononucleosis. 6-1, 6-Love.

Q. What's the hardest thing for you about living out of a suitcase?
AGNES SZAVAY: Well, it's hard because you always changing hotels. You never sleep in the same bed. But I guess it's easier to accept it than to fight against because you cannot do anything. You go and you play and you try to do your best. You will see what happens.

Q. When exactly did you have the diagnosis of mononucleosis and when did you start to recover?
AGNES SZAVAY: My last tournament was Roland Garros. But we already knew it at the French Open, that I have it. So few weeks before Roland Garros I knew that I had already mononucleosis probably from November. And then I stopped for two months, then I started to play. For two months why I do anything.

Q. What about playing Svetlana? You played her for a set and a half. What do you think about it this time?
AGNES SZAVAY: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to play her again. I won the first set there. But she's a great player. It's going to be really tough. Even if I play good, she's playing also good. We will see. I try my best.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports