THE tennisreporters.net NEWSLETTER: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7

EXCLUSIVE
Maggie lives: the youngest Maleeva is back
"Champions like Steffi are as good as anyone No. 1 now"
"Sometimes the Williamses overwhelm you just looking at them."
"The truth is I never believed I could be back at this level"

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Courtesy of Sanex WTA Tour

FROM THE WTA HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS -- Maggie Maleeva has always been the most carefree of the famous sister trio of Bulgaria. (She once hitch hiked through her nation with a group of friends.) But given her incredible feel for the ball and what a smart player she can be when she keeps her mind on the court, she has been an underachiever -- especially in major events.

So when Maleeva stopped the tired–legged Daniela Hantuchova of the Slovak Republic 6-2, 7-5 in the first round of the $3 million Home Depot WTA Championships on Thursday, the 27-year-old held court on a number of topics, including her personal transformation, her prospects at finally making an impact at a Grand Slam, why she stopped working with her former coach, her mother Julia, and how some players are physically intimidated by the Williams sisters.

The youngest of the Maleevas, Maggie reached a career high ranking of No. 4 in 1996 and owns nine career titles. She literally grew up on the tour as her mother coached her sisters, Manuela (who was once ranked No. 3 and reached the semis of the US Open) and Katerina, who are now retired. While these days her mother runs a tennis academy in Sofia, Maggie plugs on and is coached by Jean Luc Cotard (not the Star Trek captain).

In 1998, Maggie underwent shoulder surgery and missed much of the next two years. It was at that time -- "a very good experience but the worst experience" -- that she grew up. "I don’t ask myself as many questions and don’t doubt myself as much," she said. "I have more peace of mind."

Now Maleeva has slowly climbed her way back toward the top and, in October, won Moscow with astounding wins over Venus Williams, Amelia Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport. She will face the winner of the Jennifer Capriati-Silvia Farina match on Saturday. Maleeva sat down with tennisreporers.net after her win over Hantuchova.

tennisreporters.net: How long did it take you, mentally, to believe you could play at this level again?
Maggie Maleeva: The truth is I never believed I could be back at this level. When I couldn’t play for 15 months and I looked at the players ranked around No. 20, they looked really good to me. I thought that one day if I get back to the Top 20 again, I’ll quit. At the end of last year when I reached the Top 16 again, I saw that I was there and I accepted that I belonged again. Now I think I can compete with the best, but I never did before.

tr.net: But you were ranked in the Top five and beat a ton of great players before your injury?
Maleeva: But I was so insecure then. When I was playing great I thought I belonged there, but I lost my confidence so quickly when I didn’t play well. That’s the difference now: When I have a bad day, I know it happens to everyone.

tr.net: Do you belong in the Top 10?
Maleeva: I do and it would be stupid to say I don’t if I won Moscow, but I try not to think about it because rankings don’t mean much to me anymore.

tr.net: I assume that’s because you have never done really well in the Grand Slams? [Maleeva has only reached one Grand Slam quarterfinal, the ‘92 US Open.]
Maleeva: Yes, that’s right. This year I did better, I was quite consistent [She reached the fourth round of the Aussie Open and Wimbledon, and the third round of the US Open.)

tr.net: When you were injured and looked at the list of the Top 20, were you thinking you might not get back there because of the new generation coming up – Hingis, Davenport, the Williamses?
Maleeva: It was everyone – my generation, the young ones and I thought it would be tough to get back. It took me almost two years to get back.

tr.net: How hard did you work after your injury compared to before you were injured?
Maleeva: No harder. I always worked very hard. I work differently and smarter now. I know myself better. I don’t find sense in playing for five hours and hitting millions of balls. I emphasize quality over quantity.

Courtesy of Sanex WTA Tour

tr.net: You have a lot of off-court interests. How have you avoided getting bored with tour life over the past 13 years?
Maleeva: The last year or two, I've found the game to be really more interesting than I found it before. Now I like to watch tennis much more. The game is quite interesting. You have to find things that are interesting about tennis or it’s too tough not to get bored.

tr.net: You’ve played against three generations – Navratilova's generation, Graf and Seles' generation and now the new players. What's are the differences?
Maleeva: I played with my sisters and saw who they played. It’s hard for me to be objective. I would never say that tennis is much better now because if the champions of years ago were playing now they would still be champions. But the world has changed. The main difference is the general level of the players is better. Champions like Steffi are as good as anyone No. 1 now. There are more "Steffis" now. The players between No. 10 and 100 are much better. They hit harder, are in better shape, faster and it seems like everyone takes the ball earlier.

tr.net: So you’ve had to adjust your game, too?
Maleeva: I’m stubborn. I continue to do what I do, being aggressive, taking the ball early and coming to net.

tr.net: You seem to anticipate better now?
Maleeva: Maybe, because it comes with experience.

tr.net: Is Serena at Steffi's and Navratilova’s level of domination?
Maleeva: This year she did dominate. It’s been a long time since someone won three out of four Grand Slams. It’s been a great effort.

tr.net: What does Serena do so well?
Maleeva: She has a really great serve and a kick serve. Sometimes the Williamses overwhelm you just looking at them.

tr.net: So it's not just her shots?
Maleeva: Sometimes you can deal with the shots, although Serena is very quick.

tr.net: So it’s better not to look at her?
Maleeva: It’s better that you don’t look at her. I had a very good match against Serena in Berlin and lost 7-6 , 6-4. They are not unbeatable. You have to believe you can beat them.

tr.net: Like you, a lot of top players were coached by a parent. Your mother gave you a good base?
Maleeva: She always said I was very independent because she had to travel a lot with my sisters. She hasn’t coached me since I was 19. Very often I was alone. It worked for me until I was 19 and then going with someone else worked also. It depends on the individual. I'm not pro or against parents. Everyone has to decide themselves. I was happy with Mom and then happy with other coaches.

tr.net: How difficult it is to separate the coaching and parenting?
Maleeva: It’s very difficult and I would not coach my kids. Maybe I would give then some advice, but I would stay away from their decisions. I’m not confident I can be a good coach right now.

tr.net: Was it an easy transition to go from your mother to someone else?
Maleeva: Yes, because she was never 100 percent with me. Someone always has to be with my sisters, too. Sometimes she gets upset because she feels she didn’t pay enough attention to me, but it was fine.

tr.net: Do you still talk to your mother about tennis?
Maleeva: Sometimes. She’s here [at the tournament] for the first time in years and I’m very happy about that. I invited her. She has a tennis school in Sofia with more than 100 kids. She enjoys it.

tr.net: You consider her to be a good fundamental coach?
Maleeva: A very good fundamental coach.

tr.net: And a good mother, too?
Maleeva: An even better mother.