Mauresmo: "Ready to go to battle"

The former World N.1 preparing to compete in the U.S. Open with confidence, and above all without injury.

"For the 1st time in a long, I feel good physically," welcomes Amélie Mauresmo before facing Nathalie Dechy in the 1st round the USA. Semi-finalist in Cincinnati and New Haven, the French ends doubt: "As confidence has returned, I resumed my good habits: go ahead and take the net by storm!"

-- How do you feel when to start the U.S. Open?
-- "For the first time in many years, I feel good physically. Here, I still have a small cold. But nothing very serious. This has not prevented the chain of good performances. Beyond result, I have to continue on the basis of recent weeks (semi-finals in Cincinnati and New Haven). I turn this Grand Slam with pleasure. I'm ready to go into combat. In the first round, I lost to Nathalie Dechy. She beat me in Cincinnati (mid-August) but I am no longer the same. I turned a corner. "

-- How do you explain your regaining form?
-- "There is no miracle. I'm not injured anywhere and, as if by chance, I start to play well. Before, I was in a period of doubts, less interest in working [hitting rock bottom?]. Here, as confidence returned, I took my good habits: go ahead and take the net by storm! "

-- Think you can still win a third Grand Slam title, after Australia and Wimbledon in 2006?
-- "I do not know. Anything can happen. In any case, my game is being put in place. I feel that it deserves. I showed last week (in New Haven, semi-finalist) j 'had the weapons to beat the best players in the world. All this is encouraging. I want to keep going. "