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BARBARA SCHETT: No, today, not at all actually. I was getting kind of nervous at the end, yeah. I don't know, was it the fourth one I made?
Q. Yes.
BARBARA SCHETT: Of course, because she wouldn't miss anymore then. She was missing before all the time. I was getting kind of tight a little bit. I mean, then I closed it. It was a very good feeling.
Q. How confident were you going into the match, knowing who you were playing?
BARBARA SCHETT: Well, I haven't been playing that great lately, especially on clay. Actually, I mean, of course my self-confidence was not like really high. But I knew I had a chance to beat Venus because last matches, we played like four times against each other, and they were always kind of close and tight.
I just said, "I'm just going to walk out there and be loose, you know, just try to enjoy the time on the court, be aggressive."
I knew deep inside I would be able to beat her. I mean, of course, she didn't play her best tennis today. She made a lot of unforced errors. But who cares (laughter)? I don't.
Q. Was there a point in the match where you really found your confidence and said to yourself, "I know I can win now"?
BARBARA SCHETT: Yes, of course. I mean, after winning the first set, you see how the first few games go. I mean, I was down 2-Love, but I knew I had chances. I mean, she was missing a lot. I knew if it's going to stay like that, if she's going to continue playing like that, then I have a really good chance.
I played better then in the second set. Yeah, I'm just happy about it. I served pretty solid today. She was missing a lot of first serve. I could put her under pressure with the second serve.
Q. Last couple of months the results were not so good. How can you explain this? Was it a lack of motivation or something?
BARBARA SCHETT: No, not at all. I was probably too motivated. Sometimes when you practice too much, you really want to play well, you get too tight. That probably would happen to me. Then after Key Biscayne, I was a little bit injured. I couldn't really practice that much.
I mean, of course, there were a lot of ups and downs. I'm just trying to get a little more consistent again, like I was two years ago. I think that was a good start again.
Q. Did you say you were overpracticing?
BARBARA SCHETT: I mean, no, not overpracticing. I've been working hard. Probably I wanted too much, you know. Sometimes if you want too much, you're not relaxed on the court. I mean, you have to be very focused and motivated. But you should always be a little relaxed, not too tight. With me especially it happens when I really want to play good, really want to do well, then it goes the other direction, then I really play bad.
Maybe I just have to go out there and tell myself I have to enjoy it, just give my best, and that's it. I mean, in this sport, you know, winning and losing, it's really close.
Q. You've been a top player before, so you might not fit into this. One of the criticisms that used to be around women's tennis is that the top players always get through to the quarterfinals and there's never first-round upsets really. Here today we've had two major upsets. Do you feel women's tennis has changed a little bit, those days are over?
BARBARA SCHETT: Definitely, it has been changing. I mean, like two years ago I was seeded at the Grand Slam tournaments, as well. I knew if I don't play well, I'm going to be out in the first round. Of course, the top seed or second seed, doesn't happen too often.
I think Venus, when she saw she was going to play against me, she wasn't happy about it. She doesn't have to play 50%, she has to play well to beat me.
Women's tennis, everything is possible now, which is good, which makes it really interesting, I think.
Q. Do the other players talk about how little the Williams sisters play? Venus played just six matches since the Ericsson. Did you think maybe she could be a bit rusty?
BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, definitely. I knew the last match we played was in Berlin, and she lost to Anna. I knew it was a good chance. If I would only play like ten matches so far, I wouldn't be very confident going out there.
They never play that much, I think. That's what always surprised me that they played, I don't know how many tournaments, and they always do good. But definitely I was thinking about that, that she didn't have too many matches lately.
Q. With so many big names out, either because of withdrawal or today's losses, does it change the tone of the tournament for the rest of the women? Do they feel like suddenly this is wide open and it's a fantastic opportunity for a lot of people?
BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I saw yesterday that Lindsay was pulling out. Like from my point of view, I know that I have chances; it's just a matter of how I play to do well here.
Of course, the girls are happy that a seeded player is pulling out, the chances are raising for them, rising for them, so.
Q. Were you surprised with the way that your opponent played and the mistakes she did?
BARBARA SCHETT: Well, I knew that Venus is not playing well, that she misses a lot, makes a lot of unforced errors. Still it's hard sometimes to play against her because you don't get a rhythm at all. It's a mistake, a winner, a mistake, a winner. You don't get to hit a lot of balls.
You just have to play every point very concentrated. And of course, I mean, I was surprised. I mean, I knew that she could play really bad. I don't know how many unforced errors she made - 50, I don't know, something. That's pretty high.
Q. 43.
BARBARA SCHETT: That's a lot. Yeah, but as I said before, I mean, I don't care (laughter).
Q. Were you surprised to notice that the crowd was behind you?
BARBARA SCHETT: I think at the beginning they were like more for Venus maybe a little bit, then they were even, and then at the end I heard them screaming "Barbara" sometimes. I knew they were behind me a little bit. They supported me as well. It was feeling really good to know that the people are behind you.
Q. You made a coaching change recently. Has that helped your game?
BARBARA SCHETT: Well, yes, I think so. I mean, especially now I'm enjoy playing tennis much more than I did before. We've been working hard. For me, it was just a matter of time, you know, when I start playing well again. Sometimes when you change a coach, you don't -- sometimes you don't play that good, maybe it goes down a little bit because you're changing a few things.
I also had to get used to everything because, I mean, a lot of things changed with me in the past, my coach and everything. I had to get used to that, as well. I mean, maybe now the whole thing is changing, and now it goes up again.
Q. When did you feel you started to enjoy it again?
BARBARA SCHETT: Well, the end of last year.
Q. When you made the change?
BARBARA SCHETT: Yes.
Q. You said she wasn't missing all of a sudden at the match points. Before the fourth and final one, what did you tell yourself to sort of stay calm, if anything?
BARBARA SCHETT: Well, I just thought, "Come on, try to stay patient and don't get upset with yourself, your chance is coming." I mean, I just played point by each point, point after point. I wasn't really thinking of, "Why is she not missing?" I just tried to stay focused, as I said, point by point.
Q. Some of us were wondering what UTA stands for (referring to logo on Barbara's shirt)?
BARBARA SCHETT: That's a telephone company, Austria.
Q. When you say you're working hard now with your new coach, does that mean you weren't working hard before? Did you change the way you're working? I presume you mean practice.
BARBARA SCHETT: I'm playing more tennis now, I think. I'm working a lot more on the court. Sometimes like three hours in a row spending time on the court. Yeah, it's just different. I don't have a lot of days off. More like practicing through like all days.
Yeah, but, I mean, like on the court, you can't change a lot of things. I mean, my game, you have to try to play aggressive from the baseline, try to see that my balls are long and heavy, sometimes to come to the net. We didn't change a lot these things. But it's hard to explain. I don't know, I feel it's different the way I practice now.
Q. Because of your coach or because of what you're doing?
BARBARA SCHETT: Because of the coach, what I'm doing as well on the court. I'm like different exercises. It's not like I used to practice before. It's more relaxed, but still intense. It's difficult to explain.
Q. Is it one of the best moments in your career?
BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, definitely. I was feeling great out there when I won the last point. I mean, like everything was wonderful, the feeling was really great, really happy. It's hard to describe that feeling. It's unbelievable.
Q. Did you say "like a waterfall"?
BARBARA SCHETT: "Like a waterfall"?
Q. I thought you said that.
BARBARA SCHETT: No.
Q. What did you say?
BARBARA SCHETT: Wonderful. "Feels like a waterfall" (laughter)? You can write that, though. It's funny.