Fernando Carreño

    The Canarian Magüi Serna walks slowly, but with firm pace in the tennis world. It took her a lot to take the decision of giving up everything to join the circuit, but with the society of her mother and her father’s sacrifices, she moves in it without hurry, but without pause. She knows what she wants and although she isn’t as popular as other players, her quality is undoubted and her ranking improves day by day. In Germany, in the last Fed Cup tie, she had to ‘save’ the Spanish team, and that’s why she’s more popular now.
 

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- What has meant to you your performance in the Fed Cup against Germany?

MAGÜI SERNA.- Apart from the happiness, the confirmation that the previous results that I had got on hard court weren’t a coincidence. I arrived in Germany after defeating Huber and Novotna in Hilton Head, and that gave me confidence to face the matches, I’m convinced that I can defeat anyone.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- Was it an impact to know that you were going to have a decisive role in the eliminatory due to Arantxa’s injury?

MAGÜI SERNA-. No, because I thought that Conchita would win her two matches and I wouldn’t be so pushed. Even after winning the first match, against Glass, I thought that my work had finished and the qualification was sure.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- Do you think that the way you’re playing corresponds to your present ranking?

MAGÜI SERNA.- Not at all. My goal this season is to finish top twenty, to win a tournament, and in the future, to have a permanent place in the top ten.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- However, you also ‘jumped’ last year.

MAGÜI SERNA.- It was curious. I thought of continuing in juniors, but I had the chance of entering the main draw in Australia and I did. I reached the third round, and that gave me confidence. From then, I had good results and I played in Roland Garros and Wimbledon. I reached the 1/8 finals in the US Open. I convinced myself that I could go far in tennis.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- What do you remember, a year later, of that match in Roland Garros against Steffi Graf?

MAGÜI SERNA.- I still think that I could have done much better than I did. But playing for the first time on the Central Court and against Steffi, well, that impresses. I think that I would do better if I had a new chance.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- It’s curious that a Spanish player, man or woman, has better results on hard court than on clay.

MAGÜI SERNA.-I feel more comfortably playing on hard court, that’s true. My training, in Las Palmas, was on hard court, and with Eric Van Harpen, when I went to Switzerland with him, I concentrated a lot on that, although I’ve practised more on clay since I moved to Barcelona, and I think that I have adapted well.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- May Arantxa and Conchita be surpassed? That’s to say, may it be a real goal to be like them?

MAGÜI SERNA.- I have got my own goals, but they can’t be different from trying to go the farthest as soon as possible. When Arantxa and Conchita have to retire, I’ll still have time and of course, I want to get what they have got.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- What tournament would you choose to be champion?

MAGÜI SERNA.- Wimbledon, without any doubt. I’ve always liked to play on grass, and that’s the Cathedral of tennis.

GRAND SLAM TENIS.- Besides, you have a special relationship with Wimbledon.

M.S.- When Conchita Martínez won Wimbledon in 1994, I used to train with her and with Van Harpen, and I saw the match with him. When she won, he told me: “Pay attention, because you’ll be able to do it one day”. I lost the junior final the following year. Besides, it’s true that I love playing on grass. It’s my favourite surface, I play in as many tournaments on grass as I can, and when I can, I train with anyone.

G.S.T.-Your relationship with David de Miguel, your coach, is really successful.

M.S.- Eric didn’t pay enough attention to me, but I’m very well with David. We work very well and that can be appreciated in the results. He has brought more regularity in my game and an important improvement in my first serve.

G.S.T.- Do you think that the masculine “Armada”’s successes have left the women in the background in the Spanish tennis?

M.S.- Yes, that’s clear, but it’s also normal, because they’re a lot and they get many triumphs, and as Arantxa and Conchita started triumphing earlier, that’s a new situation for them. But they’re doing very well.

G.S.T.- How do you see the future of the Spanish women tennis?

M.S.- Very good. All of us who are fighting to improve in the WTA have power to be on the top and we’re looking forward to achieving that.

G.S.T.- And the future, in a world level?

M.S.- At this moment Martina Hingis is in a superior level, although we can see that she’s having some problems this year to keep her supremacy. There are new players who are pushing a lot, like the Williams sisters, Kournikova... Without forgetting Davenport, Arantxa, Conchita...

G.S.T.- Do you admire in a special way any present player?

M.S.- I’ve always thought that Lindsay Davenport, playing at her best, is very difficult to beat, and I think that she hasn’t developed all her potential yet. And I don’t say this because she’s a good friend of mine.

G.S.T.- Who was your model in tennis?

M.S.- Martina Navratilova. I’ve always identified with her number one and I would like to move like her on Wimbledon’s grass. I had a very close relationship with Conchita, but Navratilova was my model.

G.S.T.- What feelings do you have about Steffi Graf and Monica Seles?

M.S.- I think they’re going to notice all the time they have been inactive due to their injuries. Seles hasn’t been the same since her comeback and her strokes doesn’ hurt as they did. I don’t think that Graf can be number one again because in tennis it’s played now much faster than she was used to.

G.S.T.- What player would Magüi Serna like to be if you could choose?

M.S.- Not only one. I’d like to have Conchita’s drive, Arantxa’s backhand, Brenda Schultz’ serve and Novotna’s volley.

G.S.T.- Is it true that your name, Magüi, has caused you some problems?

M.S.- It isn’t a problem. The thing is that nobody pronounces it well, especially abroad. For them is as if the “g” didn’t exist, that’s why I’ve thought of giving them a little bit of time to get used to it, and if they don’t, I’ll take away the “g” and I’ll make them call me only Maui. Actually, they already do this way.