ROLAND GARROS 2001
( Translation from Diario La Provincia (28/05/2001) )
Two Gran Canarians in Paris. Magüi Serna and Marta Marrero dream again on Parisian clay. Both players talked to LA PROVINCIA/DLP some hours before giving free rein to their desires of establishing their sports career on the clay’s world coliseum. None of them has arrived in Paris to contemplate the city of the light, because they know what it is being quarterfinalists in a Grand Slam and their aspirations are very high. They’re not impressed by the circuit’s divas because their rackets have crossed with theirs many times. Without any doubt, the Parisian crowd still remember when their princess Mary Pierce lost to Magüi on the Centre Court, where Roland Garros begins today. The Canarian representative in the Spanish Olympic and in the Fed Cup teams has been so brave to beat goddesses such as Steffi Graf and Jana Novotna, among others, in the years 97 and 98 of authentic dream for the young Canarian, and therefore for the Canarian and Spanish tennis. She has been a long time in the top 22 and her serve is one of the hardest of the circuit. Last year she got her best result in a Grand Slam after reaching the quarterfinals in the prestigious tournament played at the All England Tennis Club (Wimbledon)
Magüi Serna: "I feel that my game improves each day and I hope to give surprises"
Magüi is ready to play her 18th Grand Slam, but some hours before stepping on the Parisian clay again, she has wanted to be with her countrypeople through LA PROVINCIA/DLP.
-What are your goals for Paris?
-The usual ones when I face a competition. I’ll try to improve my performance of last year, with the incentive that I could face Arantxa again in the third round, like last year.
-Do you face a Grand Slam in a different way than another tournament?
-In my case, yes, because all the best ones play and this gives the tournament a special interest because of the repercussion it has at all levels. However, I can tell you that I leave at 100% in all the championships.
-This year you’ve had the merit of recovering your best WTA ranking, and you have even improved it till the number 21 of the world. Do you feel you can improve it?
-I sincerely think my game is above my ranking. I feel I play better each day and that will finally influence in my ranking. I think this year I can give some good surprises.
-In the last match against Martina Hingis you were superb.
-Thanks. It has always an especial attractive to play the number one of the world, and besides, my game adapts better to the hard surface.
-A match you’ll never forget?
-My win against Steffi Graf.
-Your best serve?
-I think it was in that match. Almost 180 km/h.
-You show the Canary Islands’ name all over the world. Do you think that all these years of sacrifice have been valued?
-I love my land and I feel sorry because I can’t spend more time there. As I’m usually abroad, I can’t perceive this circumstance, but I can tell you that when I’m there I feel the esteem and the heat of my people. This is comforting for me and it fills me with pride.
Trail of successes
Last year on the 4th of July, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario said after being defeated by Monica Seles in the fourth round in Wimbledon that there was a relay in Spanish women’s tennis and that she was happy that Magüi Serna was her succesor. The Gran Canarian had just defeated Mary Pierce and reached the quarters in a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
Seven years before, the Dutch coach Eric Van Harpen,coach of Conchita Martínez and Anna Kournikova among others, said that he had in his hands a real diamond and that Magüi Serna was predestined to be one of the best players in the world. Van Harpen coached those days the lefty Gran Canarian and showed his amazement for the enormous tennis potential of that player of just 13 years of age.
The technical repertory of the player was so wide that the Dutch froze the debut of the player in the professional circuit because he said that once she was in the competition, it was impossible to outline such tennis richness. So, the incorporation didn’t take place till 1997, when she wasn’t 18 y.o. yet and, however, she reached an excellent third round at the Australian Open.
Since then, she has played 16 Grand Slams more, she made her debut in the Spanish Fed Cup team against Belgium on her 18th birthday, playing in Conchita Martínez’ place, and on last 19th of September she played for Spain in the Olympic Games. However, one of the best moments in her career was in 1998, when she defeated Steffi Graf, her idol of all her life, in two sets at the Du Maurier Open.
A dream called Wimbledon
Since she was a little girl she is obsessed with winning Wimbledon one day. "Winning here is everything and I dream on getting it", Magüi said last year after reaching the quarters. We are sure that she’ll get it because behind this shy smile and her simplicity there is the heart of a fighter. Serna Barrera is the third best professional player that the Spanish women’s tennis has given in all its history.
She trains in Barcelona, at Sánchez-Casal Centre with Renato Olaondo. She admires Sampra´s game, her favourite singers are Madonna and Jennifer López, she likes basketball and soccer, she combates stress by swimming and playing golf. She currently studies at the Superior School of Management and Administration of Sport Enterprises Johan Cruyff. She confesses being a supporter of the UD Las Palmas. Her serve can reach the 180 km/h and she got her best ranking last March after reaching the number 21 in the WTA ranking.