WIMBLEDON 2001

    Magüi arrived at Wimbledon with a lot of moral for her final in Eastbourne, but things didn’t go well and she lost in the first round to the Russian Nadia Petrova, who had just defeated her in Roland Garros.

    Her words after the match.

(Translation from http://www.en-canarias.com (26/06/2001))

Magüi Serna doesn’t see far to surpass Conchita in spite of her defeat at Wimbledon

    Yesterday’s elimination in the first round in Wimbledon, where she reached the quarterfinals last year, doesn’t weaken the Canarian Magüi Serna’s moral, who says that she doesn’t see far to surpass Conchita Martínez as second Spanish player.

    "If I go on this way, with results like last week’s final in Eastbourne, I don’t see so far to surpass her. She is the number 20 and I am the number 24 till this tournament, and Arantxa isn’t so far, she is the number 15, so I could even surpass her if I get good results till the end of the season", said Serna, who lost by 6-3, 2-6 and 6-2 against the Russian Nadia Petrova.

    Talking about her match, in which she lost to the same rival that had defeated her in Roland Garros four weeks ago, Magüi Serna said: " It was a close match. The first round is always difficult, and I already knew that she was a dangerous player, who serves well. I had break chances that I didn’t take".

    Serna admited that she had felt tired because of the intense week she had in Eastbourne, although she said that wasn’t an excuse: " The problem is that I made more mistakes than is normal in me. Besides, the court was slower than I expected due to the heat of the last days".

    Serna remembered with special sadness the three break points she had at the beginning of the third set: " I made none of them, and later, as I had to risk a lot with my serve, I gave her a similar chance and she didn’t miss it . She is a good player, who didn’t allow me to find my rhythm, and besides, when I felt better she asked for medical aid, which stopped me a little".

    The Canarian player didn’t know that her countrywoman Marta Marrero was thinking of leaving the islands to progress in her game, but she found that this decision was ‘logical’: " There are moments in which you can’t develope, playing always with the same luck. I understand that she leaves because I did it with 13 years".