by Marcia Frost
Q: How involved are your parents in your tennis?
A: "As far as keeping me motivated, they are, but not in the tennis world at all. They're very supportive, helpful."
Q: Do either of your parents play tennis?
A: "No, not at all. My dad goes with me to a couple of the big tournaments and my mom lives with me in Florida and is there for my training and everything. My mom really got me into it and helped me get here."
Q: What's your next goal?
A: "I've got the Sugar Bowl next week and I'm going to try hard for that. It's going to be a good opportunity. Then I get to play a Pro tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina -- where I'm from. That will be my first tournament in awhile in my home town and I'm excited about that. Then, I really don't know after that. I have to go back and train (at the Evert Tennis Academy). There's definitely some things I need to work on."
Q: What's it like to have a state you consider home (North Carolina) and a place you live in most of the year to train (Florida)?
A: "I like it. You get the best of both worlds. I miss my friends in Raleigh, but they're all going off with their sports and boarding schools. They tell me all the time that I'm not missing much."
For more about Ally Bakers' matches at the US Open, see our 2001 US Open page
