I had the chance to sit down with Amelie Mauresmo for a national magazine article that will appear later this fall. It was a typically wide-ranging and informative interview with the Frenchwoman, who is hands down one of the most insightful, expressive and honest players on the WTA Tour.

Now healthy and back in the second week of a major for the first time in more than a year (she reached the fourth round at the ’07 Wimbledon), Mauresmo has put thoughts of retirement behind her for the moment after contemplating quitting as late as this spring.

“It’s been one year of frustration,” said Mauresmo, 29, who beat compatriot Julie Coin Saturday and next faces No. 16 seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy in the round of 16 here in New York. “The last three (majors) were a disaster in terms of health, but the body is holding up pretty well so I’m happy about that.”

From 2001-2006, Mauresmo took her flowing, athletic, all-around game to top 10 finishes. She reached No. 1 and also won two majors in 2006, the Australian Open and Wimbledon. But after her breakthrough season at the ripe age of 27 two years ago, she has struggled with misfortune and injury. In March of 2007, she underwent an emergency appendectomy and never quite recovered, finishing the year at No. 18. She told me she seriously mulled hanging up her rackets at the end of last year, admitting that she wasn’t sure she could compete with the big hitters taking over the sport.

“I was having these thoughts in my head that I couldn’t deal with all of these players hitting the ball harder and harder,” she said. “And because physically I was not feeling good, (I thought) that I could not overcome this kind of tennis. I think I was wrong. I think I can still go on the court somehow with these guys and still have some good wins out there. I kind of proved myself a little bit in practice and out here.”

While retirement is “not in my mind any more” and Mauresmo plans to play next year, she has continued to be afflicted by the injury bug. Mauresmo, who owns 24 career titles and more than 500 match wins, has withdrawn from tournaments for thigh and rib injuries this year. She arrived in New York ranked a lowly (for her) No. 29. She said No. 1 is not “realistic” for her anymore and that her goals are to prepare for 2009. That means “playing the game I want to play and not holding back.”

While I can’t go into all the things we discussed – those will appear in the aforementioned article – Mauresmo did have harsh words for her country’s tennis authorities. The 2004 Olympic silver medalist, who missed the Beijing Games, ripped the French Tennis Federation. According to Mauresmo, the Federation put her as the fifth player behind Mary Pierce (only the top four for any one country can compete in singles), whose special ranking was ahead of Mauresmo’s at the time of the qualification. “I was pretty pissed at the Federation and the decision they made,” said the frequent and loyal Fed Cup participant. “I thought it was a huge lack of respect.”

She pointed out that Pierce, who never officially took herself out of the running, hadn’t played in a year-and-a half and could not even do a short little jog. When the Federation came back to her after Marion Bartoli decided to skip the Games, Mauresmo says she declined to compete as she has already organized her calendar and entered events in preparation for the U.S Open. “Guys, I’m not changing my mind every week just to please you,” she said she told them. “You should have thought about this earlier. I won a silver medal last time. I was expecting better treatment from them.”

Nonetheless, she didn’t divert herself from the Olympics on NBC while playing events in the States, though she said she saw little of the tennis. “I watched the Phelps thing and the Bolt thing,” she said. “As much as I could watch, I really enjoyed it.”