WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2003

Kim Clijsters

KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, I felt today like I had to play good enough, you know, to win that easily. And that's what I did today. I definitely played a really good match. Even when we had some tough rallies, I still felt like, you know, I was dominating and she couldn't really hurt me. So I think I'm really happy with the way that I played, to win like in two straight sets.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, definitely. I feel like, you know, I started well in my first match. But today I think was even a little bit better. I think I served better again. You know, I was returning really well and I was moving well. That's always nice, you know, to take that into your next match. Yeah, I was really happy with the way I played today.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I think so. You know, Ai is the type of player that can, you know, play some unbelievable tennis. She hardly makes any easy mistakes. She'll always make you work to win each point. And she returns really well. I play doubles with her. Probably one of her strengths is her return. She likes to attack and get into the point. Obviously, you know, she's a great doubles player, so she's not scared of coming in, as well. She has really good volleys. It will be a matter of being very aggressive, trying to, you know, let her move a lot and like to stay aggressive, not let her dominate the points.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Every time when she plays, I would also like for her, you know, to do well. But, you know, when we play each other, maybe it's a little bit tougher. But, you know, I've played her a few times now. In Scottsdale I lost when I was up a set and maybe 5-3 or 5-4. I should have won that match probably. Then I played her in Rome on clay, where I was playing really well. I was really dominating, keeping her under pressure. That's a thing I have to do today as well. Obviously on grass it's a completely different story because her shots will hurt me a little bit more, as well. Yeah, I mean, it's going to be interesting I think to play her.

KIM CLIJSTERS: No, that doesn't really worry me, no.

KIM CLIJSTERS: During the match?

KIM CLIJSTERS: No, no, not really. When she hits a good shot, "Well done, great shot," or something. I'm not going to ask her what she's going to do today, no.

KIM CLIJSTERS: I don't know. You know, I've been playing a lot of tournaments, as well, this year. I've been making semifinals in each event that I've been playing as well as singles and doubles. But that's not really something that I focus on too much. I mean, I don't play tennis for the prize money. Of course, it comes with it. It's very handy to have. But it's definitely not my priority, you know. It's not really something that I worry about, who has more prize money than who. It's not really my type of thing that I look at, no.