NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 24, 2003

Meghann Shaughnessy

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: It feels great. These are the moments that I play tennis for, is to get on the center court, featured match against a player like Venus, that I really respect. So I live for these times and that's what all my training goes into. So I'm feeling really, really happy right now.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Well, if you want to call it that. I was playing well, I was following my game plan. That's why I won.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: I felt like besides the first three games of the match, that I was dictating most of the points, I was playing aggressively, looking for my forehand, serving pretty well, attacking her second serve. So that was definitely the key, with a player like her that's so dominant on the court, it's important that I didn't allow her to run me around.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Definitely. I think, you know, women's tennis is becoming more and more physical. I felt like I needed to take my physical to another level, so, yeah, two years ago I started to going to Athletes Performance and training with Mark Verstegen there in Tempe. It's been incredible. My entire body has changed. I've gotten much stronger, faster, more endurance, more flexible, more durable. It's just really been an incredible experience.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: For sure. I know that when I walk out on the court, there's not anybody that's going to beat me because I got tired or I wasn't fast enough or whatever. So that's -- it's definitely a confidence booster, knowing that.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: You don't want to know what was going through my mind. Yeah, I definitely took a little bit too long to finish it there. Was a little bit nervous, didn't go for a couple of shots. She raised her level, that's expected from a player like her. I was happy I ended up finishing it out.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: They were great. From the very beginning, they were into it. It's just so much fun playing in front of a crowd like that.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: I think this one's definitely a little more satisfying, it's in a bigger tournament, on a bigger court. I felt like I played better tennis today, so it's very nice.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Like I said, for me, it's just -- I just went out there tonight and played my game. I would have done the same if I was playing, you know, a Tier 4 tournament. So it's definitely a little more rewarding when it's on a big stage like this one. So I'm really excited about that.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Her backhand is solid. During the key points, I was trying to keep it to the forehand a little more, like she was trying to keep it to my forehand.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Little bit of relief there, because there was so much tension in the end to finish it out. But I'm just, you know, I'm so happy. It's not even going to sink in for a little while.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: No, I'm not going to worry about that yet. I've got a doubles match tomorrow to focus on first. That's my main focus first and I'll worry about that when it comes.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: No, I was just, you know, I didn't want to think about what was happening. I was just trying to stay focused on what I was doing. I did a good job of that, just kept following my game plan. She started making a few more errors there in the second set. Got a run and got up 5-love pretty quickly. That was very, very important.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: It's a ton of work. I travel on the road about 25 to 30 weeks a year, and when I'm not on the road, I'm at home training there in Tempe with Mark. I go in there just about every single day. We spend a good three or four hours not just on weights, but on everything, flexibility, recovery, all kinds of things. It's definitely -- it takes a ton of time, but it's an investment that I've wanted to make and I'm so happy about it because I see the rewards.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: I started training with Mark two years ago now.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Uh-hmm. Yeah, we do a lot of power training explosiveness, a lot of speed. We focus on everything. Like I said, it comes down to endurance, flexibility, everything. We get each component of the physical aspect and, like I said, its really paid off. I'm so thankful for that.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: I do. I do some hypnosis, actually. I have some CDs that I listen to at night just to kind of put what I want to have in my mind, so I spend quite a lot of time doing that, too.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Well, it's not a particular hypnosis that I do, you know, before playing Venus or anyone. It's just something I do for myself to have, you know, positive thoughts in my mind and be at peace with myself pretty much.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Well, that's not really how I think. I definitely know that if I don't play well and do things properly, she'll probably blow me off the court pretty quickly because she's so strong. But I know that if I follow my game plan and play aggressively and take chances, that I have a shot.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Definitely (smiling).

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: No, Mary Pierce, she works out there quite a bit. Some of the younger American girls go there, not very often, because nobody lives there. So they go just weeks here and there. I'm definitely the most consistent one there, because I live there.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: I can't really remember (smiling). It's been a while.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Definitely. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I practice that shot. Like I said, I wanted it to go in so badly that I just put everything I had to get it over the net, and it was my night tonight.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: I wouldn't say she's in another league. They're different players with different strengths and different weaknesses. So I wouldn't say that, you know, -- I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. I'm just going to take it one match at a time. I've got Jennifer in a couple days here and that's all I'm going to think about now.

MEGHANN SHAUGHNESSY: Yeah (laughing). Pretty nice, I'm flattered.