WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2005

Mary Pierce

THE MODERATOR: First question for Mary.

MARY PIERCE: No, I'm working really hard. Finally I'm able to work hard. I've always worked hard. Just when I had my injuries, I wasn't obviously able to. I had to take time off. Then coming back from that took quite a long time until I was able to train normally for me. So now I've been able to do that for, yeah, almost a year. I feel really good. I definitely feel the difference. I see the difference. I feel that I'm on the right path. I feel like I'm actually improving every day. You know, I'm very happy. For me, I don't want to say that this is normal. It's just actually just a gift from God, because I wasn't sure I was going to be able to play again. Being injured, not being able to be physically fit and in shape to play my game was very difficult for me. And now I'm able to do that. So I'm very, very happy with that.

MARY PIERCE: Smarter. More mature. Obviously, experienced, you know, with the time and the years, you learn something. I feel like I've learned quite a bit in my career.

MARY PIERCE: I think the last time that Venus and I played was at the Olympics last year, and I won. It was on hard court. We've played so many times. She's beaten me; I've beaten her. You know, like I say, every match on grass is not easy. They're all difficult. You know, Venus is an excellent player. You know, definitely on grass, it's a good surface for her I think as well with the fast pace. You know, we know each other's games really well. I've seen her play. Obviously she's playing well to be here in the quarterfinals, as well. You know, I'm just going to do my usual thing, just play my game, see how it goes.

MARY PIERCE: You know, Venus is just a solid player. She's real aggressive and powerful, athletic on the court. She has a great serve, great groundstrokes. She's a great competitor, as well, on the court. You know, that's why she's also a champion and one of the best players in women's tennis. She's been No. 1, won Grand Slam tournaments. You just don't achieve those things for no reason.

MARY PIERCE: I was sad and I was also very happy and very proud of myself. It was actually mixed emotions for me. I was only sad -- I was more disappointed with my performance at the finals because I felt that those two weeks of the French Open, I had just really been improving and had some great matches and played some great tennis. I felt the finals was a letdown because that wasn't good tennis on my part. Justine played a really solid match, so it made it very difficult for me. And, you know, just very happy to reach a Grand Slam final again, especially the French Open, my favorite tournament, which just means so much to me, with the fans and the crowd there. It was a lot of emotions, and it had been a lot of emotions the second week of the French Open for me. And it was all good. You know, so I just took a week off after that. It took me about three or four days to feel back to normal again.

MARY PIERCE: Hmm, that's a good question. No, I can't remember.

MARY PIERCE: I just felt like I played well. You know, I mean I had beaten Venus once indoors in Moscow, as well. I feel like when I can return well, take her serve away from her - it's a big part of her game - so I think I did that pretty well and moved well around the court, just played solid from the baseline.

MARY PIERCE: Yes, we both are. That's what I really do with anybody I play really. That's my game, to be aggressive. You know, that's what I always try to do.

MARY PIERCE: I think that's mainly my tactic on grass. I'm just trying to use it to my advantage really. I'm understanding it more and more and actually enjoy playing on it.

MARY PIERCE: Well, I don't think she wants it. I don't think it makes a big difference for her and her life. You know, I think that Lindsay's the kind of person that looks at things probably as differently. What's important for her is not important for others. I respect that. She just comes here, plays her game, also has a different personality. You guys know. I mean, personality on the court, what you say. I mean, just how you look. There's all kinds of different things that the media and the press like to do and use. Players in particular, some really want attention, need attention, and they do dress certain ways or say certain things, provoke that and create that. So it's all a personal thing, what you want.

MARY PIERCE: You know, I don't know. It's tough to really say. I wouldn't say all the time the veterans are coming through. You know, there's a lot of great players that are pretty young that have been on the tour for a few years already now. Uhm, you know, experience does play an important role. I've actually come to realize that at this point in my career because now there's a new generation coming in. And you see, now that I'm on the other side of that, what the difference is when you have the experience.

MARY PIERCE: I don't know. This is our first time playing together. I'm really excited. It's an honor for me. I'm very happy to be playing with Mahesh. I wanted to play with him for a while and finally it worked out here at this tournament. It's been great playing with him because obviously he's a doubles player. I've learned a lot from him, the way he communicates in doubles. You know, today's match was really good. I feel like we both played really well. I felt like I played well. You know, I don't think we're a surprise. I think we just go out there. We have fun. We play our best. We'll see where that takes us. Hopefully, you know, we'll do well here.