US OPEN

September 6, 2001

Kimberly Po-Messerli

MODERATOR: Questions.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Both semifinal?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, it's simple. Venus-Capriati is going to be a power thing. They're going to hit the ball very hard. I don't think they're going to play very tactic match, more power games. The other one is going to be one power, one finesse. If Martina play good tactic and she don't think about the power game of Serena, she have a chance.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Sure. If Serena play the best tennis she can play, it's going to be very difficult for Martina, for sure, because she have a lot more power. I remember final last year they play each other in Montreal. Martina was 6-Love down. She stay focus on the match and she work tactically and beat her like 6-1 in the third or 6-Love in the third.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Serena retired. But she get in the match and play more tactically. I think if Martina stay positive, she stay inside the court, try to play tactic inside the court, aggressive also, not powerful, but just aggressive, she have a chance.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Go ahead.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Don't take a risk. You are in America. Don't take a risk. Everybody look at that final. But I think Capriati and maybe Williams is going to be a good final, too. Or Hingis-Capriati going to be a good final for tennis, too. That's only American people who is looking only the Williams. For us, for tennis, for everything, there are players is going to be in the final, is going to be good.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: No.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I'm fine with that.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: I stand by what she says.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yes, they should do the same thing. I think they should. I mean, in France, they should do, but it's very macho country so it's going to be tough.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: I don't see that ever happening.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Not there.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I think in England before France, for sure.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: For our tour it's more important that we get our tour events closer in prize money to the Grand Slams rather than just getting equal prize money at the Grand Slams. If we can get all of our other tournaments, or Tier I, II, III, IIII as equal prize money, it would be easier than going back to them and say, "Look, our Tier I gives $2 million. You want to be a Grand Slam, give us more."

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: They are.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: They try right now.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Now is the time to do it, too. We have so many players. Our game is so popular right now, now is the time to push for it, for the prize money increases.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Australian. We had equal prize money and they took it away because they said our TV ratings were not high enough. They told us when our TV ratings became equal with the men, they'd give it back. Our TV ratings passed them and they didn't give it back. The next year they equaled it. That's what happened.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I hope to see that. I hope to see that in future for women tennis, to see the top players together.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Realize the power they have.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Fight together. Not separate, but together. Don't fight for yourself; fight together for the tour.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Common goal.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I think it's important. They have to do that right now. Like she said, the tennis is better than ever.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: It's not just two players that are saying what they want. It's six, seven, eight, nine players that are so popular, that have so much say.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: It was individualistic. But I think the players start to realize they have to be together.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Yeah. More and more. We're trying to educate our players more.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Two years ago or three years ago.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Maybe more.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I didn't play that year. I think three or four years ago.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: It was a while ago.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I boycott (laughter).

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: She boycotted. She was the only one that boycotted. We didn't tell her that we didn't actually go through with it. We realized it would hurt the women's tour to boycott rather than just play, try and work it out rather than just being like, "No, we're not going to play."

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: It's tough. I think right now the player has to be together because they never be really together. The power was more with the agent and the tournament directors. Now the players say, "We have the power, too." The game is the players. They start to realize they can move around and really fight for that.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: You see more players taking an active role rather than just letting their agents take care of everything, deciding everything they're going to do. They'll get more involved in actually wanting to know what's going on, where is the money going, where is the prize money increase, things like that. I think that's good.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: We have also some good oh people from WTA like Harold Solomon, Lisa doing a good job.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: The people running our player side of things. They're either like past players or we have more confidence in them pushing for our benefit.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Yes.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: No.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: In Munich at the championships.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: We don't know yet. Keeping it quiet.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I don't know.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: I have no idea.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I can keep quiet. Really, they know. They have two people, but it's not quite sure yet. They prefer don't say anything. That's what they told us. Maybe they know more than us. You should ask them.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Do you want me to leave the room (laughter)?

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Best qualities. I think we communicate really well. I always feel like if we're playing and something is not working, not only is she able to see something else. I don't know if it's just playing really badly, she might suggest, "Let's try something different." The other thing is she can try something different. She's not limited in only playing one way.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Some days.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Sometimes (laughter). No, so I mean, for me, I know even if we're losing, it's really rare that we're losing because we're playing-- because we're playing well and we're losing. Usually we're playing badly and that's why we're losing. I always have confidence that we can turn it around no matter what's going on.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: I asked you, right.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Last year we talk about it. She told me, "Yeah, I come in Europe. You want to start in Europe?" We play. We do two final. She came in Europe. It's far for her to come in Europe at this time.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: For me, I want to play with her, so I'm going to go where she's going to play.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: But she won't want to come back soon now. I mean, I think we are complementary person. I think she's like me, like veteran on the tour. We really understand what's happen on the court or off the court, whatever. We support each other very good. For my singles, she support me. She warm up so many time this year. She don't even need to come over and support me. We do a good team. We are friend. I don't know. It's just like this.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Yeah.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: It's natural. We didn't really like crazy.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: We try to have a good time.

KIMBERLY PO-MESSERLI: Yeah. We've been trying to convince her to come play a couple more tournaments.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: They try hard. Like maybe the tournaments in Europe where she doesn't have to travel too far.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: We see.