AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2003

Nicole Pratt

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

NICOLE PRATT: Yeah, definitely. I think my coach took some stats, and second set I won 26 points, she won 31 points, the set was 6-2. So, you know, I had probably 15 game points and only converted, you know -- actually probably had more game points, probably 20 game points, and converted on five of them. I think the score line doesn't suggest the quality of the match.

NICOLE PRATT: The difference was I didn't convert on those game points. I had 40-love on the serve, 2-1, first set. You know, that sort of gave her confidence when she was struggling, gave her enough confidence to sort of get things together and, you know, take the first set.

NICOLE PRATT: No, I don't think that was the crucial moment. I still felt good about that game. I think there were numerous points along the course of the match where had I have converted on those points, then the score would have been closer and, you know, she would have been under more pressure. Who knows what would have happened.

NICOLE PRATT: Yeah, definitely. Absolutely. But to her credit, you know, she stepped it up. She hit some great shots at different times where I felt like I played almost the perfect point, and I was in an offensive position and then all of a sudden she turned it around with an incredible shot and either put me on the defensive or, you know, just made something incredible. That's, you know, obviously why she's No. 2 player in the world.

NICOLE PRATT: Yeah, you just have to say, "That's too good." I played the perfect point, I hit the volley that I actually wanted to hit. Dead run, she hits cross-court forehand pretty much on the line. So, you know, you just got to take your hat off and say, "That's too good."

NICOLE PRATT: I'd say on serve, yes. Off the ground, no way. I think that I matched it on the ground with her. Every time I got the opportunity to get into a rally, I thought I was actually 60/40 in the rally. To me, that's really, really encouraging for the steps that I want to take forward. You know, I know that I need to improve my serve. It's never going to be 180, 190. But I can have better placement on it and, you know, can have a better first serve percentage. But, no, some very encouraging things today.

NICOLE PRATT: I just thought it was a call made after she'd already hit the ball. She'd hit the ball, ball lands out, you know, should be, you know, my point. Had the ball landed in, then, yeah, absolutely you play. So it's just a ruling that, you know, the umpire made. I thought I, you know, moved on really quickly after that.

NICOLE PRATT: No, not at all.

NICOLE PRATT: I was really nervous last night actually. But that's probably where it was great, you know, working with Noel, is, you know, I talked to him last night. I said, "Listen, I'm really nervous about tomorrow. I can't stop thinking about playing the match." So we talked about it. So by the time I arrived here in the morning, you know, I did what I normally do. Had a great warm-up and felt really sort of relaxed and excited about going and playing. So I think, you know, I was really prepared to play today.

NICOLE PRATT: Yep, absolutely. Yep. Top 10 game I would say, soon, yeah.

NICOLE PRATT: No, I don't think I'm going to Tokyo. I'm going to spend another sort of week and a half here, two weeks consolidated what I've been working on and head off to -- I'm going to play Paris, Doha, Dubai. Make it a three-week trip.

NICOLE PRATT: Very good beginning to 2003, and probably a good beginning to the rest of my career. That's how I'm sort of viewing it at the moment.

NICOLE PRATT: Yeah.

NICOLE PRATT: Same thing that was going through at the beginning of the match, was I was picking where I wanted to serve, what I wanted to do with the second ball that I got. Probably if I had it over again, I probably would have just slowed down a little bit. I think I rushed those sort of three, four points there. But, no, I mean, I wouldn't do anything much different at all, other than win the game (smiling).

NICOLE PRATT: No, not at all. I think I really stepped it up today and took it to her on the baseline. I was prepared to sort of go out after her first serve, and I was really seeing the first serve really well. If she gave me something short on the second, then I was prepared to, you know, go towards the lines and start the point in an offensive position. Tactically, I think I stuck to the game plan really well. Just the difference today was not converting on game points and breakpoints.

NICOLE PRATT: I think she's -- probably have to work a little bit harder off the ground at the moment. I think she's a little bit shaky in different areas. There's girls like Kim and obviously Serena, I think they're hitting better off the ground than Venus at the moment. But Venus has a great serve and is able to pull out points, you know, when she needs them. Other girls don't have that. So, you know, she's still got another -- probably another match under her belt to get to move into the semi. Then by the semi, if she does what she needs to do to find that rhythm off the ground, then, you know.... There's probably four girls in contention for this tournament, and Venus is one of them.

NICOLE PRATT: I started with Kim at the beginning of the tournament, and I think I'll stick with Kim.

NICOLE PRATT: Lindsay, if she gets through, yeah.

NICOLE PRATT: Like you just have to constantly step it up. I mean, if you give any short balls, the point's over. Like you saw today, they step it up when they're under the hammer, which is when they're down game points, breakpoints. Then that's when they look to really step it up. I think really that's the difference. Obviously, a bigger serve, a little bit harder off the ground. But you can adjust your game to accommodate that.