PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 24, 2000

Lisa Raymond

Q. How difficult was it?

LISA RAYMOND: It was difficult, I had to be professional about it. I had to get up this morning like it was any other day, you know. I knew that I had an obligation to Rennae as well. I couldn't just go out there and pout around and not hold up my end of the bargain out there today. I knew if we played well we'd have a long day. I had to go out and forget about yesterday.

LISA RAYMOND: Yes and I no, I think the first match I thought it was going to be a lot tougher than it was. It ended up being a lot easier. We played well, but going back out there this afternoon it was, you know, I was kind of dragging a little bit, you know. But, again, it was something I had to grind through and just be very professional about it.

RENNAE STUBBS: I have actually said that already. They're lucky they didn't do that to me, I might have been a little more volatile than Lisa. Might have been a little more outspoken as well.

RENNAE STUBBS: We played well in the third, that's really all that mattered. It was a long day.

RENNAE STUBBS: Well, I mean, when we played our best. We're the best in the world, I guess in the third we kind of put it together. We played our best, we didn't miss anything. I think, you know, when you play a team not expecting to beat you, they probably thought in the third, oh, we have a chance they get a little out of what they're supposed to be doing and we played really well. We kind of just thought it's been a long day. Let's really knuckle down and try in the third.

LISA RAYMOND: It's funny, you kind of hope you don't have to be pushed in order to kick it into that next level. Yeah, I think today in the third, like Rennae was saying, we just buckled down and really took care of business in the third. Simple. We just simplified it, and did what we needed to do to win and it took maybe 15 minutes to do it.

LISA RAYMOND: I can't speak for Rennae, but I know for me the, I think the restitution could be for me to really just kind of prove my -- you know, to kind of show them, look, I'm good enough, you know, but at the same time, I don't want to put that extra pressure on myself to feel like I have to prove even more, because I don't think I could have proved myself anymore than I did in the past eight months. So, you know, it's definitely, it motivates me there's no doubt about that. Every time I step out on the court I've got that little extra motivation.

RENNAE STUBBS: It's been -- it's actually been really hard even for me on the court, because I've known how much and how important it is for Lisa the last six months to do well, and you know I think every single match we pretty much walked on the court this year after winning the Australian Open, we've had that added extra pressure, on top of just winning, winning and losing, you know, that's enough pressure in itself. But on top of being the number one team where everybody wants to beat you, you've got that added extra pressure of Lisa's trying to make the Olympic team. I know myself, as you saw, I'm a lot more volatile, a lot more emotional. So for me on the court the last seven months and eight months for me has been really, really difficult, as well, because I've known how important our wins and losses and how I play will make a difference to her. And you know I was probably, besides Lisa, I was second-most disappointed person for her because I felt, you know, I'm going, I'm going to be there. I know I deserve to be there, that's for sure. And it was just kind of like, you know, it was really -- I felt really bad as well, because I thought we did, as a team, and then I thought she did, as an individual, and I think that's really disappointing for her.

LISA RAYMOND: I'm sorry?

LISA RAYMOND: First match.

LISA RAYMOND: Was there just as many people out there?

RENNAE STUBBS: She got a standing ovation.

RENNAE STUBBS: She did. She pretty much got a standing ovation when you walked out. She put her head down, she probably didn't notice. I said, you're getting a standing ovation, that's how these people feel.

LISA RAYMOND: Yeah, I mean, I -- The support I've gotten, it's just awesome.

RENNAE STUBBS: Somebody yelled out: "You deserve to be on the Olympic team." I said, oh, God, I think she's got enough on her mind. But I think that's how the people feel. The public has been awesome.

RENNAE STUBBS: She would say that; they won.

LISA RAYMOND: I don't know. I don't even want to comment. I don't want to touch it.

LISA RAYMOND: You know what, I don't think it's even relevant whether it's six whether, it's four. I wanted to go to the Olympics to represent the United States to play doubles. Number one in the world, I think I've earned it. So, you know, it's two different -- you know, we're talking about two different disciplines. Talking about a singles tournament and doubles tournament. And I don't care if there's four, I don't care if there's six, I don't care if there's ten, you know, I'm number one in the world in doubles.

RENNAE STUBBS: Same thing could have potentially happened. If there were six members, Lisa is seventh in singles. She could have been passed over again. So for Billy to really decide that. Six members would have made the difference for Lisa Raymond. What is she saying, is she then going to pick six members? Pick Lisa as the doubles player if there were as six-member team? She's saying one thing and saying another. If it's a four-member team and she's picking Serena to play the doubles, if it's a six-member team, Serena is going to be on the team for singles. Who is she going to then pick for doubles? That would have been a very interesting kind of -- Sliding Doors, the movie. That would have been interesting to see. If it had been six, would she have picked Lisa for the double spot and Serena in the single sopt or played the Williams in doubles again and left Lisa behind again? That's an interesting question.

LISA RAYMOND: It's mental. Yeah, you know, my sister got married this past weekend as well, so it's just been a crazy ten days and, you know, ever since this whole thing with the Olympics started, with me filing the grievance, it's just been pretty much 24/7 thinking about it. Whether it be talking to my lawyers, whether it be myself preparing testimony or doing research, you know, it's always been in the back of my mind, if not in the forefront of my mind. Mentally, there's no doubt it's been very difficult.

RENNAE STUBBS: It was tough today, because it was going to be two matches. Hopefully. We had a tough first round. I mean they won LA, those two. Yesterday, thank God for the rain. Because I think it was going to be very, very difficult to concentrate on playing matches yesterday. But yeah I try my best to. I think the best thing for us to do is go back to what we were doing six months ago and just enjoying going out there and trying to be the best and just go out there and concentrate on winning this tournament going to the U.S. Open and trying to win the U.S. Open. Being as professional as we've always been as a team.

LISA RAYMOND: Be nice. Especially if I do well in singles too, then it's like, you know, their whole stand is they want to make sure, if somebody gets injured, they have somebody to play singles. I don't think I'm too bad of a singles player.