WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2002

Anna Kournikova

Chanda Rubin

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I think a match like today, we, you know, got it clicking fairly early but it got better as the match went on. That's all you hope for in doubles, is that you keep giving your partner the chance, and you can kind of see what they like to do and you can see what they like to do. Kind of work together in a match.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's only our second match together, we've never played before. This is our second match. So I think we did great for a second match. I think that we complement each other well. And Chanda, you know, sets up the points well and I can finish them off.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, I've been playing a lot of matches over the last few weeks or so. You know, I've played singles and doubles as well. But definitely it's holding up. I feel like I can come back the next day and play again and play again. So I don't have any problems with it.

CHANDA RUBIN: I cannot remember the last time. I don't think it's ever happened. Obviously, I mean, doubles, it's not something people really want to talk about unless -- once I think we beat Venus and Serena. That was sort of like big news, but...

CHANDA RUBIN: Because I'm playing with Anna (smiling).

CHANDA RUBIN: The focus is just not on doubles. Singles is sort of the glamorous part and doubles is relegated I think a lot of times to just back courts or, you know, an afterthought - when, in reality, more people play doubles and more people can relate to playing doubles. I think the more you showcase it, especially great teams -- I mean that's what you want to continue to promote, you know, is really good teams who know how to play doubles. So I think it's definitely, you know, the down side, the down side to it. Because I enjoy playing.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I don't really have to take a moment. I can answer right away. I don't think that has anything obviously to do with me because obviously I'm not a top player right now. Maybe I'm not cocky enough to be a top player.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't know. I think, you know, first of all it depends on personality. And it depends on the person. You know, whatever helps a person to succeed, you know, that's the way it is.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think I'm just more protective of myself and, you know, certain things that I want to keep just to myself - my friends and my family. I'm much more protective of those things and private moments or private times and stuff like that, just outside of, let's say, Wimbledon, you know, the tournament. But otherwise, you know, I don't really pay attention to that.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well... That's probably food for another discussion, you know. I think in a Grand Slam, women and men play equally, you know. They bring the same entertainment to fans. You have some women's matches that are longer than some of the men's matches. So I think there is an argument that can be made for that, certainly. And especially the way women's tennis is now, it's so strong.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, it's pretty hard to, you know, just decide -- you know, have it resolved right away or say, "Yes," and, "No." I think there's, you know -- just like in everything, there's pluses and the minuses. I think it's just discussion , you know. There's got to be a lot of decisions made about that and there should be a discussion about that.

CHANDA RUBIN: We've been playing against each other for a number of years.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: So many years. We talked at the French?

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, the French. We thought we'd try to play some. I hadn't been playing a whole lot of tournaments yet so I didn't have anyone regularly. I think she was the same.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, I didn't play any tournaments 'cause Martina is injured. So I didn't have a partner for the rest of the year, so basically I could -- I had to find somebody.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's been one year.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's great. I really like that tournament. You know, I've played it I think three or four times; I can't remember exactly. I played San Diego also last year, so I was in California last year. I always like to go there, and I had good results there, especially the last time I played. It's a very good, you know, setting to play. It's nice and quiet and you can practice and I think it's just great preparation for the Open.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I wasn't angry, you know. It's not like I'm still angry, because I wasn't angry.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think it's an old story to talk about it right now already. You know, I really --

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: There's been already so much said about it that I really don't want to get into any conversation about it because it really -- it's not something that I should be worried about right now.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Who are we playing?

CHANDA RUBIN: I'm not sure who won the first match. It was a match between Arendt and Huber, who are the seeded teams, playing against someone. So we never really discussed it.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We just walked off the court.

CHANDA RUBIN: Haven't had any time.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, we practiced before this match, warm-up, do our same routine, so...

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think -- you mean me?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I don't know if I've been criticized. Plus, some people criticize and some people, you know, do other things. But like I said, I really don't read that stuff, so I don't know if I've been criticized or anything. The fans have been great, and today being on the court was great. We had a good match. And that's all that matters. I mean, I really enjoyed playing today. The support, I think, was great. Everybody were real excited.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: As long as we get supported when we play, nothing else matters. We're playing here for the fans.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: The doubles?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We'll know the day before that.

CHANDA RUBIN: Probably will be Friday, but we'll know by the end of today.