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March 25, 2004

Zina Garrison

THE MODERATOR: My name is Chris Widmaier. I'm Senior Director of Public Relations for the USTA. It is my privilege to be here with the US Fed Cup Captain Zina Garrison to announce the US team for the upcoming tie against Slovenia. Just for some housekeeping, that tie will be played, as I said, in Slovenia in Portoroz, Slovenia, April 24 and 25. This is a Fed Cup World Group first round. The winner of this tie will then play a quarterfinal match July 10 and 11 against the winner of the Slovak Republic and Austria. Without further ado, I am going to turn it over to our captain, Zina Garrison, who is going to talk about our team selection and the thinking behind it. Thank you.

ZINA GARRISON: Thanks. First and foremost, I'd like to just thank everyone for coming out this morning. I'm very proud to announce our first tie team, which will be Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Navratilova and Lisa Raymond, who will play our first tie in Slovenia coming this April, April 24th through the 25th.

ZINA GARRISON: Actually, yeah, I do (laughing). I mean, I call it a dream team for more than one reason. First of all, foremost, I mean, Martina Navratilova, is just an incredible person that's done so much for our sport. Then you have Venus and Serena who have also done a lot. Lisa Raymond is an excellent team player who understands just the fact of being there. She's playing good singles and good doubles as well.

ZINA GARRISON: Well, I mean, first and foremost, I did go down the list. We've had a lot of injuries with all of our top players. Each and every one of them were gracious enough to say that they possibly could not just play in April. When I got down to Serena and Venus, they were willing to play. They're true champions. They're very excited, as well as Lisa and Martina, about playing on the team. I'd just like to say for the American women, they've all been supportive and they want to bring the Cup back because they're very competitive.

ZINA GARRISON: With Martina, I never say, "I can't believe." I mean, anything she puts her mind to is just incredible. I had actually gone out and watched some of our matches when she started coming back. I knew she was taking it 100 percent serious. The interesting thing about Martina is, no matter how many Grand Slam tournaments she's won, she still believes she has a chance and she also believes she can learn something and I think that's great. I think we can all take advantage of that.

ZINA GARRISON: I think you just answered it. I mean, she brings all those. I mean, her experience. She's very opinionated. She's very coachable. It's always good to get the other players to watch her practice and see how determined she is and how aggressive she is when she's on the court. But when she's off the court and they're sitting down watching matches, she's always talking about tennis. I've never seen anyone like Martina that remembers each and every point that you played, as well as she played. Her memory is incredible in that respect. The girls like sitting by her and like listening to where she's been and where she's still trying to go.

ZINA GARRISON: I think just with Lisa and Martina it's just a matter of they're gelling. It's going to come. I think that both of them are such great doubles players, and they've had some losses maybe that they didn't expect to have this year. But, you know, they're still working very hard and they're still looking forward to playing well.

ZINA GARRISON: They're from Slovenia. That's what I know (laughing). Actually, Billie Jean taught me something very early on, is to start trying and studying players well off. I got tapes the minute I got the job and started putting them on CD, and I'm going to start studying with some people that actually know how to study. That's what I know, and I know that we'll be ready when we get there.

ZINA GARRISON: I definitely hope if it's a dream, I don't wake up any time soon. That is incredible, the fact of all the Grand Slams they've already won, so...

ZINA GARRISON: Actually, believe it or not, it's not as easy when you have competitors like them and champions like them, because they want you to give them as much information and keep making them better. It's always great. But the one thing that I've noticed the years I've been assistant to Billie Jean, who has been my mentor for so many years, is that when you're working with all of the champions, whether it's Venus, Serena, Capriati, Martina, Davenport, it doesn't matter, it's like they all want information to be better, and that's always great. I think that's what makes them the champions that they are.

ZINA GARRISON: I went exactly down the list of the way it was, starting from Davenport down to Capriati down to Chanda Rubin, Serena. I literally just went down the list. I'm just really fortunate enough to have a lot of players that I had the opportunity to choose. I knew the schedule would be tough, and it's just a matter of getting the players that were able to fit it into their schedule because it's a lot that's going on this year, so...

ZINA GARRISON: I would have to say that all of them had. I just would like to say that I think it had a lot to do with the fact that last year they wanted to play for Billie and I think this year they wanted to play for me. I think that had a lot to do with it. I mean, I've known them since they were seven and eight years old as well. The other part to it is they truly, truly are big advocates of the fact that they are true Americans, so...

ZINA GARRISON: It's two totally separate things right now. I don't put anything out there. I just see this team as the team that it is for the Fed Cup in Slovenia.

ZINA GARRISON: Ranking would be a big part of it, as well as Grand Slams. I mean, there's a lot more things that will actually have to play into it when I have the opportunity to make the decision. Right now I'm just really basically just relying on just what I need to do for Fed Cup, and then the Olympics will be my next step.

ZINA GARRISON: I can't tell you what to expect; I never can from Serena (laughing). One thing I can tell you, I have talked to her, I have talked to a lot of the players, and they're all ready and they're all fit. The most important thing, I think, that with Serena, I mean, I was her mentor for years, is that she's excited just to be back on the court, and I hadn't seen that excitement in a while. She's excited. She's excited to get back out there.

ZINA GARRISON: I think the one thing, yes, the one thing is that I am not a little bit, but a lot more lenient just kind of with our practice situation. I have put into their letter that goes out to them that we will have a team practice in the morning and in the afternoon they will be able to come with their coaches, do what they need. The reason why I felt that that change was good is because it's a very tough schedule, they're going to come in from a tournament and they're going to leave there and go to another tournament. And you want your support team, the people that have literally been there, and we all want to work together as a team. So that was basically a thought process that I thought that would work.

ZINA GARRISON: No, that would be called the "Zina Garrison Rule" (smiling).

ZINA GARRISON: I actually have not spoken to her. But she has sent messages, and I've actually spoken to Capriati and we're actually going to have a meeting, so it's good (sic). I've known Jen as well for a very long time, so, you know... I also know that she wants to play her for country. I mean, so... Things are good.

ZINA GARRISON: I am a true, true tennis player. I take one match at a time, and I take one situation at a time. That's the way I've related to all my players, that we'll just take one match at a time. Because of the schedule this year, that we're going to truly have to work together as a team to try to bring back the Cup, and I know that, so... To answer your question, we have discussed it, but I'm just really taking this one at a time.

ZINA GARRISON: Well, we'll play one in July and then another one in November, but that will be the semis and the finals.

ZINA GARRISON: Yeah, but the last two will be together. That's good? Thank you, guys.