AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2003

Daniela Hantuchova

MODERATOR: Questions for Daniela.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Well, I think it was a much higher level than last year. I think Venus came out today playing unbelievable. I think that's what she needed today to beat me. She did it. All the credit to the way she played today. I mean, I had my chances today, too. You know, today she was just better.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: I mean, that serve was incredible. I mean, you know, you feel like you have your chances, and somebody serves like 200 Ks an hour, there's not much you can do about. I think the serve really help her today. I mean, I had my chances on her serve, too. But, you know, any time I felt like I was going to break her or something, she just served unbelievable. I think that made the difference, that my serve was not as hard as hers, and she was getting some easy points on hers.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Definitely I felt like I had my chances, even though she was playing really well. That gives me confidence that today I think she had to play, you know, one of her best matches to beat me, and she did it. I haven't seen her playing that well, you know, for the last matches. Today she just came out and was hitting the ball really hard. For sure, I mean, if I would maybe make the lob, that would have made a difference being 5-All in the first set. Yeah, sure, I had my chances, and I just didn't use them.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Well, I think right now it's all about power because I think my tennis is there, but it's just sometimes so fast that I can't do anything about it, I mean, especially the serve. Yeah, I think I have to improve the speed of my serve, being even more faster. You know, using those chances that I had today.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Sure, I do the weight work, too. This match has showed me I have to work even harder on it. I mean, I'm really glad this match showed me what I have to improve, what I have to work on. Hopefully next time it's going to be better.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Yeah. I think it was such a great rally, and I just needed to finish it. It was such an easy point, I was disappointed that I missed it. But I never thought that the match was over. I always fight till the last point. Until we shake the hands, the match is never over. I was always hoping to get my chances. But, you know, with that serve, I couldn't have done much.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Well, I think, sure, there was room, too, to go up a few gears. Overall I think I was, you know, not playing my best, sure, but I was happy the way I was hitting the ball. Maybe I should have made more first serves, that would have make a little bit, you know, difficult for her. But otherwise, I mean, I was happy the way I was hitting the ball. I made few, you know, easy mistakes that against a player like that I can't do that. But, you know, first time being here in the quarterfinal, it's great. The Williams sisters are the only ones that I have lost on a Grand Slams in the last year. I mean, also Monica. Otherwise, only the Williams sisters. So that gives me a lot of confidence that in the other matches when I was the favorite, I won all of them. Overall, I'm pretty happy how I played here.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: No. I enjoy playing so much here because the crowd is really great. They get really into the match. I think, you know, playing out there on Rod Laver, it's always great because the atmosphere is really special. I really love playing in front of an Australian crowd.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: Boy, it's really difficult to say. I mean, in tennis you never know. I mean, every match is different. Obviously, the Williams sisters are big favorites. If Venus plays like she played today, I think she's got a really good chance to win it. You know, there is still Kim and Justine and many others. At the moment, it's really hard to say.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: I mean, she's got the ability. She's so big. She's got so much power. I don't see any reasons why she can't do that. That's pretty scary. But, you know, I was glad that even though she served hard at some stages, I was able to get the return back.

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA: I mean, I always like to do something. Either it's doing another sport like skiing, swimming, whatever. When I'm home, spending as much time as possible with my family.