NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 21, 2002

Ashley Harkleroad

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Second. I played last year.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I was 6-1 in the third.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I have a blister on my hand. It was coming apart and I needed to put something over it.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I wasn't playing as good as I would have liked. I didn't serve that well. I was having a hard time with my toss. But she's very fast, and she's very fit. I just think she was just in a little bit better shape than I was. She could have gone longer than me.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah. Yeah, I've been sick for a week or so before this. I haven't been able to practice that much. But I practiced maybe four days before I came here. So, it was kind of difficult on me.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, flu.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, obviously my ranking isn't like 690. I felt a little bit better since it's like 250. I feel a little bit more experienced out there. I mean, I played on that court on Orange Bowl and continental Cup for the last three years and last year I played on the court. I was just trying to have fun.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Pretty much. Although it was very hot and everything. But I tried to enjoy it as much as I could.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: May 2nd.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: What do you mean? If I've...?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I pretty much consider myself a professional. I mean I'm going to play more professionals than Juniors. I don't know if I'll play any more Grand Slams. I might play the French Juniors and I might play Wimbledon Juniors. Kind of depends how I do in the quallies of the French.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, you know, Juniors is, you can only kind of go so far. I mean, my goal is to win a Grand Slam. But I got very close, you know, three in the world in Juniors. I got to the semis of every Grand Slam. And I just feel like I just need to move on, you know? I'm just putting too much emphasis on trying to win in Juniors and not enough in pros. That's what matters really, is the pros. So I just have to move on.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: By my outfit?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, I definitely moved up a size in my Nike clothes (laughing). But I still -- I just like to, I mean, I was having fun out there. I figured the outfit I was wearing was, you know, girls these days, they're out there watching me play in like tube tops and, you know, everything. So I'm only 16 years old. You know, I guess I work on my body a lot, try and stay fit, and things like that. I like things to fit me tight or whatever. I didn't really think it was going to be a huge problem, but it was. I didn't really care that much though.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, not really.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I'm not really like her. I'm a whole different person. I don't think she's very friendly. And, you know, she's very pretty, but I mean, I try and be more perky I guess. I don't know. I just try and enjoy it. I haven't really talked to her, but I don't really think I'm like her that much.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Looks-wise?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I try not to focus on that that much.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I don't know. I mean, I just don't really see her talking that much to people in the locker room. But I don't know.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, but she's a good tennis player though. Top 10 in the world, you have to give her some credit. She's done good. It's not easy out there. I think she's a good player. I don't think she cares too much if she's won a major tennis tournament or anything.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Like three.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Uh-huh.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, it's like 12. It's like 15 when I turn 17.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Like 12 or 10.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, my dad travels with me almost everywhere. And, I mean, he pretty much looks out for me a lot. But I think the security's pretty tight. I mean, I know that I had -- every time I don't have my badge on my neck or something, they always ask. I see them doing that with everybody, if they don't have it around their neck or anything. I mean, I don't think it's bad. I think it's pretty good. But for me, I travel with my dad, so he always looks after me.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Jill Smoller (ph), from -- well, starting April 1st we'll be with William Morris.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I want to. Yes, definitely.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: (Laughing). I keep telling her that, but I don't know what she'll do. But I think I am -- I'll do some modelling. I did some for Nike. Hopefully, I can do some more because I enjoy that.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I can act pretty good (smiling).

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No. But my parents say I can, so... (Laughing).

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah. But I hope. She said something about it, I hope she can get me in some sort of like little part or something like that. But it won't probably be any time soon. I hope so, though.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, she's not there that much anymore, and I'm really not either. I'm practicing a lot in Atlanta with Ola Malmqvist. He's the women's -- coach for the women's travelling tour team, the USTA. And I'm traveling on that team with him. I work with him a lot in Atlanta.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: We still have a home in Saddle Brook, yes.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I have four challengers in a row. I have a 50 in Naples, I have like a 25 in Jackson, Mississippi, I have a 75 in Dothan, Alabama, then I have another 25 in Midlothian.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, I mean, I used to look at rankings a lot for goals, but I just figured I'm just going to try and get better all around in my tennis game. If that happens, and I start playing, you know, pretty well, then my ranking will go up automatically, so...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I probably need to get a little bit more of, I mean, a weapon like a forehand where I can hit almost -- you know, I can really blow somebody off the court with it. Right now I'm very comfortable with my backhand. I like it a lot. I like to hit it, you know, as hard as I can. My forehand is a little bit more -- I can move the ball around. But...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, you know, a more powerful one where I can blow somebody off the court. But also I'm trying to get to the net more. I've been working on my serve a little bit. It was not that good today. But I kept foot faulting a lot. I'm trying to, like, move my foot a certain way and it keeps hitting the line. It's really making me mad.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No. No. That did not bother me at all. I guess I try and look okay out there, but I liked that outfit. I didn't think anything was wrong with that one. But I don't know, you tell me (laughing).