TELECOM MASTERS ITALIA

May 15, 2005

Amelie Mauresmo

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

AMELIE MAURESMO: I just heard that after I won (smiling). John told me. Yeah, it's, you know -- I'm very proud of doing that really because, you know, it's a great, big tournament, it's a very strong draw, and really I came here having not really, you know, a good rhythm on the clay courts. I think as the tournament was going, I felt stronger and stronger. And again today. Even though I had a really bad start in the first set, beginning of second set, I was really able to come back pretty strong and made sure I, you know, I hang in there, I stayed there, I fight. And, you know, bit by bit, I came back pretty strongly in that second set.

AMELIE MAURESMO: (Smiling). I'm happy.

AMELIE MAURESMO: No, not really. I think, you know, all the people that are helping me, they know that it's their job and that it's their title also. They're here with me all year long. Even if my coach is not here this week, you know, he's part of this - of course. But, you know, for the moment I'm just enjoying it and really very proud of holding -- keeping -- like, I don't know how to say, winning back-to-back titles here in Rome.

AMELIE MAURESMO: Stefano? C'est mon chauffeur (smiling).

AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, I hope, you know. I really came here having not really good rhythm, I'll just take it as a relaxed, you know, tournament, and then finally I'm here with the trophy on the last day. So it's pretty strange. Maybe I should do that every tournament I go - especially at the Grand Slams and the French Open.

AMELIE MAURESMO: Did I talk? Today, you mean?

AMELIE MAURESMO: No (smiling).

AMELIE MAURESMO: He disappeared, yeah (smiling).

AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, I showed -- I mean, Patty stopped to play, I stopped to play, and the ball was -- you know, I showed him the mark was out. He said, No, it's not this one. So I said, Show me another mark. He said, No, there's no other mark, so (laughter)... You know, it's pretty strange, you know. He's over there on the chair and, you know, I'm right there knowing exactly where it is. So, you know, that's pretty upsetting, especially on the key moment it was, at 4-3 in that second set. But, you know, I was able to really leave it behind me and focus back again very quickly on the next points.

AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, already after the very last game of the first set and a couple -- few games beginning of the second set, I was, you know, starting to move a little better because I wasn't moving at all, and put the ball back in, make her work at least, you know, to get the points because I was giving her too many free points on the first set. So, you know, I knew that maybe I would have an opportunity to come back if it didn't happen, didn't happen. But I had this opportunity and I took it. So I think what I did great today is really, even though I started bad, is really hang in there and keep fighting.

AMELIE MAURESMO: She has a very special game, you know. You know, not like most of the other players, you know? She's able putting a lot of spin, slicing. We saw her with a lot of dropshots on the backhand side as well. She also sometimes come in, you know, not being afraid to, you know, do some dropshot volleys or stuff like that. So she's really being able to do many different things, and we don't see these kind of player very often, I think.

AMELIE MAURESMO: I think -- I've seen her play from the beginning, and that's what I said yesterday, you know, when you were asking me about her. I said she's playing great tennis since the beginning of the clay court season, and we got to look, you know, got to look for her not only today, but also at the French. Because, you know, physically she's pretty fit, pretty strong. She has a good eye, seeing the ball very well, and knowing the game also pretty well. So, yeah, very dangerous.

AMELIE MAURESMO: I think there are a lot.

AMELIE MAURESMO: You want me to do the list or what (laughing)?

AMELIE MAURESMO: We start, what?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Amelie, who's that (laughing)? No, I think, you know, we've seen maybe Sharapova. Patty has been playing well. Kuznetsova is really being able to play great on clay. We've seen Justine in great shape before, you know, in Berlin and the tournaments before. I don't know what Kim is gonna be like with her knee, but... And the Williamses, you just never know. So it's, yeah, a lot of contendents (sic), I think.

AMELIE MAURESMO: That's tough. We don't have too much time, enough time for that.

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, but just trust, be confident in yourself. I didn't have that a few years ago, a couple years ago. I'm really starting to have more and more confidence in myself, believing in what I do, doing it 100%. I think really what I've achieved in the last couple years is really the result of all this, putting together all these little details, you know, doing things. And, of course, sometimes you cannot -- you have downs, you cannot always be so positive all the time and everything. But really enjoying also is, you know, very important, I think, because otherwise you cannot achieve what you want if you don't enjoy it.