TENNIS MASTERS SERIES - ROMA

May 16, 2002

Anna Kournikova

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Anna, please.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah. It was kind of bothering me in my match before, but, you know, it was just a minor pain. And then today I started playing. As I was warming up, it was fine. I didn't feel anything. And then at the end of the first set I started to feel it a lot, you know, going to my forehands, for the wide forehands. Then at one point where there was a really wide one, I kind of felt it, a lot of pain and strained, obviously. I haven't played in the clay courts for a long time. And, you know, here I played two matches in a row. So I guess just got a little bit tired. And Virginia's the kind of player that you really have to move a lot against. The second set, was really tough for me to get over that pain. But, you know, I probably maybe should have stopped, but it was kind of difficult because I felt like I had a chance.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Hopefully, yeah. Like I said, I haven't played two matches in a row in a little while. So, you know, I had tough matches, and I was playing really, really well those first two matches. And, you know, it's tough to keep up like that. And just my body's letting me know that it has to get back to the shape where I was. And, hopefully, it's nothing serious and I'll be ready for, you know, the next tournament.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Definitely. I won two matches (laughing). Yeah, I think that I played much, much better and started to feel my game again and did a lot of the things that I've been working on. And, you know, the first two matches were almost perfect, and I think that I started well off playing today also. But then just got a little bit maybe frustrated or lost my concentration, and then I was thinking a lot about my leg. So it was a little bit hard to get back into the fighting spirit and everything. But in general, I think it was a great tournament for me. Of course it's not enough, you know, to get back to where I was. But, you know, I know it's not going to take a week, it's not going to take two weeks, it's going to take some time. Obviously, not playing nine months, it's a long time. So I'm just going to continue working hard on it and try to do as many things as possible in a match that I'm working in practice.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, you know, first of all, I cannot say because I lost today. But the next round is not an easy round, you know - it's Justine Henin. I've never really beat her. So it doesn't matter, you know. Like I said, it really doesn't matter who you play, it's what you do. And, of course, the other player can play an amazing match or make you play, you know, make you play your best tennis or whatever. But at the end of the day, you cannot change what the other person does. You have to concentrate on what you do.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah. So far it's been great, yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I already answered that question (smiling). Okay.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I have --.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, yeah. I can't really move. You know, like in the match, the second set, you could see that if there was a ball that was really far away from me, it was hard for me to reach. And I have a groin pulled - strain - whatever you want to call it. I don't know exactly, because I haven't seen the doctors yet. But it's my groin, so...

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, obviously, if I can't run, I mean... it's kind of difficult to run, you know, when you have pain. I didn't want it to be too bad for the next tournaments. I maybe should have stopped, but I felt like I had a chance or something so...

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We have communicated, but I don't think I want to go into details what we talked about.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't think I want to talk about that. I'm sorry.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, definitely. You know, whenever there is a serious injury, you know - like I have right now it's a groin - I know it's going to go away in a week or whatever, how many days, so it's not like a bone or a joint or, you know, something major, surgery. So that kind of thing is totally different. And obviously it can be really difficult. But, you know, I guess in Martina's case, we don't know what exactly it is yet and how serious. So keep our fingers crossed (smiling)... whatever, to see the results.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I didn't say that. Where did he get that from?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I didn't say that. Okay?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't know yet. I don't know. I haven't made any plans yet, you know. I had to take a shower, put some ice and come here. So... I really don't know about my plans. But I have to talk to the trainer and see what I have to do for my leg and everything. But I probably will stay for a day or something. I don't know yet.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes, I'm for sure playing Roland Garros. But I don't know yet if I'm going to play anything next week. That's -- I'm going to make a decision today.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Nothing. Yes, I wasn't entered into anything, but I'm thinking about maybe playing something.