adidas International

January 9, 2001

Anna Kournikova

THE MODERATOR: First question for Anna.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: For example?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Bovina, yeah. Of course I see them on the Tour. But they play a lot of qualifying and a lot of other tournaments, so it's not often. It was the first time I actually played against her. I've never played her before, even in Russia or anywhere in Juniors. You know, I pretty much knew what to expect. I pretty much knew that she is hitting the ball really hard and she has a good serve. So... But I knew what I had to do. I had my game plan.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I guess. I just think that it sort of is motivation for younger players to, you know, to have somebody and to see that you can actually do it.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I have enough of things - enough of matches to concentrate on my own.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, really. I mean, we see all the Juniors at the Grand Slams, so that's where you kind of get all the information.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, it wasn't so bad. It was just kind of weird on one side, on the left to the chair. It was kind of difficult to return from there, because the ball just stopped. And a lot of short balls, they were even shorter. So I had to be always ready. But other than that, it wasn't really bad. It was just kind of twirling around.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I think that for this match I played pretty good. I think that I was very concentrated, which was very important. Because, like I said, on the court it was difficult to expect what was coming, you know. First of all, I don't really know how she plays, and then these kind of players, you really don't know what to expect because one time they hit a winner, one time it's an easy mistake. You know, one time it's an ace, one time it's a very slow second serve. So you always have to keep your eyes open and be ready. So I was happy with my concentration today.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, just like before, we've played together and then we separated. And now we just -- also we want to try different things, and I want to concentrate more on my singles. I'm not going to play as much doubles as I used to, and that's it.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not accurate. It was something -- it was about something else.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: What? Sorry.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Sorry. (Laughing.)

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: You know, it's a draw. This is tennis. There's a lot of good players, so I guess that's just what happens when you're unseeded.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, it's really tough to say.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, it's not like a breakup. It's just that we both have different partners. It's not like we're never going to see each other, never going to talk to each other. No way. It's tennis. As you know, a lot of players, they change partners all the time, so it's absolutely normal. This is our sport and this is the way it is. For example, I played with Barbara a year ago. Now I'm playing with her again. So it's normal.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: With who?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: There's always a chance of everything.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Excuse me?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We just kind of - I don't know - decided after the Chase, that's it.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, right now I just want to continue the way I'm playing and the way I played the end of last year, and continue that and be consistent in the top eight, top ten. And hopefully this year I can make top five. That would be what I would like to happen by the end of this year. And in order to get higher-ranked, I guess I just have to play much more consistent and just win the big matches.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Sorry?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I'm perfectly fine just like I am. I think that I'm playing even better since August. I think that that's where my improvement started, and I was 14 and now I'm No. 8. So I think that the last few months have been really a big improvement for me.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, my parents are helping me. I like it the way it is.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, not right now. When things are going good, why do you want to change something?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: My dad is a professor. He coaches. He's a professor in the University of Physical Culture in Moscow. He knows a lot about it. He has a PhD in it.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well... You should ask him.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I wouldn't want to discuss that here. We have a perfectly great parents with a child relationship, and that's --.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: You mean in terms of...?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, yeah. Definitely I've started working out much harder since last summer. Like I said, since about August. And it's -- you can really see. So...

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. I think that I just have to improve the way I'm playing now.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I'm not saying that tomorrow, you know, I'm going to be No. 1 or tomorrow I'm going to be this or tomorrow I'm going to be that. I'm just going to keep working and whenever it happens, it happens. I know that I'm working hard, and that's it. You never know what's going to happen tomorrow. Maybe it's the end of the world.