U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1992

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think she just -- she played really well. She played unbelievable, and she just played too good for me today, and I didn't think I played that bad. I felt good out there. I felt good coming out. I thought my strokes were solid. You know, some shots I could have taken more advantage. And I could have served more first serves, but bottom line she played too good.

Q. With the big buildup, how well you have played, how disappointing is this kind of loss?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It is pretty disappointing.

Q. I mean, more than that, wasted chance, wasted summer, all the work that you have done to come up with a flat or a bad game like this, tough loss?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, if I look at it that way, but I am just here to try to look at it, well, I had a pretty good summer. You know, Olympics was great. I am playing great -- I guess stuff happens --

Q. Considering the way she played today, Jennifer, how far do you think Patricia can go in the tournament?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, playing the way she did today, I think she can go pretty far. I haven't really looked at the draws. I don't know who is in my draw or whatever, who is coming up, but she has a pretty good chance, to make more upsets, I think.

Q. Jennifer, you have had matches where you had been down and had great comebacks. Was there a point today where you were worried and you though, uh-uh, or where you thought this is "Capriati time," I am down?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I never think of it that way. You can't, because I can't always rely on it like that, you know -- I wasn't ever -- I mean, just the whole match, it was kind of -- it was close. I don't think I ever really fell behind. I think I just missed chances, especially after I broke, twice in the second set and then -- no. How many -- I think it was once. Yeah, it was once. And then once in the first set. And, you know, I lost my serve, but I had chances.

Q. Jennifer, your loss to Seles last year was pretty tough. How do you rate this one, worse, too early in the tournament; how do you see this one compared to last years?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Worse. This is more of a disappointment for me than last year.

Q. Your loss now today and the loss of Martina yesterday, takes out two of the women from the draw who were particularly looked upon as serious threats here on a hot stroke. Does this pretty much open the door for Monica to repeat, do you think?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I think -- well, there is still some other tough -- top players in there. Gaby, Steffi, I think just everyone really has a chance.

Q. Are you in shock that you lost considering how well you had been playing?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, like it took awhile for it to sink in that I won the Olympics and it was so great. It is taking a little while to sink in that I lost. I mean, I just -- just -- it is really -- it is just a major disappointment for me. I don't know if I am shocked. I mean, -- no, I am not really shocked. I mean, it is just disappointing.

Q. Do you think you peaked to early?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I am sorry.

Q. Do you think you peaked too early?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. You mean where, in the Olympics, at the San Diego?

Q. Right.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think at San Diego, I wasn't playing as well as I was playing in the Olympics, so I really didn't think I peaked there.

Q. Do you think, Jennifer, that Patricia is a much better player than the player you beat the last three years; that her game improved a lot?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: She has always been a tough player for me. Every time I play her I really got to be ready because I know before I got there that she has got -- anything can happen. She is just really a tough player. I think never before when I played her she just played as well. I just think her game is really on today.

Q. Do you think when you look back on the year, or whenever, that this will stand out, unfortunately, more than the Olympics or anything else, all the other winnings that you have done, this kind of disappointment?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.

Q. Afterwards, when your father came up and embraced you, can you tell us what he said to you?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Why? I am not going to tell you.

Q. Jennifer, when will you be going back to school and is that something that you are going to be looking forward to?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I start school September 8 -- yeah, I am looking forward to going, see all my friends again; not really to work.

Q. Looking back at the match, is there anything that you would like to do different?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. The second set when I broke, would have liked to really just go for it. Just really kind of be aggressive in my game and serve better.

Q. Were you nervous at 4-All?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: At 4-All?

Q. In the second, you just broken back to 4-All and then couldn't hold serve?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Right. No. I wasn't nervous.

Q. Do you think, will this make you think again about getting a coach do you think a coach could help you in situations like this?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I was planning to get a coach no matter what happened. I have been playing tournaments and I really haven't had the chance to kind of, you know, scope and see and really trying coaches and whatever. I was planning on it after the Open. But I don't know, I mean it didn't really hurt me not having a coach these couple of months.

Q. Thank you very much.

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