AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 14, 2006

Lindsay Davenport

Q. How are you feeling heading into the tournament? Are you feeling fit and ready to go?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I feel really good. I had a great like six or seven weeks at home, was able to work pretty hard. Been here now a little over -- maybe about a week. Feel ready to go. I'm excited to be able to finally get out there and play, and look forward to hopefully a good tournament.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't, sorry to say. We'll try and find something out in the next, whatever, 48 hours. You know, hopefully if I play well and do the things I've been working on, hopefully that will be enough.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I love it. It's great. You know, I enjoy my tennis, I enjoy my career. I obviously enjoy my success and enjoy my privacy. So it kind of goes together nicely for me.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: A little of both. Hard to say until you actually see a player out there playing a match and competing. I mean, there's been a lot of speculation. I haven't seen her hit a ball. Tough to say right now. Obviously I think as any top player would want to be in their best physical condition to play Grand Slams, obviously with injuries and other factors, you can't always control that. She's never one to underestimate, that's for sure. We'll have to see how this first week goes for her before really saying too much. I'd love to see her play first.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's great. I mean, this is a great first step to really getting women's tennis back. Getting everybody playing is the first step to really getting it back to a premiere sport. I don't believe necessarily everyone that's here is a hundred percent. Like I said, everyone in the draw is really what we need. I think as the players get more healthy, the top players get to compete against each other more and more, it's really going to help our sport. We've had a tough last couple years. Hopefully everyone can stay healthy now for all four Slams.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was just looking to do something a little different. I felt like I needed or wanted a little bit more help and interjection. Turned to a long-time friend and really great player in David. You know, really wanted to work on some more specific things. Have been able to achieve that so far. I think after a few years anyway, I mean, it was time for me maybe to get some new life and get some new ideas. I have to say I've had a really great time the last six week with him or so. It's been really interesting and he's made me kind of think about and work on a lot of things that I really haven't done in a while.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Tactics, talking about mental approaches, talking about certain things in my game, being really a lot more specific than I have been in quite some time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I hope. It's really hard to implement them in like the first month. Obviously, in a long-term plan of how to play better and how to improve at this age, with what I'm capable of, you know, there are some stuff that I've been trying to do. Like I said, tough to start off the bat doing them perfectly right away. Hopefully, whether it's here or in four months or in two months, I can get my game to an even higher level.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, right (laughter). One-handed backhands, all of that good stuff.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's not being thought about. I mean, certainly I'm not scared of the day where my tennis career is over. I think with the help of my husband, I've been very much able to play longer than I thought I could and play better and be more enthused about playing. I'm really excited for this year. I wouldn't have changed coaches and worked so hard if I wasn't really committed to another full year and hopefully accomplishing some more things in my career. The thought of quitting is not on my mind. I don't know when it's going to come. I'm fully committed to this year. As far as talking about any kind of tournament in 2007 or '8, that's far beyond my comprehension right now. Just taking this year as it comes and looking forward to hopefully a successful one.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it's great. I was very -- I was outspoken a few years ago in my disappointment that she did quit because I always enjoyed her as a player. I enjoyed competing against her. I enjoyed having her around. I think it's great she took the time she felt she needed away from the game and realized she really did miss it and is coming back. I wish her all the success. I, again, have not seen her play yet, unfortunately. I would like to be able to see her play. It will be interesting to see if she can, you know, adapt her game to the different level of play that we have now than three or four years ago.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think both. I think the level that the highest players are playing at is higher than it was three to five years ago. I think there's more girls, as well, that can play that type of game. Maybe before it was the top four. I think now it's probably closer to the top eight or 10. You have to kind of play better tennis, you know, starting a round or two earlier than maybe a few years ago. The game has grown. I think the game has evolved. I do think there are more girls that can play at that level of tennis.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think both. I think the ball is harder now than it was - it's hard to say - four years ago or five years ago. I think the ball's coming harder. I the girls are better and better athletes every year. The girls that were around a few years ago, maybe like a Justine and Kim that were only 18 at the time, whatever age they were, have really developed into obviously great players now a few years later.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I guess. I mean, it's not to say that everyone has to be over six feet and just hit the ball as hard as they can. There's still a great amount of variety out there. But I think Justine is definitely -- people don't really see how hard she hits the ball. I think they concentrate so much on her height, they don't really see the speed her serves are coming at. It's always high 108, 109, 110. They're coming hard. For people to say she's not a big hitter is not accurate in my assessment. She certainly is not as tall as some other players. Francesca is one of those few players that just makes a lot of balls and hits a lot of great shots. Doesn't overwhelm you with her serve, but is a very, very crafty player.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Whatever the reason is, I don't think I could really explain it fully, it's not -- I don't sit there and run sprints and thing about "the Australian Open, the Australian Open." I think it's just a level that you want to continue to do well. I have a lot of pride in doing really well. Obviously, I mean, I've always been very honest with I'd love to win more Grand Slams. I came very close last year. I would love to be in that situation again. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to a final or two and have an opportunity to play a better final this year. Certainly it's a huge goal of mine to try and accomplish that again.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I wish I could answer that. I don't know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I'm excited about the year. I don't know if that would have changed by one point last year at Wimbledon or not. Certainly ready to go.