WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2005

Lindsay Davenport

Q. Your feelings after the match?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it's tough to try to really put it into words right now. Obviously, I'm extremely disappointed. But, I mean, I feel like I gave it everything I had out there, and every time the chips were down for Venus, she played unbelievable. I mean, you know, I thought I played really well. I thought I had a lot of chances. And I felt like she never allowed me to take advantage of those chances. She just played great whenever she was down.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, that point, not really. I mean, more so maybe sometimes at the deuce points or 15-30 points. I mean, the point went by so fast - a good serve, first serve, one shot, I think a winner. It wasn't like I had this easy shot or an opportunity to build a point. It was like, on grass, you know, it's wham-bam, it was over. But, you know, I had a lot of opportunities after that up a couple points at 15-30. You know, she was able to keep a lot of balls in and a lot of forehands in when it was close. You know, it's not always the case.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it just -- all of a sudden I went to go down to return and I kind of always kind of bend over, kind of just tightened up all of a sudden on me. It's tight now, but I was really, really thankful that it never got worse and it didn't detract from my tennis. I mean, I was a little nervous there that one ball it might completely lock up. But towards the end of the match, it wasn't really a factor. I don't feel it cost me to lose the match. Was happy about that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: She was just trying to mobilize it a little bit and get the joints moving. She feels like I pulled a muscle in my lower left back. I won't really know until, I don't know, tomorrow or Monday when I get around to it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: 3-2. But, you know, it just kind of got really tight, then it stayed that way. But it was totally -- able to play through it. I mean, it wasn't anything that made me not be able to perform.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It just was really tight. But, no.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Was it out?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, God, that was so long ago. Was that the second set?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I thought the serve was way wide. I mean, I thought there was very, very good calls throughout the match. I thought that was a bad call. But, yeah, gosh, I wish I could remember more of the second set (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was great and it was exhilarating. I mean, I felt like I played great. I felt like I did everything I wanted to do out there, and I felt like I got really close and just didn't win the one or two points that would have won the match for me. But I don't really feel like sitting here that I have anything to really be like hang my head for or ashamed of. I mean, the girl all of a sudden would make like 10 balls and hit winners. Like I said, that's not always the case. She hit some great first serves at some crucial times. She didn't really give me a look at any second serves on big points. Hit some great up-the-line winners. Came in. I mean, it was all -- she just took it away from me every time I got up.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, no, once I got comfortable, I didn't want to really get up (laughter). I looked up and I saw she was nowhere near the baseline. I mean, that's the kind of tennis where, I mean, I'm not exactly sure how many balls we hit, but a ton of balls. We were both hitting the balls hard and deep, having great points. You know, that's the kind of point where, you know, she hit some great shots and didn't make any errors. You know, to give me two match points, it was an incredible point.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I actually felt like that the whole time. Even after losing the second, I felt like, God, this is a good match, and, wow, she really played well to win that set. As the third set went on, it was great. The opportunities were there. Like I said, I mean, it wasn't like all of a sudden we're just blowing easy balls. We had really tough rallies. It's hard to control on grass. She just was, like I said, incredible. Whenever I felt like I was just about to shut the door completely, it was like, "Oops, let's open that back up."

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I've lost to her in the finals of three Grand Slams. I think that's consistent how she behaves when she wins a Slam.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Gosh, I don't know. I mean, it was really fun to play. It was, you know, something that you look forward to in a huge Grand Slam final. But, I mean, disappointing that I lost. But, you know, who wouldn't have the opportunity to go through that? I mean, who wouldn't want to go through that? It will probably take me a little while to push it all aside and be able to move forward. But, you know, it was right there.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I've learned I have no idea. I hope to be back. I mean, last year I improved on a semifinal. Maybe next year I can improve on this. Gosh, it's a long way off. I have no idea. I hope so.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I felt like she deserved it. I mean, she deserved to win, absolutely. She fought hard and she played well when she was down. She was great.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, it's never happened in a tennis match (laughter). I wish it could have. But, no. I mean, it would have been nice, I guess.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: They were great. I mean, it was a pleasure to play in front of all the people that I thought were very appreciative of the great tennis, of both our abilities out there to try hard and to fight through everything. It was fun.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's tough. I don't really talk to many of the other girls about how they feel about certain players. I mean, I've always felt that the people that really wrote her off were the media. You know, I've been very consistent that I've always felt that it's been her confidence that's let her down more than anything. If that started to get more positive in her mind, she was obviously going to be a threat with her athletic ability and the way she can hit the ball. She played well here. I think grass helps quite a bit, the pace of all the her shots. We'll see what happens from here.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I mean, it's so tough because I think, you know, you're always worried about yourself and how you're playing and everything. I don't know. I mean, some point in the match, it got tougher and tougher. You know, I was trying to focus on how I was playing and what I wanted to do with the ball. I don't know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I thought I was playing well, but I don't know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, yeah, I was pissed. But I mean, like, I came off and I was very happy that that wasn't the reason why I didn't win the match. That would have been much harder to take than losing a match. From what I've been through, like having -- not being able to play a hundred percent at the end. So I was happy that wasn't the deciding factor.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was just tight, and that was fine. I mean, I was more nervous like if I did one thing, I wouldn't be walking with a bad back. But it didn't happen, so it was good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I've had back problems. But, gosh, it's been a long time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Conditions were great. I think that over the course of, I don't know, a three hour -- I don't know exactly how long the match was, you're going to get a couple errant tosses, some tired arms. But conditions were great.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, no.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, they're great. But, you know, I have always felt like I've done a remarkable job with being -- knowing this was a tennis match. While a huge match, a huge opportunity to build on a career, you know, we're still going to go have dinner tonight, we're still going to wake up tomorrow morning. Gosh, I love that my mom and husband are here. They're obviously, you know, going to be great to me. But I think -- you know, it will be nice to have them here.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No (laughter). I would have rather had a fourth title. You know, it's so hard. I mean, it's just so new. I mean, it's only been an hour or whatever. I'm sure as time goes by... Like I said, I mean, I feel like I played great. There's not many times when I feel like I've played well and I haven't won. So that's where I give her a lot of credit. I don't have anything to be ashamed about. But it's tough when you work so hard to achieve something like this and it just doesn't quite work out.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I just think it's mostly, uhm, you know, what happens and what kind of tennis you show and when it matters in a match. You know, you can be up and not play well or whatever. But I think that with everybody, I mean, at the top, I mean, you know if you -- you can beat whoever you want, but if you go through a period where you're not beating these people and you're losing to people you maybe shouldn't be, it's going to take a toll on your confidence.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was already pretty well pain-killed out before I went on the court. It wasn't advisable to take any more. Yeah, she was just trying to rub it and loosen it up. It was good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Just in general, aches and pains at 29.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Absolutely. I mean, yeah, I would do -- play a really good point, you know, have that opportunity, and then it was like a first serve, I'd get it back, she'd hit a winner. A lot of times when you play -- I felt like when it was close she wasn't giving me any really free points and wasn't really missing the forehand and wasn't hitting a lot of second serves. She was really, really tough out there.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I mean, I feel like -- I just don't feel like I have all that to be ashamed of. I mean, I'm really disappointed. Obviously, when you get that close to winning Wimbledon and it doesn't happen. But someone deserves it more than I do, and someone can come up with the shots she was able to come up with at those times, I mean, I don't know what to say. It's too good. She deserved it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's been a great year. It's hard because, I mean, ultimately people look at it like, oh, it's a disappointment because two Grand Slam finals and didn't win. I look at it like I've done everything I can. It hasn't worked out. But I'm playing better now than I have in years. I'm not going to give up on the opportunities that present themselves to me. You know, I've got the US Open in six weeks. Hopefully this will encourage me to keep going this summer.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, beating Maria was a great win. Obviously that probably helped quite a bit. After the French, she seemed to really play well here. I mean, from the very beginning of this tournament, she started to hit the ball better, it seems like. But who knows. I mean, maybe she can tell you.