WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2005

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: Can we have your questions, please, for Lindsay Davenport.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's good. I knew I needed to do that. Was able to go through a really, really long stretch of not getting broken from like the first service game up until when I served for the match. Against a returner like Kim, that's all I can ask for. You know, no matter what happened, I stuck to my game plan, even though when I started missing some balls. I wanted to keep the points short, I wanted to just go for shots, and stuck with it the whole time. Eventually it paid off.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I didn't think that. I thought that in the third set when I hit that one backhand. You know, I had Love-30 that game and didn't get up Love-40. That's what I wanted to do. Got the match point, had the backhand up the line, went for it, missed it. Of course, when it doesn't turn your way after you lose the set, you start thinking, "Why didn't I just make it? Why didn't I just hit it cross-court? Why didn't I?" But, you know, looking back, it's something I went for. But I would have preferred it over in two sets.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I thought it did. I don't know. I'd like to see the replay. I thought I hit it pretty well. I knew it was out. It wasn't that close that I thought I got a bad call.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I thought I was hitting the ball well. I mean, it's very tough to gauge on grass. But I was, you know, going after shots, making some errors, but, you know, holding serve, getting close to breaking a few times. I mean, I was happy with the way I played. I finished the second set not very well in the tiebreak. Made a lot of just bad errors there. But was able to come back in the third and really just kind of calm down and play a little bit cleaner again.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I mean, it's been in the works that I was going to be back playing for quite a while. It never quite got that. My husband and I talked quite a bit about starting a family, just relaxing for a little while just because I've done this for so long. But I'd be surprised if I had another job right away.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I was trying -- I knew it was going to be a really tough match, and I was trying to keep my cool, which I thought I did a good job with. I did enjoy it until the third. I was really ticked off about not winning the second. I think that took some enjoyment out of winning in three. But, you know, I mean, I thought I handled everything pretty well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Didn't happen, huh, too much (laughter)? It's like such a battle for me not to. I was like (hesitating) every time I would want to. Before going out there, besides being a great tennis player, one of his best attributes is she wants it more than anybody out there, and I knew that. I thought, "Okay, I'm not going to give in." I felt like I gave in a lot in the tiebreak, but was able to recoup in the third. I was trying really hard not to worry about anything, but just the next point. But it's a struggle for me.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was really surprised at the French, at the end of that match, exactly what happened with her forehand. I was trying to keep that in mind with my serves and on the bigger points. Sometimes, you know, it backfired a little bit maybe playing it, missing some balls trying to go there. I did know about her backswing. I did know that she did miss a few in Paris. I was going to try and go there a little bit more. So, yeah, that was part of plan going in.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Pretty good, huh (smiling)? Very rarely pat myself on the back. But the players that I just felt like were running me out of the game in 2002, '3 and a little bit of '4, I'm happy that I was able to mentally kind of overcoming those barriers with all of them. Venus was pretty big, losing all those times in a row. Paris, I think I had lost the same with Kim: six times in a row. You know, eventually it got a little bit stronger in the matches to pull through some of them.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think both. I think working out and getting in better shape has helped me mentally quite a bit. I definitely feel even though -- I think all of that gives me confidence when it's a little bit closer now. And then once you get the one... I felt really good going out there today, really good. Like I said, I was really bummed about not winning the second set, but I felt like I did really well up until the very end stages. I mean, Paris gave me a lot of confidence out there today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I know, so far. I'm a little worried about tomorrow, though (laughter). You know, I had three really easy matches, I mean, time-wise the first week easy matches. Today on grass, especially, a really long match. Hopefully I'm going to spend all night trying to get my body recovered to play tomorrow. I feel fine right now. A lot of times I wake up the next day just really stiff. I'm hopeful that won't happen. But it was a tough match. Got to come back again tomorrow against another really good player. Hopefully that will be okay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's just been such a topic that's been around for so long that I kind of stopped worrying about it a few years ago. You know, women's sports, we've come, like that slogan, we have come a long way, I do believe that. I'm very proud of my country and how they treat men and women, how we really strive for equality. And I think it's just a process with the other slams. We get bad raps for some easy matches, we get for not -- bad rap for not playing three out of five. All we can do is just try to play our best out there and try and change minds slowly.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yes.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Two and a half. My mom and I share a third one.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, yeah. When I'm at home, all the time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I grew up with Rottweilers. I don't know. I mean, it's just been our family dog forever. I've had eight or nine now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know about that. They're great. They're our children.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I was. I mean, that is the kind of stat that I need to win those matches. I mean, you've got to - especially on grass - get those free points. So I've been working on my serve quite a bit. It has been my problem with the consistency sometimes. And today I kind of just stuck to where I wanted to go and knew what I wanted to do. Helps your case a lot when you can get, like you said, one out of every three in a game or a couple points a game, some easy points, gives you a lot of confidence.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: But?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hope. I mean, I thought, you know, I had some great chances last year. You know, it's amazing. You play a match, the same thing after the US Open, this match that you've been really striving to win, then you realize, "Gosh, I'm still only in the quarters." It's still so long to go. All I can do is go out there and try and keep the same mindset that I had today and try and play well, work on it one match at a time. It's tough when you play really tough matches and really matches that you need to get through so early. I'm going to have to just kind of come down from my little high that I have and start again tomorrow.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It just feels like it was a big match, a match that I was looking forward to for the whole tournament when I saw the draw. I mean, I knew that was going to be a tough one to get by. A little bit of same thing happened at the US Open playing Venus. I mean, looked forward to that match. Came through it. Now I just have to come back out. I don't know about a final, but maybe a little bit later than a Round of 16.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hope so. On grass, it always helps my return. You just kind of have to go after it. I didn't really ever delay at all. I was trying to guess a little bit on her serves. I thought I did a really good job of hitting a high percentage of returns in, but still hitting them quite hard. So that's nice of him to say. I hope it continues.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I saw a little bit of it today as I was waiting. I've said for a long time I've always felt like she's just a few matches away from getting a lot of confidence back. I think she likes the grass. I think the same with her, it makes her go after the ball a little bit more, helps the pace of her shots. I'd like to see her do well. I think she's got a good opportunity here. It's amazing how tough that section of the draw was and how exactly who's kind of come through it. But she's been fighting well. Must be tough to come from, you know, the last 12 or 14 months haven't gone the way her career has always begun for her, and she's still out here battling. You know, hopefully she does well.