AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2005

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay, please.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I felt today was a big improvement from my last few matches and felt I did some things a lot better in terms of groundstrokes and being more aggressive, being more aggressive with my play and going forward. So, yeah, it's better. I mean, in the quarterfinals, which is great round to be in. If my game's improving, that's always a good sign.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think -- I don't think it's that uncommon for here in Australia, first or second tournament of the year for a lot of the players coming from taking some time off. I think it would be hard to expect all the top players to be at their very best at this tournament. It's for me a shame that this Grand Slam is so early in the year. I don't think it allows the best tennis to come out of some of the players. I know for me I wasn't expecting to be flawless my first few rounds, and to lose a set wasn't that big a surprise. I thought I might have a few tough matches. I'm glad I've been able to play my way and play a little bit better as the tournament's gone forward.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Is there an extra week?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think ideally a few more weeks. But, yeah, I mean it's just you ideally would like to play a few weeks before you hit a Grand Slam and not the first or second tournament of the year. We're used to it. It hasn't been any different my whole career. But I just think that the players aren't going to be as sharp as maybe they are in the latter three Slams.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, God. Probably like February, March. Late February. But, I mean, obviously there's other factors to consider such as the Australian summer and fans and all of that. But from a player's perspective, I think you'd rather start the year, you know, maybe play for six or seven weeks before you get a Slam.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That's funny. I remember all three of my matchpoints extremely clearly, so I guess they stay with you. I don't think about them often, but, I mean, it never comes in my mind in everyday life. As you brought that up, I could tell you exactly what happened on all three. I think you try your best to think, "Oh, concentrate on this point." But, you know, your mind's racing where you know exactly what's going to happen if you win the point. But it's a huge moment in your life, in your career. Turning point in winning all three.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Uhm, I guess. I never thought either way, that it would or wouldn't. So I think you're more caught up in the moment of that exact time and not worrying about what's going to happen in the future at that point.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think more than anything last year, after all these years, taught me you can't really plan for anything. I wouldn't have planned to finish the year 1, and then looking back I would never have told you I would be 1 without making a Grand Slam final. I thought both times, especially at the US Open, that that was my time, and that I was going to do it and there was no doubts, and then it didn't happen, where, you know, I could have bet a lot of money, and I'm not really that type of confident person to say that. I thought for sure it would happen. Overall, it was pretty disappointing when the year ended to kind of have that void, that I wasn't able to come through at Wimbledon or the US Open. But that's what motivates you to come back and keep trying, and that's pretty much why I'm still here, I guess.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: They weren't actually up, and then I got talked into putting them up. They're downstairs in like this kind of side hallway that no one could really see in there.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Just by someone telling me I should be really proud and they should be up. "If we ever have kids, we're going to show it to them, so you might as well put them up now (laughter)."

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I relented, if it wasn't out in the open, so then that was okay. That was a step forward.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, extremely. I just -- I could never have imagined that I would win one, let alone three. They're a huge source of joy in my life in terms of my career. But that's certainly not how I measure my everyday life, and it's certainly not what I'm showing dinner guests like, "Oh, look at that." I know it, the people who are close to me know it, and that's good enough for me.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Actually, I don't really have any so I shouldn't have used that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I get questions more to see the gold medal more than anything else. No one ever asks to see a trophy; they always want to see the gold medal.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it's found (laughing).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, it's funny. That's in a safe in the house. I looked at it probably twice in five or six years. Actually, that's probably a bigger thing for me to grasp that I won than the tennis trophies. I think it's always encompassed so much more to me than winning a tennis tournament, and it's very surreal to look at the gold medal as compared to tennis trophies.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, a lot of the girls certainly are taking much more risks and having much more say in what they're wearing and actually designing it and having things purposely fit them and whatever. I've always been someone that would rather have something comfortable and functional than worrying about what people are saying about what I'm wearing. But, I mean, 10 years ago there was no such thing as a conversation about what someone was wearing. Now it covers many headlines and many pages of the newspaper. And it's something that those girls really enjoy, so I think it's great for them.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I used to, but I'm a pretty realistic person. I used to, like, try and play with the same ball or not step on a line. You still lose the point like half the times anyway, the next time. I kind of realized that that really wasn't -- doesn't really work out, so gave them up.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, Maria, I think, has developed great. I think she is a phenomenal player. I think she's improving. I think that she's got a big game and a great future. I said that a year before I lost to her at Wimbledon. I thought she had a lot of potential at the age she is and how -- I think she handles things really well and I think she's a great player. Kuznetsova I don't know as much about. I played her that one time and have really only seen her play a handful of times. I really don't know her game all that well. I think that she's very strong and athletic. She has a good serve. I think she's a good player, but I really couldn't tell you as kind of in depth. I've definitely see Maria play a lot more.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think she's a couple years younger. I think that -- I just like her game. I think it's a little bit similar to mine. We shared obviously the same coach for a while. I know her better. I don't want to say she has a brighter future. I think she has a bright future, though.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Probably. She's very intense. She obviously grunts very loud. She is very aggressive with her shots. Yeah, maybe. I mean, some differences, though. But overall she's very intense.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think the game's kind of leaning towards more of a power hitting and more strength and more physical fitness and stronger. You still have a player like a Myskina, who's smaller, who does well. But I think overall, I mean, it's more of a power game and the girls are definitely in better shape and getting stronger and working harder at a younger age than when I first came up. It's good. I think the girl I played the other day, Nicole, has got a good future as well. She's only, I think, 15 or 16. She's going to be good. I mean, they show a lot of potential, I think.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I think it would be an -- a good match tonight. I think that Venus will probably win, just I think she's got a big game off both sides and will be able to win. I don't know if that's going to happen, it's just my hunch. But I think that they both obviously have good serves, both athletic players. I think Venus probably has a little bit more firepower off both sides. I think she'll probably be able to overpower Alicia's backhand a little bit. It's another match I might be playing Venus at a Grand Slam again; we've played a lot of times. So that's kind of what I'm leaning towards, but maybe tomorrow I'll have to give you a different answer. I don't know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I think she's a great player and I think she's getting better and better. Not talking about her, I think she has a lot of pressure here, trying to become this kind of leader for Australian women's tennis. I think she handles everything remarkably well off the court. She had a great year last year and I think she's going to get better and better. I think she has a great serve, and she has a big forehand. I think sometimes you can attack her backhand, but it's gotten a lot better in the last few months. She likes to come in. But, you know, she still has kind of come up the last six months in the rankings. And we'll see. This Slam is the first one she's seeded pretty high and how she does, big match.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think that she loves the crowd for her and I think she'll play it very well. I don't think that will bother Venus very much, though.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I don't really watch or know what I hit like. But I think more and more girls are hitting the ball hard off both sides and doing that. But I don't want to insult anyone by saying that (laughing).