WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2004

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay Davenport, please.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think in the second set I, you know, had a few chances and I felt like every time she came up with the goods, you know, whether it was big first serves on breakpoints or, you know, just big shots. I had a few break opportunities, like one maybe at 4-All, one at 5-All. Both times I think I got aced and unreturnables. You know, when we came back from the rain delay at 2-1, I felt from then on like she definitely stepped up her game and really from that point on was more in control of the match than I was in charge of the tempo of the rallies. You know, she started to serve much better, and unfortunately I started to serve a lot worse. You know, just slowly began to change the momentum.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I've had great memories out there. You know, it was a tough loss to take, but I lost to someone who rose to the challenge today. I don't feel like I gave the match away at all. But it's a little bittersweet to finally walk off a court and a venue where I've had some great victories and some great moments in my career.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'd be surprised if I was back.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I don't worry about that kind of stuff. I felt like this is a tournament I struggled at for a few years, wasn't really sure of the grass, and grew to really love and enjoy playing here - much more so than a lot of the other Grand Slams. Always felt really comfortable when I've come here. But as far as the crowd, I don't know. I've never really worried about that kind of stuff.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I just feel like I've had, you know, an amazing career, a very long one. You know, just don't feel the same kind of excitement sometimes before matches. The wins don't get me as excited any more. On the flipside, the losses don't hurt as much, but I think that's part of loving to be out here, is to really go high and low. I just felt like I've been -- you know, it's just different now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Of course it does. It does, but I feel like she totally deserved it and totally played her way to win the match. You know, did I -- I had control of the match, and she took it from me. And then when I started to maybe have a chance here or there, I mean, she always came up with great shots. You know, I never felt like, "Oh, if I made this forehand." It was like, "Oh, just got aced. Oh, she just hit a winner again." In that regard, she deserves to win.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think she's got a big game, and I think that's always a huge factor in how you're future's going to play out. I'd much rather put my money behind a player that has weapons than a player that does not. And, you know, she came back hitting the ball a little bit harder after the rain delay and was going for her shots a little bit more, and they were going in a lot of times. It's tough to then get control of a rally. She's still very young and I'm sure she'll develop her game even better.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I mean, I did okay for -- like '94, I think I got to the quarters, then had kind of a stumbling block in '95, '96, '97, not so great years. And it's tough to get used to I think because you only play on the surface two to three weeks out of the year. It's difficult to kind of learn how to play on it. I mean, it's so fast. The balls don't bounce much. Balls are heavy. You know, I just learned to take advantage of what I could, and that was to try and serve better and hit the first ball as hard as you can.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know (laughter). I don't worry about any of that stuff.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I have no idea. I don't know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, knee feels great.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, definitely winning, playing Steffi in the finals in '99. You know, for whatever reason, never felt nervous, never got broken, just played a great match. You know, to beat her, of all players, in the finals was pretty remarkable. I mean, has to be the highlight.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know if it was destiny. It just felt a sense of a lot of confidence and a lot of things going my way. You know, just everything seemed to fall into place in '99 for those two weeks, including the doubles victory with Corina. You know, that's another great moment in my career.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, I definitely did not. I mean, I was much more shy and not really aware of how good I was at the time, even though I was in the Top 10 or whatever. Never really sure if I belonged for a number of years. Girls that have come up in the last few years definitely are a lot more confident and a -- have a lot more belief in themselves than I did at that time in my life.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I wish I knew. I felt like when we came back out, she was hitting the ball with a lot more authority and stepping in a lot more. And I actually think she started serving a lot better. She started going for her second serves a little more, so they were coming in a little harder, and her first serve was a lot more effective at that point. At that time, I mean, as the match went on, I just never felt like I was able to be on top of the rally. You know, whether I was hitting too many second serves and she was getting a lot of first serves in, she just really took control.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I couldn't answer that. I have no idea why they think that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It really played no factor. You know, certainly it would have been nice to reach the final. But it wasn't -- it's not -- it wasn't a factor in my preparation or my mindset.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: A little bit. When we came back, it was much, much windier. It helped her and it hurt me. I just never felt like I was in control. Like you said, the first set and a half, I felt like I could go anywhere, really relaxed, and then from then on, it just -- it just deserted me. I ended up hitting way too many second serves.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, first time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Could be (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I always receive first, so I've always enjoyed, you know, just receiving. It's no strategy, just that I prefer to serve second.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it will be tough. I mean, Serena, you know, has the game to keep on top of her, to get her on her back foot right away. And that's something that I was doing and stopped doing throughout the match. You know, Serena's got big serve and big return, and I think that's important against Maria. Maria's got a big game but, you know, on grass especially probably favors Serena a little bit.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, absolutely.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Absolutely.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That was so long ago. That was like 11 years ago (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know about that. I think everyone has their own unique side to them. Certainly the way I approached my career in my teens was abnormal, not a lot of players have done it that way. You know, my parents had full trust in me and what I was doing, the people around me, that I would be fine. And, you know, I just figured things out on my own as I went along and got older. It was great. I mean, I feel like -- you know, it's an incredible journey to go through, and feel like I really taught myself a lot along the way.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, probably not have to travel and have kids.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I've always been extremely competitive at everything I've done. You know, more so on the inside than on the outside. Compared to other players, I can't compare. I don't know how they actually feel. But it's always been something that's driven me and made me keep practicing and made me stay out here, a lot of pride. It's always been pretty deep inside me, my competitive desire. And there's no question it's still there. It's just, you know, it's not as there every day. And physically it just gets tougher and tougher after you've done this for so long.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, luckily in that regard I've been able to do that. I think that's what's kept me relatively mentally healthy and to enjoy keep coming back. I don't know if it's anything I purposely did or just my natural nature of not feeling as comfortable, you know, in the spotlight or being recognized or whatever. And other players, for sure, have it a lot tougher than I do with, you know, media and everything like that. And I feel like I've always had the best of both worlds in that regard, where I've been really successful, a Grand Slam champion, and yet I've managed to maintain a huge amount of privacy in my life.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I plan to finish the year out. I mean, that's definitely in my plans now. I don't anticipate a change in the next few months. I'm excited to go home, play some tournaments in California, you know, play the US Open again. Probably look at everything after the US Open. You know, I just can't see myself back here in 6, 12 months.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think the whole tournament, regardless -- even a semifinal would have been a huge step. Yeah, she made it to the finals. But I think the whole tournament. Last year was a huge stepping stone, kind of Round of 16 the first time, and now this Grand Slam, the same thing. I mean, it's a big moment. I think she'll have some more of those in the future. I think this is like her definite breakthrough.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, maybe I'll say I'll play through Australia (smiling). I don't know. You know, I certainly never wanted to make a big deal about when it was done. I mean, just being honest with my feelings where I don't think I'll be back. I hope to finish out the year. I want to finish. I think it would be great to finish in LA, in my hometown, with the Masters. That would be ideal for me. I hope it works out.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Then I'm playing next year if they ask me.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I mean, she never takes an amount of time where it's not fair or, you know, out of the rules. It's not like she -- she does it almost every point. You kind of get used to it. It's not like she does it to throw you off all of a sudden. I was aware that that would probably be the case, so it had no effect.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Would have liked my chances. But, you know, I got aced like three times. Didn't get one of 'em back. You know, what can I do about it? Would have liked a second serve.