WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2004

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay Davenport.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Sometimes they have in the past, so I don't want to, you know, necessarily compare it to others. But I've had good draws and I've had tough draws over my career. I mean, if you play a long time, you're going to have both happen for you. So, you know, still have to go out there and win, still have to go out there and play well. That's kind of just all that I'm trying to worry about right now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I remember going back to '99 -- you mean the semifinals?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: -- when I was facing Stevenson. I remember thinking, "Oh, my God, you better not blow it. This is the best opportunity you're ever going to get in a Grand Slam semifinal." I think, you know, Sprem is a different story. I mean, it's quarterfinals. I think she's probably ranked in the top 40 or 50 at the time. I remember that in 1999, it was a qualifier. But, no, I mean, it's a good opportunity to do well. I don't think it's as maybe lopsided as it was in '99. I mean, she's beaten some very good players here.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Like I said, I remember going before the match thinking, "I better not blow it." I was anxious in those regards. But, no, I mean, if someone comes out and plays great and serves well on grass, I mean, there's not a lot you can do except keep trying to hold your own serve. And I thought that might be the case back then. And it wasn't.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, hopefully it goes that way tomorrow. I mean, Sprem's a lot more consistent from the baseline. She hits some big shots. Probably moves a little bit better. So I think it's going to be a little bit more, you know, tougher baseline match.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, all I really saw -- I was playing at the same time coming off the court and watched probably from 5-6 in the second set, 6-5, excuse me, in the second set, then the tiebreak.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No (smiling).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's not so much the score. I think how you could possibly fathom playing a tiebreak without returning from the other side, I think that that would automatically click in. I mean, whether or not you know the score, if it's 1-3 or 2-All, I can maybe see that happening. It wouldn't happen, but I wouldn't return a point from the ad side, then go serve to the ad side. I would stop and ask. I would know that wasn't right.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I really think it's Venus' call. I mean, she was the one who was going to serve, you know, the next one, when the guy called the score. I think that if you're about to serve, you've got to -- I don't know. I don't want to put the blame on anybody. I know what would have happened. But you just have to take responsibility for yourself.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think that everyone was just a little stunned, and it just happened so fast. I don't know. It was bizarre.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I remember being a little bit -- I was probably a little bit nervous. I always came out and played well, and that always helped. But, you know, I was never one that played tennis to be on Centre Court and have people look at me and all that stuff. I mean, I played tennis, and I just happened to do well. But I remember the first time I played Steffi, I was a little nervous.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, yeah. I mean, I was excited to go out there. But at the same time I thought, "Oh, I don't want to be embarrassed and get killed." But I remember being just, "I can't believe I made it this far and get to play Steffi Graf." At the time she was No. 1 when I first started, so she was kind of like the ultimate player to play, I think.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I didn't know that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I didn't know that at all. I tend to not focus on my opponent at all. But that's surprising, given that the score line was just back on serve.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think she's a good player. I think she hits the ball well. Probably the only thing that is holding her back maybe is mentally. You know, she does have a temper. I didn't know she was so emotional. I didn't realize she was doing that today. But I think she's still young. I mean, I think she's fast, she hits the ball well, and if she keeps improving, I think she'll do well. But it seems like she probably has to get over some hump. You can't be probably crying. Who knows what's going on with her, but it seems like a bizarre time to be upset, that upset.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think Maria's a great player. I thought she had a lot of potential the first time I saw her play early last year. It's just about -- you know, even though she might last year have been making some errors at the wrong time, she always goes for the ball. Technically I think she's very sound. She's got a good, hard serve that will continue to develop as she gets older. There's no glaring weakness, maybe like, you know, Dementieva. You know that her serve, she needs so much help. I mean, you watch Sharapova played, you don't really see anything that looks so off - especially for someone young. If she keeps getting better, I think she's got a very big game to do well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, that would be pretty annoying. I don't think anyone really necessarily wants to be compared, to be the next her. I think that they strive to do better than that. I think Maria's career will be more successful.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it depends. I didn't find it hard when I was first coming up. I had a few Americans that I came up with, so it was easier, that did well. I think it's probably a great time for a Russian to come up. I mean, the Russians get along great. Just being in locker room No. 1, there's a lot of them. They're always very friendly with each other. I haven't noticed any animosity between any of them, which is really nice to see, because they're all so close in the rankings and obviously competitive on court for stuff. It probably makes life easier for them. They have friends to hang out with, share the experiences with, to see someone else doing well who they know is very helpful. I think that the media focuses a lot on the teenage players now and how just times have changed with how they dress on the court and stuff. They get a lot of attention for a lot of different reasons. When I was coming up, Jennifer obviously got a lot of attention, but not for the clothes she was wearing or how she acted, it was more her tennis. I think a lot of times the stories go away from tennis now more than they used to.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's been pretty quiet so far. Today was probably -- well, definitely the most physical match I've had and the most I've had to run so far. And it felt really good. It's been responding well. I really feel like I've been taking care of it well. Hopefully it responds well when I wake up tomorrow morning.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I've taken it a little bit easier off the court. But, you know, the first week, it went really well to have really easy matches, but I still felt I played well in. Didn't feel like I needed to practice more. And, you know, today I thought I played very well against a good player, got done in two sets. So hopefully, like I said, wake up tomorrow, feels good. I think it will.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I don't know either one of them particularly well. But, I mean, as a tennis fan, I mean, you have to think Roger Federer is the most amazing thing to watch. I mean, the way he plays, the way he moves, the way he acts. I mean, if you were to mould a perfect tennis player, that would be him. I think he's incredible. Love to sit down and watch him play anybody. So I'm a huge fan of his and just his game overall. I think Andy is great. He's a little bit on the -- he's not a rebel, but he has a little bit different personality than Roger, a little bit more amped up a lot of times, and the big serve. But, I mean, technically I would sit down and watch Federer all day long.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I have no idea what's going on with that. I've been not paying so much attention. But I would think if they both played well, I think that Federer's just got so much game, it's so good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think that's all a lot of politics. And I don't know the reasons why certain groups won't let it go, certain groups don't get along, CEOs trying to make peace all the time, trying to make things better for the tour. But it's probably time to -- you know, LA's probably gotten its fair shake, and it hasn't worked out, and it's time to move on to make it a lot more successful event somewhere else in the world.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it's pretty tough to put an indoor tournament in November in Los Angeles. I think that, you know, living there and being in Southern California, I don't see a whole lot of advertising for it and a whole lot of excitement for it in the area - and that was disappointing. And, I mean, I don't know how hard they're trying. It doesn't seem like there's, like I said, a lot of buzz around it. I think that Southern California tennis fans get a little spoiled. We have so much tennis there, Indian Wells, all through the summer, that I think they'd rather sit outdoors.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, last summer for the World Team Tennis, but not practicing throughout the year.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it was more like a warm-up. We only get three minutes. I did hit with her, but she was great. But we were on the same team, so it wasn't so -- there wasn't so much animosity between us.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it was one of those things when I got here early, on the Wednesday before, and started practicing, after a few days my game started feeling a little bit better to me. But I kind of refrain from giving my chances now. Kind of learned. Some tournaments I thought for sure I'm going to win, and I haven't. Others I thought there's no way and I've come through to win. So I just kind of don't worry about that, except worrying about playing well. So far through four matches, I've played very well here.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, my God, I saw that. She was born in '84, in the warm-up. Oh, my God. '84, I did see that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I haven't in my mind. But I don't know. I waver quite a bit. But I, you know, think that this is a really good shot for me this year at this tournament, and that's all I'm pretty much worried about right now.