PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 21, 2004

Lindsay Davenport

Q. She's good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: She is.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, that put a lot of pressure on me right away. She started off playing I think really well. I mean, going for her shots, hitting a lot of winners, being real aggressive. It certainly put me on my back foot right away, put a lot of pressure on me to have to come up with extraordinary shots to get on top of the rallies.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, a little bit. You know, overall, I felt like I wasn't in control of most of the rallies. That only happens to me against a couple players. That's some of the times when I struggle. I think to be able to beat one of the very top players, I really need to work on, you know, really controlling the points against these types of players.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I actually don't feel very disappointed. I feel like I tried my hardest. I feel like I played a great tournament. You know, today I lost to by far a better player. I mean, she was, like I said, controlling the rallies, moving me around, and doing everything really well. You know, I just have to go back to the drawing boards and keep trying to, when I come out in these matches against these few players, be able to turn the tide a little bit.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I don't know. I'll let you know when I figure that out (laughter). You know, I went for a few shots today. For some reason I felt like they were just flying a little bit more than in other days. Could be the heat. Could be the pressure my opponent was putting on me. Could be lots of reasons. She does a fantastic job now of really controlling points with her forehand, running around, kind of neutralizing the opponent, hitting it to either corner. The other thing that impressed me was her second serves were coming in I thought pretty hot, in the high 80s to mid 90s. It's very hard to get a hit off a second serve when they're coming in. Yes, I got a couple double-faults, but for the most part I wasn't able to get the first hit on those because they were coming in a little harder than I expected.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, that side for sure, she was against the wind, those lobs are going to stay in. A couple times the sun was -- didn't even see the ball, like two overheads. You know, something I have to work on, covering the net better.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's not the easiest side to play from. I mean, it makes it tougher when you're playing a great opponent. Puts some pressure on you. Sun is right where my toss goes (smiling). I couldn't get away with, you know, three-quarter first serves against her. I felt like I still had to go for it, even though I wasn't getting the toss exactly where I wanted it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Much more solid than in years past. I mean, she has the ability when she gets pulled wide to hit it pretty hard, and cross-court gives the ball a jump quite a bit, so I'm really far off court. She can hit it up the line. I would say it's her bigger weapon now. I don't know what she says. But today I feel like she really controlled the match with that side of her court.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, I don't know what it's like to play at that size, so it's hard for me to say. But she generates just as much pace as the bigger girls, I would say.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I felt like even on my first serves, if I didn't hit them great, she was really going after them, especially her forehand. Her second serve, just putting all sorts of pressure on me, going for shots, stepping in on her backhand. It was tough. I mean, I had good first serves. I mean, she was very aggressive and really took it to me today. I really felt like I was on my heels and guessing a lot of the match.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, I really feel like the first few shots of the rally were really key, and that I wasn't quite able to get on top of them today. And some of the ones I did get on top of, I was a little overanxious, maybe overhit a little bit. But, you know, like -- I would try to get off to a better start in the rallies, I guess.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it was just trying to hang in the match. I would play great down the match points, and then I'd come back and make an error right away. That was frustrating. I felt like that was happening a lot today, couldn't string together two to three to four good points. I'd always get a little sloppy and throw an error in. I think that's because I felt a lot of pressure when I did have a chance in a rally. It would have been nice to be able to pull that game out and then seen what could have happened. But, I mean, she was very aggressive throughout the match today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was just thinking to get it to 5-All (laughter). Third set was still many, many points away.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, I do feel like the first set was closer than 6-1. Yeah, the score line was that. A few games I had some chances. I felt like that happened in Australia, as well, close games I wasn't coming away with. But it's great, I felt like I played really well these few weeks. She was by far a better player today. I can't really do much about it except go home, keep working on the things I need to work on, give it my best next time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I'm going home. I'm going after Charleston for anniversary. I have two weeks getting ready for Amelia and Charleston, then about three or four weeks off before, you know, the tournament before the French and the French.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: He quit in about '95 or '96. He hits probably like once every month or two. He works now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: We went out four years ago -- four years ago I won the tournament on would have been Saturday the 18th, went home on Sunday. He helped me move in. We went to a Ducks game. I don't know, we're sports fans (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, God, I don't even remember. We did stay till the end. They were playing Detroit, so I'm going to say they lost.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, that never crossed my mind. What crossed my mind is I've gotten hurt there about six of the last nine years I played. I'm not real fond of the conditions. You don't have a lot of time to get used to them if you do well here. It's quite humid, so windy there. You know, just didn't feel like I wanted to go if I did well here - happy I kept that part up. I'm happy now to get a few weeks used to the clay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'm playing Amelia, Charleston, then I'll probably just play one before the French. That's what I've decided as of now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think Vienna moved into where Madrid was. Vienna, Strasbourg, then the French.