AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2004

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I have no idea (smiling). You know, I always approach each match differently. And, you know, we've played -- we haven't played since then, which is pretty remarkable. Obviously, she went on to have just a great year last year, won two Grand Slams, finished No. 1. I probably would not have guessed that at the time, 12 months ago. But, I mean, physically and I think her game's also improved. But I think 12 months ago is a pretty long time in terms of having a real advantage in a particular match. It's pretty far afterwards.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think she improved her forehand quite a bit. Doesn't give you as many errors as she did her first few years on tour. I think physically she appears to be much stronger and, you know, she's always been quite quick. I'm sure she's gained confidence over the last year by winning the two Slams. I think it all probably goes together for her.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Those three things (smiling).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, it's just where I am right now. It's kind of where I deserve to be. I mean, didn't play the full season last year. Wasn't able to play probably during the best part of my year, which is the fall and in the indoor season. So, you know, got to go with being ranked a little bit lower. But it's been a great start of the year for me. I wouldn't really have expected it to start off this well and have a lot of wins that I've had. It's been pleasantly surprising the last three weeks of tennis.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, sometimes the first few rounds of Grand Slams are tough. With the way our tournaments are now, the cutoffs are normally in 30 or 40 and you always play people at the very top. At Grand Slam, all of a sudden I think the first round I think I played somebody like 450 or something. I'm never quite sure how to approach those matches. Do you try to win quickly? Do you try to work on things? I always find myself actually not playing that well. It was nice today. I was pretty concentrated. I knew Vera, very tough opponent. We had a very tough match last week. I think I was just more ready today to play better and know that I have to or else I'm not gonna get through.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I always have -- my left hip has always been, throughout my career, just a little bit more unstable than my right hip. You know, I always find that the taping actually makes it feel better. It's not really a strain. It's just if you go back, you'll see the tape a lot of times in my matches. Sometimes my shorts cover it, sometimes they don't. It just feels more secure that way; I don't know why.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think rarely it's a coincidence when they're that young. I did not even know what she looked like. I've never seen her play or anything. But I think that's hard to do. I think girls that normally break through at that young of age are always pretty solid technically and pretty solid in their game. So I don't think it's gonna be a fluke. I say that never having seen her hit a ball. But I would be surprised if she wasn't doing well the next few years and improving.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'm not in the locker room much, but, I don't think so. I mean, I'll be interested to watch the next match. She's playing Lisa. But I don't know, maybe one tournament not, but maybe a few, yeah.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's so great. Anyone who's been close to her knows she can play so great but a lot of times it's for one set only against the good players. It was so great even after the she won the first set just watching her, watching her stick to her game plan, still execute and be able to pull it out. She's been close a lot of times to beating some top players but just hasn't been able to do it. It was pretty exciting. I've been very close to her for ten years or so. And I was so happy for her.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't. I think she's a little bit older, a little bit more grown up at 30. I think she's been really relaxed and really happy about her tennis. You know, mentally something definitely clicked yesterday. Hopefully she can tap into that and always have that in reserve. I think she's just a lot more relaxed in her life in general.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I know. I thought -- I mean, I hadn't studied the draw. But I had expected Venus to do well. I mean, you can't underestimate them. That would be a mistake.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think it's actually in a very good state when all players are healthy. We had a pretty exciting time, you know, at Wimbledon, felt like a lot of momentum was building with Venus and Serena but also Justine and Kim breaking through at the French to spoil that. I think it's been a little disappointing the last few months with no Serena, no Venus. They really add a lot to the game. Here we have no Serena, no Jennifer. I just think it takes away from it when the top six or seven players aren't around. I think if everyone can get healthy and compete at the same time, we'd be at our best level and best stage ever. But it hasn't happened in the last 10 months or so.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't think so. We always get such a bad rap, "Oh, the same players always get through," and the men's tennis, "Oh, anyone can get through." Now some players get through and it's a problem in our tennis when everyone's been waiting for that to happen for a long time. But that's the way the draw goes. Good players lost. Good players aren't here. It's going to open up more sections of the draw than others.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I never said the three. I said there was a group of players that I would be surprised. I included Venus in that, and in general I've included Jennifer in that. But, yeah, I mean, I think until someone really breaks through and wins a Grand Slam for the first time, it is a little bit of a surprise. I mean, I think Mauresmo is playing extremely well. She's yet to come through and win. I mean, that's why I favored Kim and Justine over everybody, because I think they the last 10 months have played a level above everybody else and have proven that they've come through in the Slams.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it's the same thing. She's yet to really come through in a Grand Slam final or winning Grand Slams. I think she's a very solid player. I think she just has yet to beat a big player in the semis of a Slam or the quarters of a Slam. I think she's a very dangerous player. But if you're asking me who I think is gonna win, I'm gonna say Justine and Kim.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's gonna be such a different match. I mean, I have not played her in 12 months. She's obviously changed as a player in that time. You know, I have to serve well, obviously, got to be able to hold my serve. I have to be able to really hit the balls deep and attack the points. I mean, she can definitely run a lot of balls down. I don't want to be on the defense having to defend a lot. You know, it's not that big a secret of my game, I'm going to have to be aggressive, I'm going to have to be low on my unforced errors and I'm going to have to serve well to have a good chance. I think the first few games I'm gonna have to see how she plays, if she hits harder or serves differently. I don't really know for sure because it's been a while.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Good. I feel in probably a better place now. I feel pretty confident about my game. It's helped that the last few weeks I've been able to play well. When I started this year just a little unsure with my foot, hadn't practiced all that much in December. But, you know, last few weeks have gone really well. Today was a big improvement from the last few matches that I've played. You know, but it's gonna have to, again, be at a different level if I plan to win. She's No. 1 for a reason. I'm not going to be able to afford any letdowns. I'm going to have to be tough the whole way through.