AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2004

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: Lindsay, can you tell us about today's match, please.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Was good. You know, obviously you're always happy to get through your first round. I felt like, you know, I'm happy with where I'm at right now. Wasn't sure -- didn't think I would play great, just not after practicing for a few days. So, you know, my serve was not great, but I think it will get better as the tournament goes on and the more I get to serve in practice. My arm felt great, most importantly. Now I just have to work on improving it some more.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It really wasn't. I felt like I was just a little bit out of rhythm. I was serving so well in Sydney and Perth. I think that's just from not serving, you know, for a couple days. I think that's something I can get back. But my arm did not hurt, so that was great.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was, quite a bit. Because it was only a muscle strain, I was pretty optimistic that if I rested it sooner rather than later the healing time would be significantly down. If I kept pressing it, I thought it was going to take longer and longer to recover. Knew with a Grand Slam coming up, you just don't have tons of time to let your body recover. If you do well, you're in for a long time. Just took the step where I wanted to get it 100 percent before the start of Melbourne.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, I only am concerned about myself (laughing). And after all these years, I think the injuries are starting to come, hitting me hard. But, you know, I think it's just a tough, tough sport. I mean, if you do well, you play a lot of matches. Top players in women's tennis play a lot of matches when they're winning tournaments and winning Grand Slams or just doing well in Grand Slams. A lot of women play doubles. I think eventually it takes just the toll on the body physically at some point.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I really have no idea. If I stay healthy and I'm playing great and I enjoy it, then, yeah, I mean for sure there could be another year, another two; I really don't know. But the years of not enjoying it and being injured and not being able to improve are pretty few left (smiling). So, you know, these first few weeks I've played great. You know, my arm was a minor setback and now I just have to get my game back to where it was in Perth and Sydney and just concentrate on one trip at a time, concentrate on Melbourne now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I have so much respect for women that have babies and then make a comeback. Just physically what it does to a woman's body is pretty remarkable to then come back and compete at an athletic level. But I think when I decide to have kids is when my tennis days are behind me.