HOME DEPOT CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 7, 2002

Jelena Dokic

JELENA DOKIC: Me, yeah.

JELENA DOKIC: I got my energy back. I said it may be the last match you play, so might as well try.

JELENA DOKIC: I think she was nervous, possibly. I think she gets nervous often with big matches, and yeah, I played enough to win the match and could have played a lot better than what I did, but I was happy. My aim was just to get through the first one and I did it, so I'm happy.

JELENA DOKIC: I think so. I was down break points in the last two games. I think I was tougher on the bigger points. I think after the first two games that I lost, I think I was in the points. I kept the ball in play.

JELENA DOKIC: I don't know. She did a lot of double-faults, and she does that, I think, when she gets nervous. I played her six times this year, and every time she's played different, so when it's been the bigger matches, I think she got a lot more nervous than in the smaller tournaments. I think she gets a little bit nervous in finals and bigger occasions. I think that's what maybe happened today.

JELENA DOKIC: Depends on who you have to play. She can get a lot of balls in. It depends on how the person plays in the match. You have to go out there and see what they do. Most of the time you have a game plan and play to the worst side.

JELENA DOKIC: It's different. There is not too many people, but, you know, we play in both full stadiums and empty ones, so it's something that I don't think you take so much notice of.

JELENA DOKIC: No, because it's a big stadium and not too many people, so it's a little bit difficult to get used to. It's not so easy to play when there is a lot of movement going on. It takes adjustment to the court and surface and everything.

JELENA DOKIC: I mean, it's 11 months of tennis. Also, only pretty much one full month to rest, which is not much at all. They moved it now one week further, which doesn't help. It's a very long season, and you really have to pick your tournaments. There is so many big tournaments that you cannot go to them all. Some you have to play the clay, the hard court and everything. You have to warm up before the Grand Slams. Maybe it should be looked into shortening the schedule and making less tournaments. I don't know. I think a lot of players are getting tired and injured. I think it's just the schedule that does it.

JELENA DOKIC: No. I did it the last two years. Mentally I'm really feeling it much more than physically. It's hard to fight out there when you play so many matches and tournaments. The last five or six tournaments, it's hard because your mind is not on the court so much, and definitely maybe only 20, 21 tournaments next year. I'll cut down a lot.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, my year has been fine. Just the last few months, I think that has to do with just being tired. I haven't had too many first-round losses until after the US Open. Again, that has to do with travel and being tired. That's all.

JELENA DOKIC: Like I said, my aim was to get through the first one. I did that, and, you know, I think she's the one that didn't lose a match or two this year and has been unbeatable. I have no pressure. I'll enjoy it. I have nothing to lose. It's the last tournament. I achieved my goal a little bit here, and especially losing to Myskina the last tournament and it was nice to get her back.

JELENA DOKIC: You have to. You have to go for it and not be tentative. If it goes in, it goes in. You cannot afford to just hit in the middle of the court and high balls. You have to go for it, I think, against her and see how you go.

JELENA DOKIC: I think when it gets to the last eight or last four, I think anyone has a chance, so you just have to go a match at a time. You know, you have maybe one or two favorites more than the others, but it's a championship so you don't look at it that way. You go a match at a time.

JELENA DOKIC: You try to. It's not yet such a big tournament with so many people, but hopefully in a few years, it will become bigger and better. I know it's very hard to always be the Grand Slam, but the championships is just another -- it's pretty much a Grand Slam and it's only the 16 best of us. You try to approach it like it's a Grand Slam a little bit, but it's still a little more of a normal tournament than that.