SANEX CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 3, 2001

Lindsay Davenport

MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I did, actually. I thought she would be the toughest player I've played in even maybe a few weeks. She came out hitting the ball a little bit harder and serving harder than I thought she would. She was playing very aggressive. But she's had a great, great year, a good indoor season, as well. I knew she was playing well. Like I said, I think she came out hitting the ball harder than, like I say, I remember. I was definitely a little slow to start, put myself in a hole right away. I was able to come back and get the second set. Then we hung with each other the whole third set.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, definitely still in a little bit of shock. I didn't really expect that even a month ago when I came over here. It's hard to convey this in a true sense, but I've never played for the ranking, I never played to get points and to see how high I can get my ranks. Obviously, it's a huge honor to finish the year No. 1. There's a huge debate in women's tennis about who should be No. 1. I've had a very consistent year. It's great to end the year 1. But I don't put a whole lot of emphasis on it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, I'm not going to sit here and defend myself. Obviously, I can't help that Venus only plays nine or ten tournaments and that Jennifer didn't win more tour events. I think it's pretty obvious they would be 1 then. You know, I can't do anything about it. I'll just take it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't really care. I know that sounds terrible, but I don't care what I'm ranked. I've been 1. That was a huge, huge honor. To get there the first time is an amazing feeling because you never think you're going to do that. But I've been 1 off and on for a few years. You know, I think it's a very just different ranking system. I fully believe that Venus would be 1 if she played more. I can't help it that she doesn't, though.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Not one of the better moments of my life (laughter). You know, it was a little bit just couldn't believe she would say anything there. We played a pretty clean match. Then at 4-All, breakpoint, she decides she wants to get involved in the match. That's always frustrating. We played the whole match using the line umpires. You know, I still don't know why she did it. I'll have to ask her later. I was just so upset because we were trying so hard. For someone like that to then try and change an outcome of a match, I can't believe it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, it's so hard to say. A lot of people quit at different ages, at different stages of their career. I don't know how much of a business woman I will be when I quit. I think it's great, though. I think it's great what's Steffi has done, moved on and become a mother. I think it's great what Gaby has done, moved on and become interested in outside things. I'm still not quite at that point, so I'm not sure yet.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think that was a huge reason it was such a tough match, because I didn't feel I served well at all. Indoors, there's absolutely no excuse to serve double-faults like that. I don't know what I was doing out there. No, I definitely have to get my serve better. I think just starting off slow, losing 6-1, getting broken twice, I felt a lot more anxious on my serve, that I needed to serve better and better. It worked in the reverse. I served worse and worse. Yeah, I mean, I got through not serving all that well. I need to cut back on the double-faults for one more match.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Okay. Is that a question?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think one was at 40-Love, she served me wide. She had a sitter on top of the net. I'm not going to go sprinting across the net when she has 50 feet to hit it in. The other one, I don't remember. I remember the one in the third. I was outside of the court. She served me wide on the ad court. She had the whole court in a sitter. I don't know why. Just didn't go for it. Didn't think I could get it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I have no idea why the USTA decided that. I told them months ago I would not play, I didn't want to play on clay. We were told as the United States we were going to host it again, then the ITF every year has changed the format, changed the site, done everything to screw Fed Cup up. So I said I wasn't going to play. I don't know why the other players decided not to play and why the US didn't send a team. They could have made a statement, but I wasn't going to be there even if they did send a team.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, that's a very tough question because she started the year 20 and she's ending the year 5. That's a phenomenal breakthrough. Sometimes that's the hardest jump to make. She's still very young. I mean, I think you're expecting a lot to say, "Why isn't she 1 or why hasn't she won a Grand Slam?" She was only a few points away from winning the French. She's athletic. She's getting more consistent than the first time I played her. She made more errors in the beginning. I think she's learning the game more. As you get older, you learn more about building points, keeping rallies going, getting your serve better. She's definitely so much better than two years ago or even a year ago. She's definitely improving at a quick pace. You know, it takes players time sometimes to figure out how to win the big ones. She's definitely working her way there.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I believe France and Belgium are both playing. They're both sending all their players. I'm sorry, I don't know who is going. But I would probably say one of those two teams. I think Clijsters and Henin on clay are very good. Again, Mauresmo and probably Testud or Tauziat are a very good team as well. I would say they're the favorites.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I will be on a plane going home on Monday, and I'm very happy (smiling).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Different matches. I played her at Wimbledon, it wasn't close. Two weeks later she beat me and played much better. I think she was a little bit up and down. I think she played today very well. Stanford I thought she played very well. I thought I played a lot better today than I did in Stanford. But both matches have been very close. You know, it's tough to compare matches like that. I mean, she's getting better and better. She's going to continue to do that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I've never had so much time in an off-season. I think it's great. I think you'll see a lot of the players play even better in Australia. I don't plan to start practicing till December, whenever that is, whenever I feel ready. I'll just use it to be home, not travel, do nothing (smiling). Pretty exciting, huh?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, wow.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think Venus has been tough for everyone to play. She was playing at a different level for a number of months there. I always seem to get her when she's in that zone. That's always tough. Serena, yeah, tough match at the US Open. Ended up losing after coming back and maybe having some chances. But, you know, they're so good when they play. They're very powerful, very athletic. They have good serves. They're tough opponents to play against. Indoors, I don't recall playing lately. I think I'm a little bit better indoors. Hopefully it helps my serve. I need to serve a little bit better than I did today. You know, hang in there and try to get Serena a little bit -- obviously I can't play Venus here, so I'll get Serena hopefully a little off-footed, go behind her, not let her really step in and just rip balls.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's the fifth biggest tournament, not a Grand Slam. Finally broke through and got to a final. It's been tough for me this year in the Slams. I didn't do that. It's exciting knowing that it's your last match. Going to go for it, give it all I've got. Whatever happens happens.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: A little bit. I mean, I just said that I was amazed that at that point she decided to, you know, come into the match. I haven't seen it yet, so I don't know. I just felt it was a bad time for anyone to get involved. From what everyone said, it was at least close. You probably can't overrule such calls at such big points.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I can't control what happens with the rankings. I've never been a huge proponent of what I'm ranked, what the other person's ranked. It's just not that important to me. I'm sure there's going to be so many articles, "What's wrong? Who is No. 1?" I mean, I can't help it that I'm 1. I'm certainly not going to go out there and lose so it makes it look better that someone else is 1. At the same time, I've had a pretty consistent year. I'm going for I think my eighth title tomorrow. That's a lot of titles. I would rather be sitting up here with two Grand Slams. That's the bottom line.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I got off to a good start from a few of her bad shots. I played a few good points. She made a few errors. It was 5-0. From there, it's kind of hard to come back in a third-set tiebreak. I was able to close it out there. Who knows. I think the first few points are very important in any tiebreak, and I was able to get an early lead. That probably deflated her.