US OPEN

August 31, 2001

Lindsay Davenport

MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, it was tough. I felt like the first game of the second set, I double-faulted three or four times to lose serve. You know, I don't remember ever doing that really. Haven't done that many times in my career. I just felt like the conditions were really tough out there and that I wasn't handling them appropriately. I was making errors. When it's really windy, there's a certain way you have to play. I didn't feel like I was doing that. I felt like I was missing balls that I didn't need to be missing. Whatever. It was just one of those notes where I didn't feel like I was playing great. Luckily I turned it around at Love-2, held off a couple more breakpoints and from there pretty much cruised the rest of the way.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. It was so windy. You can't tell watching on TV, but on courtside, it's one way so hard. One way you're hitting the ball as hard as you can, it's not going anywhere. The other way, if you hit it too hard, it goes flying long. It's hard to control the ball and get the ball to do what you want it to do.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I've always looked at it as an advantage. I'd certainly rather be 6'2" than 5'2" or below certainly playing that game. My game is a power game. I think it helps my serve a lot. In the past, smaller players have always been much faster and able to run down balls. But I'm happy with the way my body is for this sport.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was pretty loud tonight.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Normally they turn it off. I don't know why the tournament didn't turn it off. It sounded almost like thunder a few times. In other tournaments, they turn it off so you don't hear that. I don't know. I tried not to let it bother me, I should say.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, play through it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it's been -- obviously I'm in the fourth round. I haven't lost many games. The week has gone by pretty fast. It's hard to really rate your game because so far I don't think I've played, you know, a very high-level opponent, an opponent that hits very hard. Normally towards the end of the tournament, those are people you have to beat. I think at this point it's a little bit tough to say. I played Wednesday. I was done at noon. Not to play till Friday night, it's like 56 hours off. So I was a little bit anxious out there. Felt like I hadn't played in days and days. But obviously the matches get extremely -- well, a lot tougher from here on out. That's I think when you can see how your game is going a little bit better. Really, you've just got to do what you need to do the first week, I believe.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I swear, I mean, I didn't hit again Wednesday. I was back in the city all day. Hit for an hour yesterday, was in the city all day. I was in the city all day today. I walked around a little bit, went into some stores. Didn't buy anything. Just walked around. I was just getting anxious. So much time off.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I have my own car here.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's been good so far. Next few days should be nice.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, a lot. It depends. I mean, here obviously if I'm at the hotel, the US Open, obviously to see the scores of matches. If I'm ever curious, I go to Google.com. Helpful in learning about my partner Corina's leukemia. They had a lot of stories on that. Obviously, the shopping ones (laughter). Those are always fun. I don't spend too much time on the Internet. I go to like Neiman Marcus or SaksFifthAvenue.com. That's about it (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I know I play Likhovtseva. I was watching her on TV. Before I played, she was out there on the court. I played her a lot of times before, had some tough matches, had some easy matches. She won a really tough match out there today against Barbara Schwartz. I played her a lot of times in the past. I hadn't played this girl, maybe once many years ago, I think I actually lost to her on clay. Likhovtseva, I know her game pretty well. That's helpful, I think.