TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN

March 14, 2001

Lindsay Davenport

MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I mean, you know, I was just talking about it with my coach. I think that's the worst I've lost in years and years. You know, kind of have to take the good with the bad obviously. You know, I mean, she played great today, there's no question about it. But I definitely didn't make matters any tougher for her by just making a lot of errors. I think just getting off to a slow start just, you know, made me play worse and worse as the match went on.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, honestly, I don't think I've ever felt that spastic on a court in a number, a number of years. I mean, I'm not really sure how to react right now. I mean, I'm a little bit shocked because normally, you know, if I lose, I feel like, you know, I played okay. You know, I really am a little bit kind of in awe of what happened.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, it was a different match than I've ever played against someone like that. I mean, yeah, I just start -- she started off well, I started off slow. It just kind of built both ways. She got better, I probably got worse. Yeah, I mean, it's funny, I can't actually get too discouraged because, I mean, it was just shocking. You go on now and I've got a week to try to prepare and get better for next week, I guess.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I feel like it. But, again, she was also serving aces at some points I could have gotten back into the match. But every time I felt like I would miss the first, second or third ball. You know, maybe if I'd played someone who didn't serve as well, I maybe could have broken serve and felt a little bit better. You know, every time I even had like a 15-30 or 30-All, it was like she aced me.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It goes so fast. Next thing I knew it was like 6-1, 4-Love. I'm running out of time to get games, let alone win. It just felt like it was going by really fast.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I mean, sometimes matchups work against you for whatever reason. Obviously, she has a great serve and a very, very good second serve. I think most women don't have that good a second serve. So that gives me trouble trying to break. You know, also she's an aggressive returner that goes for it. When they're going in, maybe she likes my serve and can return well against me. I don't know. You know, in those matches, two of the matches I think I had match points and lost. It's closer than I think - I mean not today - but I've had some chances in some matches I've lost. She's a great player. Just consistency-wise throughout the year, she doesn't always show that. I think that's the only thing that's stopping her from getting from 9 to, you know, Top 4 or whatever.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think whenever you play the big hitters, you always expect a certain amount of errors. When you don't get them, that's just a credit to the other player and how well they're playing. It's tough to do that. I play the same style of game. It's very tough not to make errors. She didn't make a whole bunch today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think. That's how I feel.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I think so. I mean, you know, a match that you're in and you're close and playing well, it's a lot more heartbreaking when you have chances and you lose. You know, today -- you know, I think it happens in sports, certainly happens in tennis all the time where if you're having a bad day, you can't get subbed out and get someone to cover for you. You have to stick it out. I was never able to get over that hump today. Chalk it up to a bad day. I know I have another big tournament in about a week or so.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You have to laugh at a certain point when you're down 10-1. If you get a game, it's a good thing, I think.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, yeah, definitely.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Just that I think he was saying, "You lose the first set that bad, try and do something different, whether it's stand in a different spot serving, come into net, do something different." Like I said, it went by so fast that it was hard to get a grasp on what was going on. He's been around a number of years and obviously understands that this happens. You know, like I said, it's not happened to me very often to where I knew exactly how to respond. Not much you can do, I guess.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Very strange, very disappointing. Again, I've normally played well here for a number of the years and had a great, great tournament here last year. But, again, it's sports. It's life.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think she's playing very well. No question I did not play well. But absolutely zero question, she played a great match. She served great. She didn't make a lot of errors. You know, I don't know if she plays her sister next, what happens there. You know, I think she's definitely in form here, and will be very tough to beat.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I've never seen them play each other. I watched a little bit at Wimbledon last year, I take that back. I played the winner. But other than that, I've never really sat and watched them completely play a whole match.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That Venus was going to win (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know if it was that. I just thought that, you know, Serena had won a Grand Slam title, whether it was on purpose or subconsciously or whatever, that Venus was going to win that match. That was my opinion. Everyone else has their own.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. You know, I think I'm at a high enough level where I shouldn't be getting drummed. I don't know -- I don't think so. I want to win when I'm playing, get off the court, not give the person a chance. I hope not.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I see it as both. At the US Open I saw it as a great challenge, played well, was excited about it. Today I just didn't have the same excitement about going into the match. I wasn't like, "Oh, no, I don't want to play her." I wasn't nearly as fired up as I was in New York. Obviously, it cost me today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: She goes up and down, as well. If they're both playing at their best, I don't really know. You know, Venus went on a good roll last year. Both of them, you know, have yet to maintain that high level throughout a whole year, throughout a number of tournaments. If they're both at their best, I have no clue, they're obviously very tough to beat that way. But that's the main thing about being 1, 2 and 3 now, is the level of consistency you can maintain.