AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2001

Lindsay Davenport

MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, it was tough because the first game -- first two games, she came out playing really well. From that point on, it put a lot of pressure on myself to try and do more and not let her get a good hit at the ball. I think it's exactly that. I think she played great, she was really fired up. I thought I was not playing all that well. I mean, combine the two and it wasn't all that close. 3 and 4. You know, I think I'm just disappointed because in all the semifinals I think I've ever played, this was probably the most disappointing in the way that I showed up to play. I mean, I've lost close ones, not so close, but never felt like today where I just didn't feel like -- I came all this way and didn't play all that well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, first of all, the on-court temperature was so different than the conditions we've been playing on, makes the air so much lighter, the ball is so much lighter. It just felt like mine were going long all the time. She was just hitting them so quickly through the court. You know, I just wasn't used to the conditions being that fast.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, we're friends. Obviously I've played with her in Fed Cup. I think she's really nice, she's a great girl. I'm not going to hit her at the net or do anything bad (laughter). Yeah, I mean, it's great for her. Obviously I'm not happy, but she's in the finals, and I'm not. She's a very nice girl, and obviously has been through a lot.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think, you know, in all my past matches with her, I mean, I've had a lot of success picking on the backhand. But the problem was today, I didn't ever feel like I could control the ball because it was so light, you know, I felt like I was hitting them long so much. Like I said, her balls were coming extremely hard, so then it's also hard to kind of do what you want with the ball. You know, I don't think I was able to execute fully the game plan that I wanted to. You know, I mean, for someone to come out in the semifinals just swinging from the hips and hitting the balls hard and in, it's tough to combat that all the time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, no, I'm not happy she's in the final. I mean, I want to be there. Like I said, she's a great girl. You know, I mean, it's great for her to come through all she's been through, but I would rather be in the final.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think she was playing incredible tennis here last year. Then for about the whole middle of last year, I don't think she was playing at the level she was playing here last year. It really seems like she started to pick her game up again in the fall. You know, she was at Fed Cup with us. She was hitting the ball great there. She's kept it through here, until here again. So I think she maybe did not play her best tennis in the middle of last year, has picked up her game a lot now. I mean, I think she's playing better now than when she was here last year, as far as the way she played today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I didn't actually grow up with her. We're the same age, but she was turning pro when I was still 14, in the juniors. In the matches I've played her, that's the best she played against me. You know, normally I don't think -- typically if I'm hitting the ball as hard and deep, I wouldn't allow her to play that well. But she was able to do that today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Fine. I mean, every match is like that, I think.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think you get a lot of experience over the years, seeing how you want the calls to be and how they turn out. But I think everyone at this level, you just go on and play the next point.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That's so tough to say. I don't really know how in the past she's matched up with each of them. I have no idea who's going to win this match right now. I mean, Jennifer, when you play like she did today, obviously you have a chance against anybody. I think she didn't allow me to play very well, was hitting the balls hard and in. In these fast conditions, like I said, that's really hard to control.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I have no idea. I don't want to really answer questions on what could have happened with her because I don't really know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I mean, it's hard to do. I mean, I've got three. I'm very happy about that. But, you know, I thought I had a good opportunity here to defend it again. Especially I wasn't playing that well, then picked up my game the last few matches. Just didn't seem like I could carry it through again today. But I think it's not so much not defending them; it's just not winning another one. That's more disappointing.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I'm playing this tournament in Tokyo next week, then I have about three weeks off until a bunch of the hard court tournaments in the States: Scottsdale, Indian Wells and Miami. A lot of tennis the next few months. Hopefully playing on hard courts in the United States, it will go well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's getting there. I thought maybe yesterday in the doubles is the best I've played since I was down here. I thought I was ready to step it up. Apparently I wasn't.