US OPEN

September 9, 2000

Lindsay Davenport

MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it's tough. She obviously covers the court very well, much differently from other players. You know, a player like Arantxa just gets it back, where Venus runs it down and hits it hard back. You never know quite what to do, if you should move into the court or wait for a hard shot back. It's tough to put balls back against her.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hit it long (laughter). No, I mean, you obviously have to go for more on your shots. I thought today the key was serving. I mean, you know, I felt like I was breaking her enough times and just couldn't serve well enough to hold my own. You know, on the groundstrokes, she, like I said, does force you to go for a lot because she does get balls back and she gets them back with pace. You know, like I said, I think if I would have put more first serves into play, put a little bit more pressure by holding my serve, not just giving her the breaks back, you know, might have been a little bit of a different story.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was trying to go for more on the second serve because obviously she returns well and attacks. I thought I would have a few double-faults today. Just the first serve percentage wasn't high enough. You know, I thought I was serving well most of the tournament - yesterday not great, and today not nearly as well as I needed to.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I felt that I should have won that set, had a lot of chances to win the second set, a couple of breakpoints at 5-All. You know, it's just disappointing in a Grand Slam final not to be able to convert on points like that. Up two breaks, I mean, at this level, you can't really lose that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I mean, like I said, I just didn't put enough first serves in. I mean, the first few games that I held were tight anyway. You know, she came up with some good shots and started making a few more, then I started going for too much. I just felt a lot of pressure when I was serving because I didn't feel like I was serving that well. Then I think that started affecting my groundstrokes a little bit.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Got off to a good start, so I was still ready to play. I think it would have been more exciting in the beginning. There was still a pretty good crowd. I think when we first came out, it was packed, everyone was really excited. The fireworks. Everyone was pretty excited. I was happy with the way I started; just not happy with the whole middle of the match.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Just kind of sat in the training room and watched TV and watched the rain fall. That was about it. Just waited, waited it out.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, she's definitely the No. 1 player right now. She's played like it the last few months, I mean, hasn't lost a match since the French Open. You know, that's too good. You just have to congratulate her, you know, just try and keep working on your own game and play the rest of the year now. Right now, obviously she's playing better than anybody.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, the Grand Slams have been great, except the French. You know, I think most surprising was Wimbledon when I wasn't playing that well and still got to the finals. Here I really do feel like I'm leaving on a positive note because I played some of the best tennis I've played in months and months, so I'm excited about that. Disappointed with the performance today, but at the same time I feel like I'm hitting the ball better than I have the last few months. Physically, I'm feeling really good again. So still a few months left in the year, so I'll see what I can do.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, it didn't scare me and it didn't surprise me. I think at this level, the level she's competed at the last few months, anything's possible. I knew either opponent was going to be difficult. But Venus is a more dangerous player than Martina. She definitely turned things around at 5-3, was a lot more consistent, then started waiting for the right shot to go for winners. Showed a lot of maturity yesterday.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: For about two minutes. I said, "Bad luck." She just said, "Yeah, you know, I didn't play well at the end." That was about it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, we don't talk like that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think her consistency. She used to make a lot of errors. I just think she's toned everything down and is a smarter player now.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: "Well, hold your serve and you'd win the match." You know, that's probably what's going to kill me worse. Like I said, I thought I was returning great, I was going for it, I was having fun in the rallies. Just, you know, couldn't hold it on my side.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think I was maybe a little bit out of rhythm. A lot of it is the pressure, knowing you have to hit a good serve against her. I wanted to make a lot of first serves and didn't do that at all, so it's tough.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, the Olympics is a team sport, but in reality the tennis event is totally individual. You know, it's not like we're out there, like I need them to win. I think it would be better as a team event. But I don't really know everyone's plans for the Olympics. I know I talked to Monica about staying in the village. I heard they were not going to. I don't know where everyone's going to be, at the hotels or the village. So I don't know how much time everyone is going to be actually together.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I always turn my head. Better not to see how they act.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, no.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No (laughter).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was much different circumstances last year when Martina and Venus played really late Friday night, had to come back Saturday, where I played Serena I think on Tuesday or Wednesday, and it's been many days. No, I think the advantage was with me this time. I got out of here a lot earlier yesterday, had a much easier match than Venus did. You know, a late final in the day, it didn't really have any bearing today.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. "My luck this is happening now." You know, there's something, to take some off and try to get a rhythm back about making first serves. I'd try to do that. The first serves I was just getting in. I thought I would keep going for it. You never know when things change. You know, it's obviously an aspect that I'll keep trying to work on and getting better. You know, it's not all that bad. I served well for six matches here, so that's pretty good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't really see a problem. All I said was Martina said, "Good luck, hope you win." It wasn't like us against them. Unfortunately, that was made out in the media. But that wasn't my opinions on it. You know, we'll just see what happens. It's not a priority on my list, no.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: The rankings are completely accurate. Venus didn't play for six months. What I meant is that she's played the best over the last three months. A ranking stands for the last 12 months. That's a little bit different.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. It was like, "Oh, amazing." Yeah, who knows. I guess. You know, I was just disappointed in the first set. One or two of those and I would have won the set.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I'm not happy right now. You know, in a match like that, it was 4 -5, chances in the second set, I'm not going to leave happy. Like I said, I've played the best I have in a while, and physically I'm feeling good, feeling motivated again. There is positives, but probably look back on that, you know, I don't know, a couple days or maybe on the long flight to Sydney.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I'm not going to practice probably till I get to Australia. You know, go home for a few days, try and unpack, pack again quickly, just really try and enjoy the Olympics. The main thing there is to have fun, just go with the flow there.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I don't think my groundstrokes let me down too much today. I knew I was going to make errors. I knew I had to go for shots. I knew I was playing a quick player. Sometimes you go for too much. Yeah, the whole tournament I felt like I hit my groundstrokes really well. I had a lot of confidence with them. I was happy to have them back on my side.