US OPEN

September 4, 2000

Jelena Dokic

JELENA DOKIC: That lines person was closer to it than I was. It was very close. I'm not sure. If I saw a replay, it could have caught the line or maybe not. It was very close call at 6-5 in the tiebreak. It's something that was called. You have to go on to the next point.

JELENA DOKIC: Well, not really. I mean, it was still 6-All in the tiebreak. Even though I had a chance to win the set, she played two very good points there, one on her serve at 6-4, one on my serve. That was a long rally there at 6-5. Maybe I could have played that point a bit differently, looking at it now. Maybe that's what turned the whole set around, the whole match.

JELENA DOKIC: It's always hard to come out and play the next set when you've lost such a tight first set. You feel like, "I've gotten so close to winning that set." But, you know, in the second set, she didn't give anything away. She got all her returns in, served well throughout the whole match. If she didn't serve as well, I could have done better, gotten more into the point on her serve, may have been able to break.

JELENA DOKIC: No, but, I mean, like I said, it wasn't like I was double-faulting or didn't serve well. She just kept on going after that first set.

JELENA DOKIC: I think it's always hard to come out, especially after you lost the first set. Maybe that lets you down. You think, "Maybe I could have won that set." It's always hard to come out that next set when you did lose the first one. Maybe you feel like it's slipping away a little bit when you did have a chance. It's a very good reason for me. If I was in the situation again, maybe I would have won the set, would have been a different story.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. Getting to the fourth round is great for me. Again, I'm a little bit disappointed today that I didn't get that first set. Maybe could have been a tougher match. It's something that you've got to learn from. That's where experience comes into play. The more you play, the more experienced you are, maybe that set would have been the other way.

JELENA DOKIC: She has a big game. You feel like you've got to go for everything because if you don't, she will. It was a different experience because she hits the ball hard, especially her serve. It was a different type of match to any other one. It was on Center Court, as well.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, for sure, definitely. If I would have won that first set, maybe I would have won the match in two sets. You get on a roll, you've won the set. The pressure's on her. You know, she's the defending champion. You know, you start getting a few of her serves back, you get into the points, she gets a bit tight. You start getting a few games and points. Again, you can look at that ball in two ways. Could have been in, but it was called out. It's not up to me or anybody else. That's what it was called. It's too late to change it now.

JELENA DOKIC: No. I mean, I think whether anybody is around or not, I mean, I played well in the two previous matches. You know, it's different playing Serena. You've got to lift your level up a bit. She's a different player to the other three rounds that I had. No, I think, you know, whether anybody is there or not, I just try and play the best that I can.

JELENA DOKIC: You know, the only thing is really they're so tall and so powerful. They have a big advantage over the other players. Not everybody has that. I'm not exactly the same as Venus Williams, you know, I don't have that power or that height. Sometimes that's a disadvantage. You know, I beat Venus. If I won that first set today, who knows what would have happened. They are certainly tough players at the moment, two of the best ones around. Athletically, you know, that's the way they are. It's very hard to hit a winner against them because they're always there. You know, they move well. It's very hard to do anything against them.

JELENA DOKIC: I mean, you get a warm-up, get ready for the match, just depending when you're playing. Everybody has their different thing what they do, something that helps them get ready for the match.

JELENA DOKIC: I just stay calm for an hour or so before my match, just try and think about what I'm going to do, how I'm going to play.

JELENA DOKIC: Well, it was different because I'm used to having somebody around. You know, last three matches, I've had to do it myself and get ready for the matches. You know, it's been fine.

JELENA DOKIC: No, not really. I just -- there's not much you can do at tournaments anyway. You just practice a little bit, warm up for your matches. That's about it.

JELENA DOKIC: No.

JELENA DOKIC: You know, I just look at it, you've got to be able to deal with situations. I did that at Wimbledon, did it here. You've got to block things out. You've got to go out on the court. You know, you've got to be able to just play the game whether something's happening or not. I seem to do that well. I think mentally I'm a strong person. I focus well and concentrate well.

JELENA DOKIC: I don't know. I've always been -- I've always -- mentally, I was always tough. You know, maybe it just naturally comes the way it is.

JELENA DOKIC: I warmed up with one of the junior boys just before on Center Court, just before the first match started.

JELENA DOKIC: No.

JELENA DOKIC: I don't know. We haven't gone yet. I mean, probably once the tournament is finished, then you do what you want to do.

JELENA DOKIC: Well, I mean, they've got to make their decision. I think it's -- they're probably doing that right now. Again, whatever the decision is, you know, I'm just going to have to deal with it when it comes to that. You've got to be able to play yourself. No one's going to play out there for you. I'm just going to have to go on and just play tennis, just do everything, what we've been working on, talking about what I'm going to do.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, definitely. You know, it's only, what, a week or two away. It should be great playing over there. I've had a few matches and I feel good about my game. It should be a good experience.

JELENA DOKIC: No.

JELENA DOKIC: I'm going to Sydney in about a week or so. I'll just get ready over there before the tournament starts, do a bit of practice.

JELENA DOKIC: Yes.

JELENA DOKIC: Don't know yet.