STATE FARM EVERT CUP

March 13, 1996

Lindsay Davenport

Q. Have you seen Chanda Rubin anywhere today?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I mean, definitely that first set was very -- I mean, very obvious that she was not playing at all well, I mean, I don't know how to say it. But I think she would agree that she didn't play very well, and that she was having a lot of problems. I mean, I'd like to say it was me, but I don't think so.

Q. How did you feel you were playing though?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I thought I was playing pretty well. I mean, I was trying to keep the balls where I wanted them; mostly to the backhand side and trying to keep them deep. I thought I was actually moving pretty well. I think I was running down a couple of balls and keep trying to make her play more. I didn't -- I was trying to attack, but I didn't get that many chances to attack because the points were they short, but I felt the balls I did get I tried to -- I put them where I wanted to.

Q. Would you call this an uncharacteristic performance from her?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Okay, I think that I had -- I think she is known to play really well or not so well. I think in Sidney she lost, I think, 0 and 1 to Date and the next week she plays, I mean, some of the best tennis that has ever been played by a female, I swear, so, when I went out there, I talked with my coach and obviously the plan was to attack and hit the balls deep and hard, but also to be aware of how she was playing and which, I don't know, if -- which Chanda, or how well she was going to play, that is what I was aware of and in the first set, I realized I didn't have to go for a winner on the first balls because she was making a lot of errors.

Q. So you are happy with the Chanda that you got for today?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, no, I mean, she is a friend of mine. I think in the second set, it got a little better, I mean, the last couple of games were okay. But, you know, it was a win for me. She is in the top 10 and it is a win for me in the top 10 and I am in the semifinals against Graf, so I am happy with the way I am playing. First and foremost, I think I am playing some good tennis that I haven't played in a long time and, you know, I have to be pleased with that.

Q. How hard was it waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was pretty tough. I was going to hit a little earlier this morning, around 10:00, 10:30. I came out around that time and it just started to rain right then; just waiting in my hotel room and I have a lot of people, my mom and my sister and her husband's and a friend and just so many people in my hotel room, I was just sitting there and going a little bit nuts and really just wanting to play after waiting so long, and, you know, now I have to go play doubles tonight again and hopefully I will be rested for tomorrow night. I mean, it is tough because I actually didn't -- I thought it was going to keep raining at 3-Love when we stopped, but I really just wanted to play. I think that was a good attitude for me to have.

Q. Was it raining at 3-Love or was the court just slippery?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was raining and the problem is that those lines are very slippery even when it is not wet. We both commented that we had slid in the beginning of the week and the court was getting slick. They kept telling us the men were playing on the outside courts; that is when we kind of decided we would go out and try. As soon as we went back out to try and play, it stopped raining altogether so we got lucky I guess.

Q. What do you think about Steffi? You have played her before.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I haven't played her, now, I think it has been exactly two years since I played her at Lipton. Obviously she is the No. 1 player in the world and an unbelievable player. It is getting very tough. I think, you know, I am playing pretty well. I don't know if -- how good a shot I have. But I think I can play pretty well. I am not underestimating myself at all. I know she has had a little bit of problems with injuries; hasn't played many matches and I hope if I serve well, I think it could be a close match.

Q. Are you at all worried about fatigue now having to go out and play doubles again and then come back?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't think so. It has happened a couple of times. In Sidney I had to play very late into Friday night and Saturday night and had the finals on Sunday and doubles also on Sunday. I do have tomorrow night and I can sleep in, sleep all day and get ready for that. I mean, I'd like to hope that either way we don't have a long doubles match and it doesn't rain.

Q. Are you at all disappointed with the year you had last year and do you consider this a trying to get back-on-track-year?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was so happy when Fed Cup was over had. I had a ton of injuries; a lot of stuff going on. I thought in my mind, tenniswise, I had a very poor year in that it made me very hungry and to practice hard and to really try and get into good shape again and try and play good tennis again, which I thought I was capable of. And I really couldn't wait until Australia came and after Australia took another five weeks off practicing for this tournament and practicing very hard again and I think it is paying off, I hope.

End of FastScripts........