PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 27, 1999

Lindsay Davenport

Q. How concerned were you getting?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That is funny. Well, just getting frustrated because I felt like the last few weeks I have been playing a lot of sets like that where I have just thrown in a lot of errors and she was playing well. But on the other hand, I just felt like I was making errors off first or second shots; not even having points. So I was getting frustrated. That probably worked to my advantage because then you just stop thinking about things; you start playing. Down 2-1 in the second, I think I was serving at Love-30 then from there and on, I guess I had 11 straight games and was able to win the match easily. She is the type of player that I have had a lot of success against today. I think I was just making too many errors and not playing very smart.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Stopped making as many errors. I was trying to hit the balls deep and in the cord and in the ball they were flying a bit. I was trying to be more aggressive on my toes trying to come in a little bit and really just bringing the ball in a few feet so they were going in. Made a few more first serves which I didn't a lot in the first set and was able to win the second set and then have a comfortable lead in the third set.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It is tough. It depends what kind of court you are playing on. This happens to be a slow court, so my ball doesn't necessarily go through the cord; it sits up a little bit more; gives her some more time for her to hit those. In the beginning I wasn't ready for them at all. Then I started getting to them as the match went on. So it is a tough shot to get if it's real low and you do get to it because you know it is hard to do something with the ball. Fortunately, I ran some down and didn't become as big a factor as it was in the first set.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, that is the name of the game is coming back against different opponents and playing well and then not playing so well. That has kind of been my pattern the last few weeks just coming back after I have played well; then not played such a great match and I am really happy I was able to turn it around; at least shows to myself that if you are struggling out there, just hang in with, it will turn it around. Last night was a great match and today -- I think if I had started off just a little bit quicker - first game I had a few breakpoints, didn't break - I think if maybe I'd won a few those maybe I could have won the first set and gone from there. But I didn't. But I came back and played well again.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, four out of my last five sets have been really great so that is what I will look at.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I looked out the window about five to one. It was dark and it looked like it was raining and then all of sudden I got out there it was so hot and steamy. After the first set few games of the second I was just getting hot. I just put the hat on to cool me off hopefully.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: She was probably more warmed up, but also when I won the second set I knew that I was probably more fresh or fresher than she was playing two long sets last night; playing a very long set this morning with a lot of long points, so I was aware of that. Like I said, I got off to a good start in the third set by breaking her right away; that really scared me the rest of the set.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I was always try to go for my shots and move her. But you can tell beginning of the first set she was running down the balls a lot better than she was at the end and getting there and hitting good shots where at the end of second and third set I think she was just barely getting there and not hitting as good a shots back.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It is going to be a very tough match no matter who I play. It is a perfect way to end the tournament going into the US Open either playing Venus or Monica. Venus obviously has been playing really well, big serve, and great, great backhand. I have played her so many times, like I think 11 times or something. I was talking to Monica in the locker room and she is like: Oh, this is my only second time playing her. I am like: How does that happen. But either one, they play a hard hitting game; both are very aggressive, both have good serves, and whoever I play it is going to be a matter of who doesn't who makes less errors and who is dictating the points.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it was. I mean, I always try to warm up, having my coach play like the opponent I am going to play and we are all going: Well, if Testud wins, she has a big serve so he serves them hard. And he is like: If Dragomir wins you are going to have some more kick serves. It was different and even when I was done warming up I watched the match still for 30-40 minutes, watching a close match. I don't think it made a difference as to how I played when I went out there, But it was kind of funny to go through.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I didn't. I was thinking about it, but then the other racket was actually a little looser so I wanted a tighter racket. When I went to over there, looked at the tension, it was looser, so went back to playing with that racket then I just never grabbed a tighter one. I won the game maybe that was why.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Could have been. I mean, I have no idea. I wouldn't have just walked off the court, but it was a big game to come back to win.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It has been great. I thought it was -- playing last year, playing some matches; then going on to the US Open from here, it is so close, the weather is the same, the crowd supports it very well. The stadium is really big, so even if it doesn't -- even if every seat is not taken it is still pretty crowded in there. It has been a great week, just a great week to get ready for the chaos of next week. Only thing I think the players would like is if the Center Court was a bit faster because the US Open the last few years has been played on extremely fast courts. Really that is the only thing.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, it is hard to get 13 or 14,000 to a match. I mean, I think we are get 5 or 6; that is about what we get at all our tournaments, whether it is a small stadium or a huge stadium. I think tonight is going to be very crowded. It is a big match. I think tomorrow too with a Friday night and Saturday final.