CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE WTA TOUR

November 20, 1999

Lindsay Davenport

Q. After the tiebreak, what happened?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I really think she was probably really disappointed not to win the first set at 6-5. She had one set point, she was up 4-1, and I think she was more -- she was a little bit down after winning the first set. And once I got the first break to go up 2-Love, then it was pretty much over, I think.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Last week when I beat Martina, I was I believe to overpower her. It was a quick court and could really attack her serve, and I also served very well last week. So, you know, going into tomorrow. I have a feeling she's going to try and be a lot more aggressive than she was last week, really try to dictate the points a little more than she was. And the same thing, I have to make a lot of high percentage of first serves so she doesn't get a lot of second serves to look at and be the one on the offensive and try to take that away from her.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I would see a game and I would go and try and get warm and see a game. I saw the end of the match. It looked like they were having really long rallies when I was watching at the end of the second set. It just seemed like Martina was a bit more consistent today and was able to keep more balls on the court than Venus. It seemed like Venus made some crucial errors on a lot of points.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's really hard when you watch somebody play a different player. Venus and I have different games. We both hit hard, but she likes to do different things with the ball, so it's hard. It looks like Martina is obviously playing well. It's going to be difficult. That's what I picked up.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: She is a very consistent returner. You always think of like a Monica Seles who takes -- returns very early and hits winners; Martina takes them and puts them deep in the corner and it puts you on the defensive immediately. And she doesn't miss many. Like I said, you have to try to win a few free points off the first serve to try to get some points in the game; she's not just going to make a dumb error and give you points, and it's really important to hold your serve against her, so you really feel pressure when she's serving, yes.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, after that first game, I didn't lose too many more points, I don't know how many -- two more points, I thought so. I think it's, you know, the disappointment of losing the first set. No, I didn't know at 1-Love that it was going to be that easy; I wish I had. It's just one of those things, as a player, you just have to take, and I don't know what to say about it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's hard to comment on. It has been an extremely long year for everybody, and I'm not making excuses for anybody. But I don't know, she played a lot of tournaments, I don't know. Ask her. I don't want to answer for her, (laughs).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think Venus definitely serves harder than I do. There's no question about it. And for not -- I mean, I serve pretty hard for an average woman, but I try -- (laughter) -- average tennis player, yeah. But I think just trying to -- I think I really try and go for the placement a little bit more. Sometimes you'll see me hitting a first serve at maybe 85, but with a lot of spin, to try and hit the corners and mix the person up. That's a little bit like what Martina does. She doesn't have like a huge serve, but she tries to place it a little bit better and that's what I try and do. I'm not sure what Venus is trying to do. But if you can mix it, mix the person up and be able to hit all the serves and keep the person guessing a lot, that's really more important, I think, than whether it goes like 120 or 105 or something like that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. (Laughter) I think I've had my share of matches this week in playing singles and doubles, and also playing last week in Philadelphia. Physically, I'd rather be in better, be in good shape -- be rested and ready to go for tomorrow.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Last year it was -- I won 6-4 in the third against Steffi in a long match; had a really long doubles final on Saturday, and was just exhausted for the final last year. This year, now when I'm fresh, it's two-out-of-three when I really could play three-out-of-five. I think two-out-of-three is the right thing to do. I supported that play change. We played all year two-out-of-three. It didn't necessarily make sense at one tournament that we went to three-out-of-five. It's women's tennis and that's what we play and that's what we're used to.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I didn't see anything. Someone came up to me at Lipton and said they were thinking about it, and I think because of all the tennis last year. I don't know who actually changed it. It wasn't the players. I think it was people maybe viewing it last year or --I'm not exactly sure.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think they recommended it to the players first, and the players supported it, I think, but I'm not sure.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, some days. Yeah, I mean, some days, you know, you just play great tennis and you don't know why. And some days, you might serve great or might hit your forehand unbelievable. But there's some things I can do. Like I said, I don't have to hit it 108 right up the tee. I can take some off and hit them at 95 or somewhere around there and make them and put them in the corners and not give her a lot of second serves to look at. And that's what I'm going to have to do it mix it up, mix up the speeds, mix up the placements and not let her get a good read on it.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I can't believe I'm back to this point again, winning last week and back to the finals again, giving myself another shot to win it third time in the finals. Losing in four sets last year was a little bit disappointing, and to give myself another chance to do it is great.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, it feels great. It feels a lot better. I taped it just for precaution today. But, no, I haven't felt it yet.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: The trainers want me to, just in case something were to happen, it's already taped. Yeah, I guess. Probably.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I had no idea.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, Lucerne.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, a few things. First, I think she's going to try and be very aggressive tomorrow. That's what I'm thinking, and try and move me around the court a lot. So for me, I'd really like to be the one who takes advantage of the rallies first, maybe attack and go for some second serves, keep her on the move and really concentrate on holding my serve, making a lot of first serves and really putting pressure on her to hold her serve with good returns and deep shots. But, like I said, the most important thing, I think, is to hold my serve, and really be aggressive.