AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2003

Lindsay Davenport

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't think so. I think that we've played the game long enough, and it's been around many years to know that you still have to go through the whole two weeks and then see who comes out on top. Certainly, you put her as the favorite and say at this point the odds are probably the greatest in her favor. But, you know, a lot of stuff can happen over two weeks, as we've learned forever in tennis.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Who knows? I mean, I'm here to see.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hope so. You know, I'm in good shape. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well. I just have to kind of just compete a little bit better in the bigger matches and, you know, you keep giving yourself a chance to make it through. It's so early in the tournament yet to be thinking about later next week. I've still got a lot of matches to go through.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I just think since I've been back from surgery I've felt like I've played really well, and I think in some matches I just haven't hung in there as well as I should have - you know, go out there with a better game plan or, you know, go out -- I need to be going out there, being more aggressive, and trying to take it to my opponents a little bit more in some of the matches that I've played. I felt like I've come back a lot better than I thought I would. I'm actually ecstatic with where I am in my game and where I am, you know, with this year coming up. But it's just nice to pull through some of those matches and get -- again, give myself some chances in the quarters and semis and see what happens then.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, not anger. I just think that, you know, I would have liked -- I just feel like I need to even get my game more aggressive now. I think that the players these days are even more aggressive on returns, on coming in. I've always been a very aggressive player, and I think that you have to then go another level up, and I'm, you know, currently trying to do that with my game.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's not so much the winning, just so much the whole kind of concept of competition. The "what do you want to do at 4-all? Are you used to the situations?" I'm sure -- you play this game for years and years and years, but just being out, I think it was no tournament or match for eight to nine months, it's just funny how you come back with a different perception. Now I've played a lot of tournaments to where it's finally coming back and I feel more comfortable now in some closer situations. It's just a mindset, I think. Once you pull through a few, I think the confidence that you gain is invaluable and that, a lot of times, pushes you through the next few tournaments and matches.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It can be, or just -- a lot of times when you're playing well and you're used to playing, it's automatic, you know, there's no second thoughts or there's no indecision. When you're not sure what to do, you kind of go, "What do I do? Where do I serve?" You just know when you're playing well. I think last week I pulled through some really tough matches, and hopefully it just kind of clicks in here pretty soon.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Of course. You're striving for perfection these two weeks. I felt like I've been doing certain things very well and certain things that I need to improve if I'm going to be winning this tournament. I felt like I really need to raise kind of my first serve percentage and my first serve points won on it. It's just not as consistent as I would like it to be. So I have -- I'm definitely going to work on that to try to get that better the next few matches. I feel like I'm hitting my groundies actually better now than I was last year, just try to come in a little bit more. Hopefully, it all falls into place. Most importantly, I feel like my game does revolve around my serve, and I feel like that's the main thing right now I need to concentrate on.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, more than anything, I think it's familiarity - I'm so bad at saying that word - familiarity, and just a great temperament and a lot of experience. You know, I'm not -- we're not striving to change anything major in my game. It's been a long time, and I've had a lot of success with what I have. I'm trying to just do the things that I do well even better. And, you know, most important for me was trying to find someone that you like and enjoy and that you respect to do this kind of crazy job with. I was very lucky to be able to find someone like that.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I know (smiling).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, a lot has changed in women's tennis since the last time I won, which was here in 2000. At that time the Williams sisters were not a dominant factor in women's tennis. They were a lot more inconsistent, and certainly they pose huge, huge hurdles now. I mean, they've really kind of gotten their games in gear and gotten a lot more consistent. For me, I think that I have the game, I just have to put it all together a lot of times for two entire sets, not just one set or not just half a set. But you have to just have your "A" game through entire matches and not go through these lapses that sometimes I go through. But, I mean, I feel like I have weapons. I obviously can serve well and have big groundies. It's consistency and confidence, I think, will hopefully make the difference.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think both. I think the level's definitely gotten higher. And I think that, you know, like I said, when you're playing well, you don't think twice. You go after shots, and you know where you're going to hit the ball and everything just kind of flows. Certainly, after being out nine months, it was a little bit more second-guessing last year. I feel like it's starting to come back now. I think that my tennis is going to be a lot better this year than it was last year. I don't know if it's going to be next week, I don't know if it's going to be this week, but I feel like it's on the right path at least.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's fabulous. For a number of years there, it was the dominance of American men's tennis with Pete, Jim, Andre and many others. There was really a gap in the women's tennis, and we heard a lot about it. So it's nice to be able to be up there now with the other Americans and be at the top. I mean, as well there's Monica, and we have very, very strong tennis in the country right now. And a lot of different personalties come from the five of us, and a lot of different backgrounds, and it's great. I think that there's a lot of people that can pick different role models between the five of us - or even more players - choose then who they want to be like. It's not just Chris and Martina, they're so different. A lot of us have similarities but are different. It's good. Hopefully, this inspires even more and more teenagers or younger girls to keep playing, especially in The States.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, some didn't play junior tennis, I played just every weekend junior tennis. Monica obviously grew up in another country and now has become an American. Jennifer played a lot of junior tennis but started pro at 13. It's great that we show there's different paths you can go down and still be successful.