PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 14, 2003

Emmanuelle Gagliardi

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Third set, I was down 2-Love, I was a little bit low at that time. I tried to fight back and get the break back. I was back into the match. I think for my point of view turnover was at 4-All, 15-30. I hit a great return, then I giveaway the point. I haven't been hard enough with myself to keep playing my game at that point. She got confident. She make a hell of a serve then and I couldn't break her. Then I think that game give her the confidence to make two winning shot on my serve. From Love-30, it was still a fight, but she just got a little bit more confident at that time. I think that's where I could work more and improve for next match.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Well, a little bit before the match, of course. Maybe at the beginning of the second set. It was still quite okay. I felt good on court. I think I expressed my tennis, so that was really good. Sometimes in those matches, you just cannot play. It happens to me in the past; not this time. No, I cannot say I was nervous. I mean, that was the reason why I lost the match, I don't think so. I might say that I can be harder with myself sometime. It's always good to have lessons like this.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Yeah, I think. At that point it was the game with the wind and against the wind. I lost the game with the wind. She went to serve. I was Love-1, and I was against the wind. She just make those two game. Then at 3-Love, she just get really relaxed and hit all the points, have a little bit of more ball in. Then was just hard, I mean, to get back in there. I still try, but she was just playing on the lines. To give sometimes three games like this advantage to someone, when they play very risky, then they give that confidence where instead of going out, the balls goes in. Then it's just harder, you know, to stay. I think those kind of player, you always have to stay close to them also in the score, don't give them that much confidence. But, I mean, that can happen. I was pretty happy I fought back in the third set.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: That's right.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I think it was like the third round in a Grand Slam, like Australia or something like this.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Can't tell you exactly. I don't know. Just look up. It's public, the prices, prize money.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I mean, I was against the wind. I had an easy ball. I am pretty natural. I always express myself. I went to do it, and I did it. I think it was fine. I think it was a clever shot at that point.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: You need a psychologist to answer this. Just wasn't thinking that much at that time. I saw the opening spot and I hit it. I could hit it another way. I just wanted to make it that way.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I think I just at that time was playing better. I was giving her no rhythm. She just couldn't put her weight into her ball, and she was making more mistakes. Maybe she was a little bit more nervous, but I think I was playing much better, more clever, giving her no pace. She doesn't like that. Even in the third set, I didn't find this level of play, I think. I think it was more because how I was playing than her being nervous. Maybe she's going to come and say the opposite, I don't know.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Thanks for telling me. And what was the question?

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Ultimate goal? Well, I think I'd like to go Top 20. I think the ultimate goal is playing like this every week, and I think consistency, my ultimate goal. Because in the past I always been having good matches, but having trouble to play like here, five matches in a row. It's something we're working on right now. It's getting much better. I think it's really -- I mean, giving your best. Ranking-wise, your ranking at the end of the week, that's all that change. What you working is giving a good tennis and improving every time yourself.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Well, I think Martina is going to win the tournament. But you never know. Final is always something different. Some player can just go into the clouds to play a final. That's I think the only chance you have to step up your level when you play against Martina. But experience. I don't know. I see the game of Martina a good game to play against Hantuchova.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: No, the cold not. The wind was a little bit tough because she's a powerful player. When I was against the wind, was really hard for me to make the points. Yeah, I usually counterattack and make my play. When I was against the wind, it was really hard for me. Then we were changing, so it was the same for both of us. I mean, it's tennis. When it's outside, it's like this. Not any excuse.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Yeah, e-mail a lot. It was pretty funny. I think they were watching me today because I think it there. It's always good. Everybody always telling me, my friend, "I want to see you, but you always go so far away, another continent." This time they had their chance. I'm happy they see me. I was feeling their support from way behind. It's okay.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I tell you next week.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I think, yeah, physically it's the main issue. Then improving your tennis is something be more aware, yourself, your strength and your weakness. And experience also makes you play much better. I think that's the main issue.