PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 12, 2002

Emmanuelle Gagliardi

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Yeah, I think so. I've been on top of the game from the beginning, stick to my game plan, didn't get into those long rallies, and trying to stay aggressive, never let her come in the match. From the first game to the end, I was pretty consistent match I think I played today.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: You didn't see it? It wasn't that clear (laughter)? I thought it was pretty clear. She's a player, defense player, and you have to wait. You cannot attack every single ball. You have to wait the good ball to do it. But without getting into those long rally, which she really likes, and coming to the net without being scared, make your point every time. I think that's what I did. I served quite well. I don't think she had many chances today.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I've seen the end of the tiebreaker. I was really glad for him. We are all working hard for playing on big courts, beating good players. Whenever a friend of mine is doing it, I'm really happy for him.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I don't know. We've been a very small country, but with a lot of talent. We think we are all working hard. We have getting good result. I think we have to be proud of it.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Well, you always believe in yourself. I mean, when you practice, you practice for this moment. I never achieve it up until now, playing semis in a big tournament. That's what I was working for. So I think in one way I cannot say from the first day I would say I would be in the semis today. But now that I am, I am happy, and I hope to keep it on the good way.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: That's the first they tell me. I think my backhand has been always more natural than my forehand. But I think a reason why I'm playing better is that my forehand improve a lot, and I'm making winning points on it. So I think I'm pretty consistent on both side now. It's more natural, so I cannot tell you how I do it. I didn't even know up until now you point it out.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I do. I don't know which thing you are talking about.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I think we all know all the players on tour, even if you don't see them the match before. I think to win a match 6-3, 6-3 against Justine Henin, I think you must be playing really good. She played also good in Australia against Venus Williams. I saw that, too. She's a kind of player -- she's the opposite of the player I played today. She's going for shots, very aggressive. She likes to win points very fast. It's going to be a tough match, I think. But what else can you expect in the semis of a big tournament?

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: No, never. In practice, but never in match.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: What's "nagging"?

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: What does "nagging" mean in English?

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: No, I've been having troubles with my shoulder. It was just getting tight. I mean, yesterday I had a long match and didn't have a lot of time to recover. The fatigue was adding up. It was really getting tight on my serve. At the end I was serving very slow, I read around 60 miles per hour. Yeah, I thought it was a good time for me to try to relax it because in the arming position, it was getting a little bit sore. But I try to keep it under control so it didn't get worse if the second set was getting any longer.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: No, I mean, now I'm fine. It's just I think yesterday I had two hour and a half under the sun, then I played right away the next day. So I think it's just the adding fatigue. Nothing very serious. I just wanted to be sure what was going on and trying to take control of it from the beginning, not that it would have get worst, I don't know, in the middle of the second set or something like that.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Yes.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I don't know. They're making my day plan now. I think I will practice in the morning and do something different in the evening, have a little bit of physical work, just to not relax all the way. It's not a good idea also. Having a massage, then have a good dinner, enjoy the night, then just be ready for after tomorrow.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: I think it's just hard to be ready for a big match on the center court. Just because it's the first time, I mean, everything you do the first time I always -- you always feel it bigger than maybe what it would be if you had done it ten times. But actually today, I mean, I had to cope with a lot of things which I never did up until now. I think I did a pretty good job. I'm really happy about myself. Some other times I didn't do that good, and I think I improve a lot in that matter.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Yeah, it is.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: We have a good relationship. I go sometimes to practice to Saddle Brook with her. Her mom is helping me out. They have always been really nice with me. She cheer me up when I finish my match. I think it's really a good friend of mine, on court and outside the court. I mean, I think we have a privilege relationship and they were very happy for me when I did good yesterday. They cheer me up today. It's good.

EMMANUELLE GAGLIARDI: Melanie talk more with Francesco than myself. Just try to be positive and, I don't know, just to have someone that wish you all the best is really enough, I think.