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PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 24, 2006

Lindsay Davenport

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

Q. You won, but feel a little sloppy maybe?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, geez, I didn't expect to play perfectly so soon back (smiling). I thought the first set was at a high level. I thought the second set was definitely a lot "sloppy" is a fine word to use (smiling).
I hung in there. I kept getting broken. I kept coming back right away and breaking serve. I felt like I just, you know, was just losing a little bit of confidence serving. You know, it was nice at the end to serve it out and win.
You know, more importantly, it's about winning these matches when you're first coming back, finding a way to win even when you're not playing great. You know, if you told me I would have beaten the No. 1 player in the world sometime in the last six months, I probably would not have believed you.

Q. Was it important to be the aggressor? Seemed like you wanted to set the tone for the match right away and get Amélie back on her heels.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I did. I thought when some errors crept into my game, I maybe backed off that a little bit, which was probably not the right thing to do. You know, I wanted to be aggressive but consistent. When I lost my consistency, I was a little bit unsure of my shots as much as I should have been.
You know, having said that, I did enough to win and felt like I put some pressure on her. I served well. So like the middle of the second set, I was holding relatively easily all the way through until I lost the one game up 40-15, then it was a little bit of a rollercoaster. I righted the ship at the end.

Q. Why have you had so much success against her?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I don't know. You know, some players you match up well against, others you don't in your career. I always go in the match with the utmost respect for her, know that I have to play well. I just feel like I know what I need to do. I've been successful at that.

Q. Your body language seemed to say 'comfortable' to me. Did you feel that way? If so, it must be a good feeling going into the Open.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I do. I feel comfortable where I'm at and the decisions I've made. I feel comfortable being back on the court. Maybe that flows over a little bit. Even when I stopped playing well and made some sloppy errors, I still felt really at ease with everything, felt good about what I was doing. I think that helped me at the end of the match, being able to keep breaking back and then eventually holding.
But I was happy out there. I mean, win or lose, where I'm at is just miles away from where I've been the last few months. Determined to enjoy this. Whether you play bad or you lose matches you shouldn't or win matches you shouldn't, it's a good thing to be out here again.

Q. How do you play so well every time you come back after a break?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Probably relaxed and rested after you play a few tournaments, you tend to get a little more feisty and upset (smiling).
No, I feel really happy to be back. Whatever happens tomorrow happens tomorrow. It's still a huge success for me to be in the semifinals and to have accomplished what I've accomplished. You know, I know I need to take baby steps to come back. At the same token, you know, I'm happy that I'm playing well and feel like I want to keep on going.

Q. You talk about beating the No. 1 player in the world. Does it feel like that at all, knowing Mauresmo is also coming off an injury, or is that on your radar screen at all?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I just kind of said that to say that. I never really concentrate on rankings, but sounds good to say (smiling). Typically the last few years I've been No. 1 and it's always a big deal when I lose, so...
No, I mean, all these girls I know so well. If they're 1 or 2, 3, all the best players, they switch around sometimes and whatever. But just to beat a player of her level so soon is extremely rewarding.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your serving in the first set. I think you had five or six aces.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I felt I served really well. I felt I had good control. I was mixing it up fairly well, but really consistent. I mean, the second set I think the percentage went way down. I felt like I was losing some miles per hour as well. It's tough to win matches against the top players by hitting a lot of second serves. I think that's what got me in trouble.
But, you know, that first set was a really good set that I played. I felt like I was aggressive. I felt like I served well. You know, that was a good -- probably the best set I played since I've been back.

Q. Will you think at all about Los Angeles when you play Samantha tomorrow?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, I guess I have to, to think about what she did well against me. You know, regardless of that match, I feel like I'm way ahead of where I was when I played that match.
But having said that, I'm sure that will give her a little confidence coming in the match against me tomorrow. I mean, she served so well in LA, I mean consistently hitting the high one-teens, like 118, 119. If a player can do that throughout the course of a match, I'm not getting a lot of returns in, it's going to be a tough day. I feel like I'm a little more on top of my shots, in control of my movement and my game out there. Hopefully I can give her a better shot than I did there.

Q. You've beaten her 11 straight times. Seems like maybe she has a mental block against you. Was there someone you had trouble beating? If so, how did you get over that mental block?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You go through that a lot sometimes. I mean, I don't think I've beaten Henin in years right now. I don't know how many times it is, but I don't think it's 11. I went through a period with Venus where I think I lost like seven or eight in a row till I finally beat her again a couple years ago. I think that that happens.
The players that are at the top are at the top for a reason. But, you know, you want to find a way to reverse that sooner or later.

End of FastScripts...

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