US OPEN

August 28, 2006

Lindsay Davenport

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay, please.

Q. How important was it to get out there and try to keep work to the minimum?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I tried. First I was thinking the most important thing was get off to a good start and try and make it as concise as possible. You know, with one break, one small lapse in the second, I was able to do that. And kept, you know, the match under an hour, and hopefully, uhm, no damage done (smiling).

Q. Did you feel any?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's my arm. It's not necessarily obviously, it was focused on the shoulder. But it's pretty much just my arm. Like in fatigueness, soreness. It just feels really heavy. I've actually never had an arm injury. I think I've had every other injury known to a tennis player, but an arm injury. It's kind of the unknown dealing with it.
You know, it was playable today. Now that I have every other day off, I think I'll be able to kind of make it better as the tournament goes on.

Q. What had to happen between Saturday and Sunday for you to be able to play?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Nothing happened. I didn't do one thing (smiling). I just, you know, rested literally.

Q. Is this rest issue maybe the most important issue in this whole health thing that's going on here?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, each player's different. I mean, for me, I really didn't expect what happened for me last weekend. While it was great winning all those matches, doing so well, you know, I had four matches, four days in a row, going into a fifth day, and that was too much. That was, you know, unlucky with scheduling and unlucky with just how it went.
But the good thing was that I won and was able to get through them. You never know how weeks are going to turn out. When you obviously do your schedule, you have to do it so early. You try and build those weeks in. But with the kind of year I've had, I wasn't expecting to have as much success as I did last week.
It was important for me to go to New Haven and get some confidence and win some matches. I accomplished all of that. At the same time I just wore my body down a little bit.

Q. So many women are hurting this year. Champion can't come back and defend. Again, is this a question of the schedule is too long? Too demanding? So much hardcore tennis? What do you think?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think all of that is, for sure, true. We're expected to play a large amount of tournaments. We're expected to enter them months and months ahead of time. Unfortunately, tournaments are let down because, you know, six months ahead of time we're forced to enter these tournaments.
I think girls are playing a lot. It's a tough sport. We've had this problem now five or seven years where a lot of the top players are always injured. You know, we've asked for changes. We just keep asking. Hopefully one day someone who heed our request.

Q. Do you think it's also a question that the women's game is so highly competitive that the training regimen is much more strenuous?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I know it is for me than it was in the early '90s. I think that players are very eager to always work out and not really take that many days off. You're always trying to stay on top. You know, I think that's because the girls want to do well. They've just pushed themselves very hard.

Q. Did you start to feel the problem in the semifinals or before that, the problem with the shoulder?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, mostly the semis. I mean, obviously your arm gets a little sore when you go from serving like five to seven minutes in practice to playing like all these matches. It was really in the semis at the end of the first set.
You know, looking back, I mean, I probably should have stopped then. You know, you don't really know what's happening while you're playing. And I've never really had an arm injury, so I kept kind of playing with it. We had a really long set.
I started to, you know, change some things so it wouldn't hurt. Next thing you know, like my elbow is hurting, my forearm's hurting. You know, that's kind of what you never want to do.
I didn't really recognize it while it was happening in the second set. Ended up winning that. I knew if I lost the second set against Stosur I was going to retire. I kept thinking in the tiebreak, I just have two more minutes of this, whatever. You know, the next day couldn't move my arm. It was kind of unfair and unfortunate for everybody.

Q. How scary was it, waking up and feeling that way?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, like I said, especially when you're not used it. It's like, Okay, I can make up wake up a stiff back like every day. You kind of figure out what you need to do to get it better. But it's something unknown. I was going like this (moving her arm with the other arm.) Didn't feel lively at all.
It wasn't good. I felt horrible from the time I woke up because I knew it was going to be an ugly day for everybody.

Q. Aside from rest, what else have you done treatment wise? Did you take a cortisone shot?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, because it's kind of throughout the arm. Cortisone is good if it's like really locally if it's just in one particular place. When it's kind of like throughout, you can't do too much. Just really some soft tissue. I tried to ice my whole arm yesterday, and that was kind of an adventure. Really, it's just rest. I mean, it's not a lot I can do.

Q. Do you lose strength, or is it just mostly a matter of pain management?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it's just pain management, and I think it will get better. Like I don't think I did anything worse to it today. I've got tomorrow off. I think it's supposed to rain anyways. We'll see when I'm able to take the court again.

Q. What was your reaction when you saw that you had pulled the first day of this tournament versus getting one extra day?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, I knew when I came off the court there was a message from my agent that wasn't good (smiling). But, you know, I think when you play a Grand Slam it's up to the players to be ready to go on day one. There's so many other factors than one player's injury that should change.
I mean, I was fine with it. I don't believe that a whole tournament should be the schedule should be changed because of one player or two players or whatever it is.

Q. Did you request a later start?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I asked Mr. Curley. He explained to me why. I totally understood and respected why that was.

Q. What was his explanation?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, you ask him (smiling).

Q. How close were you to pulling out of this thing?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Not close at all.

Q. I'm doing a story on Lisa Raymond. Can you talk about what makes her so good, especially as a doubles player?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I think a lot with Lisa is instinct. We started playing together in '93. I think we maybe played our first tournament. I think that she's incredibly talented. She's got unbelievable hands. Knows how to play doubles. A lot of girls play singles on a doubles court, me being one of them. She was a great partner for me because she actually plays real doubles. She volleys so well.

Q. As a woman pro, can you comment on the meaning of naming the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center? Has she been any kind of inspiration for you?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I was really excited for her. I knew that for years we've always kind of, you know, not joked with her because it's not really a joking matter but, you know, when are they going to do something for you? I've always believed that she has deserved something, especially at the US Open, more than any other female player that has ever come about.
I think for not only female tennis players, but for female athletes and just women's rights, she's meant more to us than probably many almost anybody else.
I was really happy for her. When I first heard, I sent her an email. All I said was, It's about time. I think she deserves it. I think the USTA's done a great thing. It should be really an unbelievable night with that ceremony and obviously Andre.

Q. Will you be on site tonight for it?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I don't know what time it is.

Q. 7:00.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Maybe. I don't have any nice clothes, so I'll be watching wherever it is. I'm really happy. It means a lot to her. I know she's really touched by it.

Q. Have your expectations changed of what you can do here because of this new injury?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't think so. I mean, for me it's still like, you know, one or two days I'm looking at. I'm not looking at the big picture of the whole New York experience yet. You know, today was the first day I came here. It's like you have to play. So I haven't really had time to really digest exactly what's going to happen in the ensuing days or weeks.
You know, just trying to get it better and keep going.

Q. Do you think the arm has any relation to the fall you took in June with the elbow?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hope not. I think you know, I still have some lingering problems with my neck. It certainly, you know, probably started there. I do think that it was just playing more tennis, like I said, in a week than I had in four months. I'm kind of sticking with that. Hopefully that's the case (smiling).

Q. I'm not sure if you'll be affected by this or not, but what is your reaction to San Diego losing the tournament?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, it's terrible, for someone from Southern Cal. They obviously did a wonderful job with that tournament. It was one of my favorite to play. All the players loved it. It's unfortunate.

Q. Do you have a mindset about what's in store beyond this, a game plan? There's always speculation when it comes to you.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, always (smiling).
You know, I have my game. After here I'm playing two tournaments in Asia. I have no plans for the rest of the year. I haven't really looked past my tournament in Beijing in three or four weeks. I don't foresee myself going to Europe. I don't think that that would be in the cards. I don't know.

Q. You intend to play beyond this season?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I intend to go to Asia, and then I'll probably reevaluate again as the weeks go on.

Q. Andre will be playing in his 21st and last US Open. You yourself have played in 15, 16.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That's what he said when I was warming up (smiling).

Q. Can you talk about the consistency, his accomplishment, your accomplishment?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, first of all, Andre, there's nobody that will ever live up to all that he's created for himself and all that he's done in the whole tennis world. You know, I think he'll be the player that is going to be missed the most. That's ever kind of come through here. I think around the world. I don't even think in the United States. He's just touched so many people's lives.
I think it's so great how he's given the fans here an opportunity to pay their respects. You know that the fans are just going nuts to show him how much they love him the next two weeks. He deserves that more than anything.
For me, I've never really thought about it. It's crazy. When he said it was my 16th US Open, I was trying to count the years in my head. I was like, That's pretty wild. I'm really proud of the fact that I've come here so many years in a row at such a high level. I mean, that's hard to do. I'm proud that I've always been able to make it here. That's not always the case with the other Grand Slams. For whatever reason, I've never missed a US Open.

Q. So is the best way to describe 2007 that you're undecided?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I think that's probably good. It's true.

Q. It's not a guarantee? The Australian is not a guarantee?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Nothing's a guarantee and nothing's ruled out. I mean, I haven't really I mean, it seems so far away in my mind to say I'll be in Australia in January. I couldn't say and swear on my life that I would be there.
You know, I think it will probably come down to in November if I'm feeling good and if I'm out practicing or not. I'll definitely know by the beginning of December what the plans are.

Q. If you have a chance to qualify for the year end championships, would you play in Europe?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I don't think I'll have a chance. I mean, I don't I don't know exactly what the standings are. I think I'm probably good after Beijing for the year. You know, last year I really tried hard to finish the year 1. I was going back and forth between Europe. I think those days are probably gone.

Q. Do you think the decision is going to primarily be based on your health? How much is it your motivation, your desire?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Probably just yeah, it just does not sound appealing to me at all, in the least, to go and play in late October, early November.

Q. Just the larger decision, though.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, yeah, I think it will be based on my desire.

Q. How much did your play today put your mind at ease for the rest of the tournament?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Hopefully good. I mean, you know, I only felt it on a few shots. I thought I handled everything really well, considering, you know, kind of a crazy quick warm up, no playing yesterday, walked in today, had to go play. You know, played well. Happy to be through.

Q. You signed up for Australia, right, but you're not sure?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean, everything in my mind is going forward. Like, you know, all the logistics, trying to plan there. I think I'm trying to play they're signing me up for some things beforehand. I just couldn't tell you right now that I'm playing the whole year of '07. Kind of look at my schedule two months in advance and try and make the plans from there.

Q. A little bad luck with your arm. You say you always play well here. Do you have any prematch rituals, superstitions or anything?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. I kind of threw those out the window 10 years ago (smiling).

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