PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 26, 1999

Amelie Mauresmo

AMELIE MAURESMO: It is not too good, but I think like one or two days it should be gone, just get some treatment, massage, try to loosen it up a little bit. Nothing important, I hope.

Q. Something that you did in the first match?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, it is still the same.

Q. What actually is the injury?

AMELIE MAURESMO: It is just a sprain tissue. I don't think it is very important.

Q. Obviously affected your game tonight, you couldn't push off on the serve?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I didn't push off as much on my serve, but it is also because she was returning very well. I was getting tense a little bit when I saw this. So it is not really my leg. I think it is just that I was tense when I saw how she was playing. First set was unbelievable.

Q. When you played her in Melbourne, you were unknown at that stage there, was no pressure on you. Was it very different tonight?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, you know, the situation for me is very, very different. Last time was a semifinal of a Grand Slam. I had five matches behind me. So I gained a lot of confidence every match. I think tonight it was -- every match I play I was playing here with bonus for me coming back from injury, so I didn't feel any pressure at all tonight. I think the pressure was more on her. She handled it very well. Yeah, it was a different match, of course, but nothing to compare with pressure or anything.

Q. You were struggling getting the first serve in. Was that because of how well Davenport was returning?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I think she was just returning unbelievably well tonight. She was following almost each return at the net so it was very difficult for me. I served not as well as I did yesterday, but it happens. It is just things you have to handle and you have to deal with. So it is not the leg.

Q. What started working for you in the second set?

AMELIE MAURESMO: I think it was reading her game better in the second set. I was getting the rhythm and everything, playing top really top players is much different from the rest of the players and I have to get my rhythm back at this level. I haven't played these kind of players for a few months now.

Q. What did you start to try and capitalize on her on in her game?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Just to try not give her too much angle because she was making me run around and try to keep her as far as possible from the net.

Q. Did you feel that she was just a little bit more determined this time seeing that you had beaten her on two previous occasions?

AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I think she really wanted to win tonight. Last two times I beat her, so maybe she was angry, I don't know.

Q. Is there any added tension when you play her because of some of the controversy, statements that have been made or is that something that has been behind?

AMELIE MAURESMO: I think it is something that is behind. She gave me a little letter and she I apologized. It is past.

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