US OPEN

September 7, 2004

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I feel great - of course. I'm thrilled about it. I just fought hard and, you know, I prevailed because of that, because I was just fighting. I think I played smartly at times and mixed up my shots, and I just believed in myself, you know. So it went my way.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, that's what happens in tennis matches. I mean, I can't recall how many times that, you know, things have gone that way either against me or, you know... That's the way it goes. It was just, you know, one point of the match. But I think that I had some bad calls also at some point. So, really, it's just for one point, I don't think changed the match like so early on especially in the match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, there was actually a couple times there where that went through my mind. I was like, "I'm not gonna let this happen again." I think it was a good thing to think about it. I was like, "No, this is not going to happen again. I'm just going to, you know, go for it this time the best I can," you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I didn't really see anything. I mean, I was just like, you know, it was close. It was close, I thought. To me, it looked like it was close, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think if you look back on the tape, I'm sure I was robbed a couple times on some baseline shots. You know, I came back and, I mean, I lost my service game on the next game, so it was completely even after that. So, I mean, yeah, I can understand. I mean, when you feel like you've been wronged and, you know, the umpire and you're just at war with the umpire basically.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Uhm, yeah. Well, yeah, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I guess the umpire, I looked at her, and she said that was her call.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm sure they already do. I mean, I don't know what has to be done to actually make that possible.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Of course I'm going to try to get every ball back. Of course (laughter). I mean, Wimbledon, it's grass. It's a completely different game. I was just trying to move it around as best I could. And change-up the pace. Yeah, I mean, the way Serena plays, you're put on defense quite a bit. I think that, you know, even playing like defense - which usually that is not my game, my style is to play on offense - that I even was able to win at this point. So, really, maybe I was the one playing like an idiot. But, you know, I still won, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, every Slam that I've won, I mean, I've had to fight my heart out. You know, this is also another match, you know, where I've had to do that. And that's -- like I can recall in the other ones that I really just believed in myself and believed in the hard work that I put in and, you know, really just fought for every ball and really did try to get every single ball back.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, it just goes to show you how amazing it is that I can have this chance to come back a year later and really be in the same position again. I mean, I haven't won the tournament. There's still two more matches to go. So, really, I'm not going to dwell on it too much and just kind of put it away.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I have to say it's really -- you can't describe it. You know, the position, it can be a hard position because, you know, you feel so much tension and so many emotions going on out there, you know, but I love it at the same time. I mean, I wouldn't trade it for anything. There's no place I'd rather be no matter how hard it can actually be. You feel like you want to cry out there because you want to win so bad.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just -- I mean, it's just like you're just like in this huge arena and just so many people just are just basically -- sometimes you feel like they're on top of you, watching you, which basically they are. But you're just two warriors out there, fighting.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. And as soon as -- I mean, if I did feel some of those doubts creeping in, I'd just try to just put them away as fast as possible and know that, you know, whatever happens, happens. But I believe that I can win this tournament.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Right, well, enjoy it now, for the moment. But, you know, I have two days off, so I think it's just really just go through the exact same routine that I've been doing - you know, the same practice times, the same workouts. Really, you know, not answer a lot of questions about this and, you know, about the press and all this stuff and just think about my next opponent. Really not -- I mean, just think about my game, too. Just don't change anything.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know what, I've watched a little bit of her play Mauresmo and that's it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, it's tough because it comes in with a lot of slice and I think you're, you know, watching her do the motion. By the time the ball comes, it's too late. You're like watching how kind of awkward it looks, I mean not even watching the ball anymore. And, I mean, it's just -- it is tough, but it goes to show you, I mean, you can have that serve and you can have a 118-mile-an-hour serve, too. But, I mean, as soon as the point starts, though, she's a machine off the baseline, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know what, I think I've been playing long enough to know how to return serves like that, whether they're easy or hard, and I just basically can adjust. The first intention is to go for it and attack the serve. You know, if you're missing, it's tricky to either -- to try not to overhit it. But I think, you know, basically, I've been playing long enough to know how to adjust.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it seems like I've been fighting against something since the start of playing tennis, so that is -- I've gotten pretty good at it, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think it was kind of evened out, you know. I mean, you know, the fans are known to root for the underdog here, and I think they feel like that, you know, I'm the underdog and, you know, maybe they just want to see me win this one. You know, she's already won it and she's won so much, you know. And they love fighters, too, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's kind of hard to say. I think that, you know, to come -- to kind of come back and play at the top level again, I mean, that's been a struggle. You know, kind of fighting, I feel like, you know, outside forces or inside forces. And, you know, to really just try to balance, you know, me having a life and also being a professional tennis -- kind of like separating and drawing the line of, you know, when one thing is that and the other is just, you know, being a normal human being after and, you know, respect myself in that way.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think in the beginning I just came out and I was just tight, you know. And just not only in my serve, it just was affecting all parts of my game. In the second I just loosened up a bit and just started going for it. I felt like my timing was good with it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, yeah. I mean, just to be at this point, I'm very happy about it. And, you know, at the end of the day, I think I can be happy with what I've done and achieved. And even win or not win, you know, I mean, I should just be thankful that I'm here. And it would be great to win but, you know, if I don't, life goes on, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's a good question, you know. The last time maybe this happened at the French, you know, I kind of maybe lost my focus after I beat her, and then came out and played a horrible match. You know, but this is the Open, the last Grand Slam, and really I just -- I've had a game plan coming into the tournament the whole time, and I'm just going to stick with it. I feel really focused. So I don't think that there's anything that can take it away.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think the last match we had probably broke it up a little bit, right (smiling). Other than that, I think that was a good one and so, I mean, yeah, it's fun. No, it's not the sameness. You never know what's going to happen.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't think it was really a slug-fest out there, especially in the third set. I think really I was mixing my shots up a lot. I don't think I was hitting it enough, hard enough, so...