WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2004

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: She just played too good today.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Uhm, you know, maybe when she, you know, had a loose game there, when she hit a couple double-faults, maybe she would have come down a little bit. But she didn't, she kept the level up.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, I guess maybe the early break just kind of gave her that extra confidence, and she just got on a roll, more of a roll, after that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, it makes things a little bit quicker. It gives her an advantage on her serve, I suppose. But, you know, I think on any surface, most of the girls just hit through it anyways.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I would say today is probably one of the best that she's ever played against me probably.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't think I really had much of a chance to get into the match and play. I was just feeling so much pressure from her coming off the baseline, the serve. Basically that's -- what her game plan was was to tee off on everything, and she was on, not to let me in it at all. So, really, I just couldn't even get the rallies going.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. I mean, I can't really say that. I mean, maybe I was a little bit tired kind of from playing so many days in a row. But still, you know, it was a little bit gusty out there which didn't help either.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, if she plays like that, she has a good chance. But, you know, if she can play like that, you know, every time, I mean, that's too good. But, you know, other players maybe have a different game. If she plays Mauresmo, I mean, who knows, it's kind of a little different than my game.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, I had a good warm-up. I felt good going out there. You know, maybe I just didn't have that little spark that I've had. And the movement, I mean, you know, I'm still getting there. I still feel like I'm just, you know, about 65, 70% of where I can be physically. So, you know, that's what, you know, I'll keep working on.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I got to look at the positive things. I played a great tournament. You know, I got to give all credit to her. I mean, I knew, you know, beating her the last two times, you know, she had a vendetta I think to come out. You know, I think she really played well. So I can't get too down on myself and be too hard on myself because I know that I can compete. Today was just not one of those days. You know, just keep working on what I've been doing, doing the same thing.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It really went off? What, did I hit a bunch of double-faults or something?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, maybe I just got a little bit tired. You know, I just wanted to make sure that I, you know, put it in the court basically.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, when everyone's talking about it so much, it's very hard to just go out there and just completely focus on tennis. You know, it's like I can't walk around with earplugs in my ears, you know. But, you know, what can you do? You've just got to do your best not to really, you know, think about it or have that come into play because, I mean, it does add more tension. You know, some people like it, some people don't. It's just very difficult to just, you know, not tune everything out. So, uhm, and just that's the way it goes sometimes. Not everything is always going to be the way you think it's going to be. So maybe if you wouldn't talk about it so much, it would have been a better match, I don't know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, that's kind of the case every single time. So you kind of just get used to it, I guess. There's really nothing else you can do.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean. But I think the rivalry speaks for itself. I mean, you don't have to even talk about it. It's just there, you know. It's like the people don't -- I mean, they can see it for themselves.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it's just, you know, from the first press conference, from the first match, it's like, you know, already talking about, you know, the quarterfinal match. It's like, you know, you shouldn't. Each match at a time. But that's the way the press is. That's the way that -- that goes along with it. There's nothing you can do about it, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: We can drop it now. We can drop it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Yeah. I think I can take away a lot of good things, you know, still going forward. I'm still getting better.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I think, and possibly still winning them. You know, I think it's like not a big difference, not a big gap. So it's definitely -- it's a good thing. You know, just hang in there as long as we can, I guess.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just kind of -- you know, I'll decide that at a later time. Just get home first.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, like I said, I never played her where she's actually played this good. But, you know, she hasn't, you know, played like this for a while. So I don't know if it's, you know, something that she can keep up or what. But, I mean, this is probably, you know, like I said, one of the best forms. But I don't know, like, I mean, even better than the other times.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, what can I do? I mean, there's worse things, you know. I mean, it's just, at the end of the day, I tried my best. I'm not going to, you know, take it personally and think, you know, now I'm a bad person, you know, or even as a tennis player, whatever. I know who I am inside, and I know the level I can compete at. That's basically it. That's what I go home with, That there's always a next time, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Uhm, you know, at this point, it doesn't really matter. I mean, I have to say maybe it does just a little bit because it's -- you know, it's not something that I'm used to, you know. And it kind of happened at the French, too. So I don't know. It just shows how eager these other girls are. If you're not playing your best, I mean, that's what can happen.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I've only recently started working with someone new. You know, it's tough when you're still playing tournaments because you can't train, you know, at the same level. Kind of got to back off when you're playing. So hopefully now, you know, I'll have a few weeks where I can just be consistent with it. And I think, you know, just get better and better. And really the only time is on the off-season when you can put in that, you know, one or two months.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. Well, I mean, a different way because I'm using a different trainer. But, you know, it all kind of is the same thing in the end. I don't know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I'm really happy. I think it's great that she's come back and done this well. She definitely has a chance to be in the finals. And, you know, I mean, it would be nice to see her win it. She's, you know, kind of quietly gone through, not a lot of hype. So hopefully she can just go out there and just, you know, play her best tennis.