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US OPENSeptember 1, 2003Jennifer CapriatiNEW YORK CITY THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jennifer. Q. You seemed in a bit of a hurry when you got back out there the third or fourth time or whatever it was. JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Now, it -- then it was okay to hurry, right. Usually not, but... Q. How tough was that? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It was very tough. After the first, second time, I was all right. But then the third, and I didn't know if it was gonna happen again, it was just getting pretty annoying. I was just getting tired. You know, it's hard to play matches like that once you actually do get out there, because your rhythm is broken up. You know, you're worrying if you're gonna get the match in. You're thinking ahead, like tomorrow if you don't have to play ... I mean, if you don't finish, you have to come back tomorrow. So it is very difficult. Q. During that last stretch there, that last segment on the court, you had a short stretch where you sort of lost your ground strokes before you found them again. Just needed to recalibrate, or what happened? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I guess. I mean, I was just -- I don't know. Maybe I felt a little tired then, and just, you know, was just kind of just not in my concentration mode and the rhythm was... you know, with everything. Then I realized that, you know, "What am I doing here? Let's get it together, you know, try to finish the match." Q. They just called it again (referring to rain)? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No? Q. You were saying you took a nap during the first break. Is there a couch in the locker room? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, in the lounge there's these couches, so... Q. For how long? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. Could have been like an hour or something like that. Q. How can you relax enough to be able to sleep when you've got -- I mean, you're wondering whether or not you're going to get called on? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I knew it wasn't gonna be for a while. I didn't think it was gonna stop. I don't know, when I want to sleep, I can sleep, so... Q. Was your nap too long, short? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Usually I'm taking a nap every day. So I'm used to taking naps every day. Q. You're a napper? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Q. How difficult was it to get proper nutrition? I saw you nibbling maybe bread or something when you came back on the court. JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Q. That can be the difference in a match, I would imagine. JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, well, actually, like 'cause it was so quick, all of a sudden. It stopped raining, and they would just go dry the court real quick. You'd get 10 minutes' notice. I just felt when I went out there, when I had the bread, I was hungry, and so, you know, that would have sustained me. But then, you know, after it rained again, I definitely -- I went and got something substantial to eat. You know, actually I was eating, and then it stopped again. They were, you know -- I couldn't really finish. You know, but it's -- you don't want to eat too much. Then you go out there and... then you're in trouble. Q. Like you said, you were in a hurry to get off the court that last time. Did you feel you imposed your pace on Dementieva a little bit and that gave you an advantage? It seemed like she was trying to hold you off. JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, if I was losing too, that would be the play I would try, is just to take as much time as possible. But she still played on. I think I just was more aggressive overall with my shots and my tennis, too. You know, I was just really going for it. That's what I wanted to do, is just try to, you know, get through it and go for it. If it didn't work, then it didn't work. But fortunately, I was just -- it paid off. Q. What did you think of her second serve ball toss? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, it's a little weird. But, you know, I've had my fair share of problems with that, too. So I can sympathize with her. I don't know if she's maybe injured or something's going on with that. But, I mean, if she would just improve that, she'd be a really great player. Q. The start of the match you were up 4-love, 40-30 in 14 minutes. You went off court. Was your feeling like, "I can roll through this match quickly"? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean, I just -- I never felt that kind of momentum leave me anyways, you know. So I went back out there and I still -- you know, even though I won that game. But even though I lost the two games, still it felt all right to me. Then, you know, I was just maybe playing with a little more anxiousness just because, you know, the weather and really don't know if you're gonna get it in or not. You know, I really just tried to concentrate just on my game. You know, I was just feeling the ball well anyway. So it's just playing my game. Q. In the studio over there you were talking a little bit about how you're in a good place in your life. You've been there before, but you have to learn it again. Can you talk about that process, of having to go through stuff over and over again? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, you know, it's like a cycle, you know, just goes over and over. If it's not one thing, it's another thing. You know, I just learn that you can't just expect everything to be perfect and work out the way you want it. Even yourself, you know. It's like sometimes I don't even understand, you know, the kind of moods that I go in and out, whatever. You know, I'm just happy for what I have and really, you know, have no complaints. I shouldn't complain at all. I've already -- I don't have to prove anything to myself, to anybody or myself, really. I feel like, you know, I've realized that I've achieved a lot, at least in my tennis, my career. That's one less worry, you know. That was kind of a worry before. You know, I let that go. And then even just having confidence in myself also. You know, I was getting hurt by a few relationships here and there. That was difficult. So I learned how to get through that, cope with those kind of things. You know, just the support system has to be there as well. Q. Last year it was not that feeling. We didn't get the sense you were at the same place when you left Flushing Meadows last year as you are right now. Is that a fair assessment? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, that's the kind of changes I've gone through, evolved. You know, I went through some relationship stuff, too, that, you know, I had to get through. Also with my career, you know, what I wanted from it and how I wanted to -- what I wanted to take from it. You know, so I'm not gonna go into real big detail, but, you know... Q. This relationship thing, though, did you reach a point where you realized it's not everybody, no matter who they are, how famous they are, not famous, everybody had problems with some amount of relationships in their life, and that's just life? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, that's -- I realize that, absolutely. I mean, that's just -- maybe other people don't realize that but, you know... Really, I'm just a human like everyone else. Probably gonna have more problems because of, you know, who I am, whatever, what I do. But you can't take things too personally. That's what I learned. Q. You and Lindsay are now through to the quarterfinals. What is your relationship with her like? Are you friends? Are you close? Can you talk about that a little bit. JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just, I mean, we have a mutual respect for each other, I think. I mean, we've never been like really close friends or best friends. I mean, I don't think we ever will be. But, you know, just we respect each other and that's it. We'll say hi and talk, whatever. Q. Was she someone that reached out to you at all when you were coming back or won your first Slam in any way? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. No, she just -- I mean, just said that she was really happy for me. You know, I could sense that, too, so... Q. Late in the match the mist began to fall again. Were the lines getting a little slippery when you went out for that last game? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I would have to say I just was being extra careful with the way I was moving and just consciously, you know, thinking about my feet not slipping or falling. Q. Particularly when you're receiving serve, how does that change where you set up when you want to try to avoid stepping on the line? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The line, yeah. Yeah, and also on the ground strokes, too, you know, when you're going back and side to side. So I was just trying to watch the line and, you know, just keep myself really grounded. Q. You mentioned on TV about feeling like an underdog again. How much has that mentality helped you? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I don't know if it's helped me or not. I mean, maybe I'm not completely like the underdog either, you know what I mean? There's still, you know, expectation for me to win, or some people think I could win this, whatever. So, I mean, really, just I don't care, you know what I mean? Just going and just playing. Q. Next time you really have to win your match, are you going to tell yourself it's about to rain? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, maybe. Seriously, like I said , you know, I was really focused and really concentrated on each shot to really try to make it. So I don't know. Maybe (smiling). Q. Did you have another outfit? JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I brought like four. End of FastScripts…. |
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