WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2003

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No questions, okay, bye.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yes, I was. I was happy that, you know, she's a tough opponent, so I was able to stay concentrated and focused the whole time and play good tennis, and even in the second set, just not lose my concentration. And I kept the pressure on. I don't know. It was difficult to get a little bit of a rhythm out there, but I just stayed concentrated.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I really expected a tough match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, I mean, that's why maybe I played so well and, you know, I was just ready for -- I played her before and I've had a really tough match with her before in the past. Also, I just, you know, didn't want this day to really drag on with the weather, and so I really tried to close it out at the end.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't really remember two years ago (smiling). But I think, you know, I'm just gonna like look at myself now and see what -- how I'm playing now and really because that's the past anyway. So I feel confident, I feel comfortable on the grass. It's just a matter of just me going out there and just playing my game. And, you know, I feel like I'm moving well. You know, and she's obviously been playing well. You know, I'm sure, you know, improved so much since two years ago. But I'm just gonna be really psyched up and just apply everything that I've been doing and hopefully just it will be the same, you know, things won't change in my game and I can continue to be aggressive and serve well.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think Billie Jean's rules are too stringent in general, but I don't want to comment anymore, just because I have already and it's just a waste of time to talk about it for me.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I guess Miami we played. It's just, I don't know, there's just so many other good players out there, and it's like you could say that there's a few rivals and there's a rival amongst, really, the top five or six players.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, anyone that I play, especially the No. 1 player in the world, I'm going to get fired up for. This is the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, so it doesn't matter who I'm playing. You know, I'm trying to win this tournament. You know, we've had some great matches in the past and usually we always have great matches. And, you know, I just know it will be a fight again and just be really looking forward to play because, you know, the last few times I haven't been able to pull it out, so... You know, but I'm just gonna really just try to just concentrate and play the ball and not -- and concentrate on my own game and not really see Serena across the net.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think there's still quite a bit of difference you can see from all the results today. Yeah, you're going to have some upsets, like you had at the French or some other places, but not enough to just be on a consistent basis yet. I mean, the players are still young so I think it will only get better. And the field is getting stronger and just experience has a lot to do with it also.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I really don't know. I mean, she's definitely improved as a player, and she doesn't give as many free points. She's just not as erratic out there, and maybe not every time I've been in my best form. So, you know, I guess maybe it's just a cycle, so maybe it means that things are going to change again, so...

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. I don't know. I mean, really, I'm just gonna go out there and just try to play my tennis, and my best tennis, and that's it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's the name of the game. That's the whole thing, is serving and returning. And, you know, I always have confidence in my returning game, which I don't really feel like, you know, scared of anybody's serve. But if I'm serving well, it definitely makes things a lot easier, and then there's a point in breaking, you know, there's really no point if I can't hold on to my own serve.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, no, I think there's a few out there that really ... I mean, I think Lindsay has a great return of serve also.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, we're playing on grass, first of all. I think it's to our advantage. And experience, like I said before, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, yeah, it's fine.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think it's just because the way I hit it and the way it's coming, it's automatically going to go back the same way. If it's coming low and hard, it's gonna go back low and harder. I just -- it's really important to try to stay low on the grass and not -- I mean, just your positioning, to stay low. And, you know, that's it. I can't explain it. I just step in, and that's it. I hit it, and that's the way it goes back (smiling).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it doesn't matter. A court's a court.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of good matches on today, and I could see where they would just have trouble deciding which match would go where. And so, you know, I'm just happy to be through.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Basically, I'm just gonna try to not have the folders (sic) on and not really see anything that's going around, just me, the court, the lines and the ball, and just really try not to hear what's going on or, you know, stay in my own game.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I think it takes work. And for me, that's one thing I've been working on this tournament especially, so...