NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 30, 2002

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, maybe it made a little difference, I don't know. Probably, maybe would have been a bit fresher. I would have -- it would have helped on those important points. But I really, I mean, I can't say whether it made a difference or not. Because I was still fighting pretty hard, and then still felt pretty good out there. I mean, maybe just losing the first set and had a little bit of a letdown. But I came back pretty strong. I feel like I was kind of ahead, and pretty much in control the whole match. So, you know, it's a little disappointing.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, you know, if I would have, you know, won the first set, and I could have held in the second, who knows. Maybe it could have been me who won in two sets, you know? But it was just really close, and she played really well on those points, on the important points. It's not like I gave it away. I mean, she really earned it I think.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Can you stop that flash, please? It's pretty bright. What was that? Sorry.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Nothing really was, like, a distraction. I mean, the crowd a little bit. They were just really into the match. And there was a lot of screaming and yelling going on. But for both of us, you know, I think it was the same. You know, just, you know, before we were serving and stuff like that. Just, it's hard to maybe keep concentrated.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Sorry, when my opponent is?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: If she is or I am?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Me?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I think it's a little difficult to get a rhythm, you know, because, I mean, that's the hardest part about playing her. You just never know what's going to happen. And, you know, it's just -- it's not consistent. It's not like, you know, you can get a real groove or anything. It's either like a few mistakes and then a few winners, or sometimes she's pushing it or sometimes she's hitting it really hard. So it's difficult.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't remember.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. Maybe it was the serve or something I complained about. I don't recall. I don't remember. I'm sorry.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't remember. I'm sorry.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, well, it was very humid today. And I was used to playing night matches, so I guess the tension in the strings, you know, loses a lot of tension. There were some old racquets, and they weren't freshly strung yet, so I had to wait for the freshly strung ones.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I would have been so pumped up to be in the third, you know, that I would have just been going on adrenaline I think. I would have just been, you know, I'd have thought to myself, "I'm in a third set, this is it, so I might as well..." Can take a break after this.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean... I don't really know yet. I haven't thought about it just yet. I'll probably go back and think about it and see what I could have done different.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's different because Serena is more erratic and maybe Venus can get a little more of a rhythm going. But, I mean, they both move incredibly well, and that's -- there's a lot of similarities but there's some differences, too.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, of course it is. Especially when it's your ad, then it's frustrating.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, that didn't come into my mind at all. I don't think it was even -- it was similar.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I look at it as, you know, it was that close that next time, you know, I could -- just a point, that I could definitely win next time. Or what do I have to do next time? You know, and plus my mom, I remember she got the hip replacement. So there was a lot of stuff going on that really was more important than crying over a --.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Right.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Sure. I mean, if she keeps winning and is consistent and, you know, to be No. 1 you have to play a lot. And you have to do well in every tournament. We'll have to see.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it doesn't matter.