AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2001

Jennifer Capriati

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Uhm, yeah. Well, I mean, I think I'd been playing well the whole match. Even in the first set, I think I had so many chances. You know, I felt really good. Maybe, you know, the first set I thought should have been mine. You know, at that point I didn't want to change my game plan because what I was doing was good. I just wanted to, you know, cut down on my errors and just execute my shots better. You know, that's what I did. I just, you know, changed making so many errors and kept the ball in the court more. She started missing. Before I knew it, you know, I won that second set.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, that was my strategy to begin with. Maybe I wasn't doing that so well in the beginning. That's what, you know, I wanted to do. I mean, maybe, yeah, I just wanted to try and move her a little bit more, and just go for my shots more. You know, at the same time just still not make errors, so.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's my first one, huh? Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's great. Now we don't have to talk about '91 anymore (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, not really. I mean, I kind of just got tired of hearing about it. So now I don't think I'm going to hear about it anymore. You know, I mean, that's past for me anyways. I hardly think about that. I mean, I don't think about that. It's just a new time now, you know, so, that's it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, it's great. I mean, I'm just thrilled, and he's thrilled. You know, it's a lot of hard work that's paid off. You know, I know there's maybe some expectations, you know, coming into this tournament, last year, trying to make the semis again. If I'm in as good of shape, you know, my new coach, my dad's my coach, all those things. You know, I think it's just made it more gratifying, you know, to kind of live up to those expectations and go beyond them.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I said, "Hi, mom. Hi, Steven," which is my brother.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think so, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, it was great. I was just so happy that I won. I mean, the whole match, you know, I really didn't think about, in the third set, if I could really win this. I was just taking it point by point. I didn't think I was ahead, I could win this match. It just kind of hit me after that, you know, I did win. Maybe just a little bit surprised from it, you know, just felt really happy about it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it was in the rule book, she's allowed to do that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I thought it was kind of long. But then, you know, the umpire said, "It's the rule." What can I do?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Maybe it was that. I mean, I think we both did a lot of running in that match, so we were both tired. But, you know, I don't think it affected me too much.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I spend a lot more time doing fitness than I did before. I mean, it's just because I have to, probably because the game is that way now. You know, you look at some of the other players and how fit they are. You know, really it's no problem hitting the ball; it's just how many times you can run around and hit it, have the power and the strength to just hit with the big hitters and match their power?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, thank you for those compliments (smiling). Yeah, I think those things come first, and then, you know, the tennis sort of follows that. Once all those things are there, then it's just always been with me that, you know, I'm just happy playing tennis, you know, just kind of feel like free and relaxed with it, not too much expectations or pressure. You know, I just have a real peace with it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it's very important. I don't think anyone can do it alone. I mean, you always see all the players, they have their own kind of group of people, you know, close by. You know, I think it's just important. It kind of stays closely-knit there. You can't just trust a lot of people, that's the way it is. You need your support group there. Alone would be hard to do it.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's okay. I don't really know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know what, I don't really know. I don't really know how much weight, you know, I gained or how much I was over. I read maybe 30 pounds, maybe 15 pounds. It was like, I don't know, you know. I look in the mirror, and you don't see it yourself a lot. You know, I just could tell by the way I was moving on the court. That's obvious. So I don't know like how much. I don't go by that. I just go by how I feel.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, I came out playing really well. Like I said, you know, I thought maybe I should have even won that first set. So, you know, just at that point I didn't think I was the one who should be losing because I felt really good out there. I had a good game plan. You know, I just felt confident. You know, I just took it point by point, and that was it. I just kept saying to myself that, you know, I can do it, "You can do this, come back, just point by point."

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, that's kind of hard to say, an exact moment. I mean, just -- just the last few years. I mean, every moment, actually every day is just a change and growing experience. So I'm constantly doing that all the time. I can't really like give a specific moment. It just sort of started happening.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I don't really want to comment yet on that because, you know, I just want to wait to see who wins the match. You know, right now I'm not going to think about it until I know who I play for sure.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Really it's no different than preparing, you know, for the first round. You know, I mean, every match is important, just as important as the semis, so I'm not really going to do anything different. Just take the rest of the day off and tomorrow just do my usual practice, just kind of relax, you know, just start gearing up for the match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, well, I didn't get to this point to just be happy that I got to this point. You know, of course, I want to do the best I can. Hopefully I'll be able to play my best tennis. Whatever happens, that's what happens. At least I know I did my best, whatever the result is.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean, well, my record against her, you know, the last couple years, I mean, I haven't won a lot of matches. Basically just tired of losing to her. Yeah, I mean, that and being in the quarterfinals here of a Grand Slam, I mean, it's just -- you know, I'm feeling confident. Just all those things.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. Like I said, I put that all -- that's history.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just about every day. I mean, during tournaments not as much. When I'm at home, I mean, part of the everyday routine is just, you know, practicing on the court, then going with my trainer afterwards. I use this one trainer. Her name is Karen Brunette (phonetic). She mixes a lot of things in. I do Tae-Bo. She does Tae-Bo. Just gym stuff, running, cycling.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Actually, she makes it very fun, so.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I really felt fine. I felt like I could have kept going. I don't know if that was just my adrenaline just pumping so hard, but I feel great.