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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2001

Jennifer Capriati

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jennifer.
Q. John Brook from Reuters. How was it out there? You were down --?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: 5-1.

Q. Yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, had a little bit of a slow start. She came out playing well, first time I played her really so maybe I was just, you know, maybe missing too much, overhitting a little bit in the beginning. But I really settled down and just found my game, found my rhythm. And, you know, I was able to come back and play really well from then on.

Q. The line call at 3-5, is that sort of the most upset you can remember being on the court for a while?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I think I've been more upset than that before. Or about the same, yeah. Yeah, I guess it was good, actually, because I think that just really pumped me up and I used that energy to come back and start playing really well.

Q. That's all heat of the moment stuff, but when you settled back down, you looked like you were saying, "Gee, maybe I went a little bit too far there?"

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not me. I don't think so. If you look at some other players, the way they've gotten, I think I was pretty okay up there.

Q. You could be playing Monica in the next round. You've played her four or five times in Grand Slams over the years. I think you've lost every time. Do those sort of statistics bother you or do you take that into account?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't think I lost to her every time. I think the first time I came back and played her after the layoff I won, in Chicago. It's not every time. I mean, she's still got to play her match and, you know, I really don't want to say until I know for sure who I play.

Q. Last year you made the semis here. It was, I think, your best result in a Grand Slam for nine years, something like that. It must be good feelings to bring that back in this year, or giving the following results you've had in other Grand Slams, does it not sort of have any influence on you at all?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I'm really happy with the way I'm doing so far here. I'm really not thinking about last year at all. You know, this is a new year, a new beginning, and I'm just happy with the fact that I think I'm playing well. So far, each match I think I've gotten better and better and I'm concentrating on each match. I don't really want to think about last year.

Q. You mentioned before about that line call. If things are not going well in a match, can something like that, you know, really motivate you? I mean I was wondering, how does that do that?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Sometimes it does. Sometimes it can work against me I guess if I totally lose my concentration. But in this case, I guess it worked for me. But I don't think it was just that, you know. I really got my game together and I just started playing well, started cutting down on the errors. So it wasn't just, you know, with the line call. So, you know, it's just usually I don't do that anyways, you know, so it's just once in a while. So... I mean, it was a matter of just changing my game a little bit, too.

Q. That first tight match, you really fed off your -- the encouragement from your father and friends in the stand.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, also the fans, you know, they've been great, really supportive and they've gotten me pumped up. I mean, you know, when it's like so hot and, you know, you're playing good players and you're really fighting out there, I think it's good to use all you can, all the energy you can. And if it comes from outside forces, you know, just whatever...

Q. Do you feel you're peaking now? Or is there room for more improvement in this tournament?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think there's definitely room for more improvement. I'm not peaking yet. I hope I peak, you know, as the next matches come up, or the next match. Just one at a time and see how it goes for my next round.

Q. What areas of the game would you be looking to improve in the next few days?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think it's very important now, you know, just to really cut down on errors and not miss the sort of easy shots. I missed some easy shots today. Against the top-ranked players, you know, you can't really get away with that because they're not going to give you anything. So no free points, you know, and just try to be really aggressive and just go for it.

Q. You mentioned the support of the fans. Was there anyone left out there that didn't get your autograph today?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, there was. I try to get everybody, but you can't. It's hard.

Q. So what will you do before your next match? Will you practice a bit? Will you go out shopping? Will you go to the movies? How do you prepare for a quarter final in a Grand Slam, in other words?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, obviously practice. I mean, I probably still will go to the gym and do some workouts, maybe not tomorrow, maybe still today. And, you know, tomorrow then I'll just have all day and just, yeah, I guess go around a little bit, do some shopping or just try to stay away from the tennis so I can, you know, just be fresh for the day after.

End of FastScripts....

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