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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 14, 2008

Lindsay Davenport

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Before we start the press conference, today is an historic day for Lindsay because she becomes the all-time career prize-winning leader for women's sports. It's a heck of an achievement. She passes Steffi Graf's 10-year record and one that Annika Sorenstam in golf is currently chasing.

Q. Do we know the exact number?
THE MODERATOR: As it stands now, it's $21,897,501.

Q. A bit of a challenge today?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was. It was definitely the most challenging match I've had since coming back. You know, I was so excited about coming back here and a lot of anticipation. Ironically probably didn't -- you know, played the worst that I've played since I've been back.
A lot of factors involved in that. It was quite windy. She played very, very well, and was making me not hit the ball so cleanly.
But at the end of the day, I got through it. I'm happy to have won and toughed it out there at the end.

Q. Where do you think you could improve or have to improve as the tournament gets on?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: A lot of areas. I think, you know, today part of -- when I am playing well, I'm hitting the ball well and hitting it deep. Definitely wasn't hitting the ball very clean today. I think a lot of that was the wind. Because of that, I wasn't moving well.
So I'm looking forward to hopefully being on one of the other courts. If Maria does win, I'll be in Vodafone, and Margaret Court is obviously a bit more controlled with the wind because it kind of covers it in. But just need to, you know, play better overall.
A lot of times when you can get through, kind of scrape through not playing your best, a lot of times you can turn it around. I'm hoping that happens.

Q. 5-4 in the third set, there's an overrule and you weren't happy. When is the last time you lost your temper like that?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I will say I thought I was justified because in the first set he told me, I can't overrule the far line. Then we get to the third set, and the linesman calls it in. He doesn't overrule. He just calls the score wrong.
I was like, No, no, you called the score wrong. He's like, No, it was out.
That was my problem. I'm like, You never overruled it.
Personally I think he choked, like called the score wrong, then went with it. But I don't know. Then he was like, No, no, it was out.
I'm like, It wasn't out. It was on the far line. I don't know exactly what you're doing.
But whatever (smiling).

Q. Is this a place that at one time you thought you might never come back to?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, of course. All these places I felt like I would never play again. And just to play a Grand Slam again, I never thought I would be in this arena again in my career. So coming back here, it's been a lot of fun. There was definitely a lot more nerves than I thought there would be. And it was tough to get through it today.
But I'm happy I did. It's been great to be here all week. I've seen a lot of people. It's exciting to get back on the biggest stage we have in tennis.

Q. Your comeback so far has been all about, as you've said, sort of no pressure, fun, everything's gravy now. You're all of a sudden in a situation where you really wanted it, that you didn't want it to end after the first round. Was that the nerves? Was that a really, really different situation then?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. Especially because I started well. I mean, typically when I start and win a first set, it normally is okay. Ironically, of all the players, I've played her twice since coming back, and both times were fairly routine.
I guess I maybe didn't expect her to play as well as she was. I wasn't expecting the wind to be as strong as it was. I definitely felt a lot more nerves here. I mean, this is the biggest stage I've played on since being back. I've seen a thousand more people than I've seen in the small tournaments I played around the world. I think a lot of those factors kind of entered into why I didn't play my best.

Q. At one point during that discussion with the chair, I thought I heard you say, I don't know if I can go on. Sounds like you were coming a little unglued there.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I came back fine from it. I mean, I asked the guy, What am I supposed to do here? I didn't think he was being fair out there. I'm like, What do I do from here on? Do I call the supervisor out? Do I let you keep doing this? I don't know what I do here.
But I was fine. I mean, I was upset, and I thought he made a bad decision, but... You know, I still came back that game and almost won the match on that game. I thought I did a good job of putting it behind me.

Q. If you do play Maria, that's not an opponent you're going to underestimate.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah (laughter). I mean, there's a chance maybe I was already looking ahead at that matchup. You can never, ever do that in this sport.
It will be interesting. It will be the first top-five player -- I shouldn't say that. I played Jankovic. It will be the first Grand Slam winner I've played since being back (smiling).
And she's a great player. I mean, it's one of the few players I don't have a winning record against probably in the draw. She's a great player. We play very similar styles. She's outplayed me the last couple times we played.
I'm gonna have to definitely hit the ball well, be more aggressive than I was today, just basically do everything a lot cleaner.

Q. What is up with your foot?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was cramping. It's the funniest thing. I've never cramped in my life. I went up on my toe, and my arch started like -- obviously not full-blown cramps. I've never had that before. I drank some POWERade, some more water. I think that helped.

Q. Do you have any vivid recollections still of the time you played Maria in 2004 in Wimbledon?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That match? Wow. That's a long time ago (laughter). A little bit. I probably think -- I think the last time I played her was in '06.
A little bit. That was obviously her breakthrough tournament, winning there. I remember being up against her and her playing very well when she was down and had her back against the wall.
Anything specific you want?

Q. No. It was a blind question really.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I do. I couldn't give you all the ins and outs of it. I remember you could tell how tough she was there by just the way she battled in a few matches while she was down and out.

Q. How much more difficult was it this morning for you getting ready for a Grand Slam match when in past years you've been entirely able to focus on yourself, now you have a little one to be conscious of as well?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was good. You know, it was more fun. Maybe the sign of the day was to come when my son woke up crying at 5 with a nightmare (laughter). I should have read more into that than I did.
No, it's just how my life is now. I don't think back at all to how it used to be. It's just the way it is now. And it's much greater and much better, much more fulfilling. But, you know, I didn't have to get out here too early, so it was fine.

Q. Can you tell us what your son did while you were playing?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: He came here and he met me here after I warmed up. He was here on-site until maybe about a half hour before I went on. He went back to the hotel. It's too tough a court to try and watch on. Player lounge, the first couple days at any Grand Slam, is really chaotic. So they went back to the hotel.
I've gotten some texts - not from him, but the person he's with (smiling). They're doing good, very happy. So it's good.

Q. Is he with your husband?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: My husband watched the match. My husband hopefully now is with him. I hope.

Q. Is it a good thing to have a distraction like that in between matches here?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, it's not a bad thing. I mean, it's my whole life now. It's my little boy. It's so hard for me to comment about before. I mean, it's just the way it is now. I'm ecstatic. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have him, still be able to play tennis.
Managed everything so far pretty well. Hopefully it continues to go that way.

Q. So looking at this second part of your career as a mom, the pie chart of how you spend your time, what has had to get completely sliced out? What do you no longer do?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Pretty much any kind of free time has been out the window. I still -- you know, even leaving him, I leave him for about four and a half, five hours of the day Monday through Friday. There's no shot that I feel like going out to dinner without him. So we take him everywhere we go. I definitely don't read magazines any more. I'm not online unless I'm answering business emails or stuff revolving around tennis. I see a lot less of my friends at home. But fortunately everyone obviously is really understanding.
You know, I think I have the greatest life in the world. So just feel fortunate that I'm able to have him and do what I do still.

End of FastScripts

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