	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

SONY ERICSSON OPEN

March 31, 2008

Lindsay Davenport

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Things didn't go so well today?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, not really. You know, this is the first match that I just really felt like I couldn't figure out a way to kind of get back into it. You know, it was obviously windy today and hasn't been windy the rest of the tournament.
Just didn't -- you know, she did everything better than I did. She served really well. She got a lot of balls back and played very smart.
You know, I was just kind of fighting the wind, trying to find my shots. But she played well. I mean, I thought she served really, really well. I didn't get a lot of great chances to return.
I think the wind kind of affected my serve, and she took advantage of that.

Q. Is the back okay?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, no, I feel fine. I wish I could say I didn't. No, physically I feel absolutely fine. I'm going to go out and play doubles here in about an hour, which is a good thing. Hopefully I can go back out and play a little bit better. No, I feel better.

Q. You've played an awful lot of matches against great players, so this is probably a silly question, but did you feel any sort of shock, letdown after going home last night and saying, yeah, I beat Ivanovic?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I think I'm pretty good at that. I think I came up against a player today that was real intense and real eager to win. Obviously everyone plays out there on court 1, but it's so small between where the fence is and the baseline is compared to like a Stadium Court or a Grandstand Court.
I felt there wasn't a lot of room out there. I know the dimensions are the same and all of that stuff, but it really felt kind of tight quarters.
Having said that, I think she really played well and took advantage of that.

Q. You have a lot of perspective on the tour. You've been around, seen a lot of great players make their rise. Can you talk about the Williams sisters and what has made them endure so long? They won seven out of the last ten, one of the two, this tournament.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, yeah, they're obviously great players and great athletes. You know, from South Florida, I think that helps with the conditions. I mean, their athleticism obviously sets them apart from most of the other players.

Q. Can you put them in one, lump them into one category? I'm saying Williams sisters. They each have different things that make them special.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, of course. I mean, they're two different people, but I think their basic genetic traits are clearly the same. You know, they're both fast, both hit hard and sure.
I mean, if you want to get detailed, they're obviously a lot different, but in the style of the game they play they're very similar.

Q. Coming into this tournament, what were you kind of thinking? You know, after yesterday people were saying, Lindsay, maybe you have a shot here to win. What were you thinking?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I mean, that's the thing with tennis. Every day you start over no matter who you play and the players have obviously there's much more depth.
But the way I played yesterday I was a legitimate, I don't know about contender, but a legitimate threat. Then today didn't play as well and ran into a girl that played very well.
But, you know, I don't really know what my expectations were coming here. You know, obviously I played well. I'm disappointed to go out today. I felt like yesterday I had, you know, obviously played great tennis, had opened up the draw up a little bit, and wasn't able to take advantage of that.
But, you know, hopefully more positives than negatives come from this tournament.

Q. Speaking about other sporting moms who have been inspiring to you. Are you familiar with Paula Radcliffe?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. The marathon runner?

Q. She came back and won the New York Marathon.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I did know that, yeah.

Q. Is that the sort of story I guess that you can relate to?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, any time you have a baby and come back in the world of athletics it's certainly not easy. But, you know, I enjoy hearing all the wonderful positive stories there are from the other athletes around the world in all different sports. It gives me some hope.

Q. Do you ever like Dara Torres is down here. She's 41 and has a baby. And Sybille Bammer, since you're the only ones on the women's tour, have you talked or anything...
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I've never spoken to her in my whole life.

Q. Really? You haven't made a play date?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: We have a quiet mutual respect for each other. (laughter.) I just don't know her. I know who she is, but I never actually met with her, played with her, hit with her.

Q. No mom's club, no play dates?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Not yet. Not yet.

Q. Despite losing today, do you feel like yesterday's win over Ana was kind of a notch on your belt in your comeback?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, of course. Any time you get a great win over a great player it's a positive thing. The disappointment comes from not following that up, something I've had a lot of pride in over the years of not kind of resting on my laurels and getting back out there.
Just didn't happen today. But overall, I mean, I don't know if she's 2 or 3 or 4 in the world, whatever ranked player she is, is a big win. And the great thing about tennis is there's another tournament next week and about 10 more this year, so it's not like I have no more chances for the year.

Q. Are you following the NCAA? Are you a basketball fan?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, not really. I mean -- yeah, not really. (laughter.)

Q. Grass is a surface which invariably challenges a lot of the more younger inexperienced players. Do you feel comfortable going in? Are you looking forward going back to Wimbledon?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I am. I love grass. I think anyone in the beginning of their career it's tough to figure out, but after the first few years playing at Wimbledon I really seem to get a newfound respect for it and learned how to play on it.
So, yeah, I haven't been back there since I lost in the finals in '05, so I'm excited about going back and giving it another chance. But most importantly, just being there again and getting to play in the most historical tournament that we have.
So, yeah, I'm very much looking forward to that. We have, I don't know, three months or so. Got a little ways to go before then.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297