US OPEN

September 1, 2004

Alicia Molik

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I mean, she played -- I think she brought some of her best tennis to the court today. But I am very disappointed. You know, I came out playing well, really had a bit of a mental laps, failed to continue that. But, you know, I wasn't really happy. I didn't bring out my best tennis. Didn't bring out my best game. I didn't play my A game the whole time. I just let her dictate and work me around. You know, you can't walk on the court and just expect to win just by walking out there - regardless of my form in the past month. You've got to walk out there and you've got to play. Not only do you have to play, but play point after point after point as well as I can. But I think I just let -- I think I let her dictate to me a little bit too much.

ALICIA MOLIK: I came out swinging. I came out fine. I mean, I was a break up. I think the call at 4-2, I think I let that unsettle me a little bit. Don't know why. It was only just the one point. And regardless of the point or the game, I did lose it, but, you know, big deal, we're back on serve. But I think I turned a few very small things into such mammoth things in my mind. I was pretty pissed off that I lost that game. But big deal. Just got to change ends and keep on playing good tennis. But, you know, I sliced too much. I let her dictate to me too much. Just became a little bit hesitant, coming in and out of my game the whole time. I didn't quite understand why out there. But just having had a bit of time to think about it, I think it's a little bit clearer now.

ALICIA MOLIK: Well, I mean, she hit a forehand wide. It was probably at least a couple of inches wide. But, you know, umpires make mistakes. It was a mistake. But, you know, I can't do much about it. I had to get on with the point. But that particular game, she did step it up and she did hit a lot of aggressive returns. But, you know, I definitely wasn't happy. I think I let it get to me for a little bit too long there. It was something that stuck in my mind. I think I just needed to move ahead and move forward.

ALICIA MOLIK: It was the 4-2, when I was serving.

ALICIA MOLIK: I think it was the 15-All point to go down 15-30.

ALICIA MOLIK: I came out playing great tennis, and I came out playing my game. I think she let me get away with a few cheap points where I didn't have to do much early on in the first two, three, four, five games. You know, she did surrender some easy points to me. I think I took that for granted. She's too good a player to continue giving me, you know, some free points. But, you know, credit to her. She stepped it up. You know, she came out playing and she came out swinging. But I think my mentality definitely went a little bit negative. You know, I was doing a lot of the running and I found it difficult to get out of that. Not until the last game, last few games in the match did I feel like I was hitting out again. You know, it was difficult out there with the wind. But I'm going to probably miss some ugly shots, but just get on with it and move on with it, don't dwell on the past or a call, you know, negative point, whatever. It was just -- I started great and then I just, you know, fell into a hole in the middle. It was, yeah, difficult to get out of.

ALICIA MOLIK: No. I played out there a few years ago against Venus, as well.

ALICIA MOLIK: No. I mean, there's plenty of room out there. It was definitely a little bit breezy, a bit swirly. Maybe not as breezy this morning when I warmed up. But, I mean, it's a great court. There's plenty of room. There's plenty of room to work her out wide. But, yeah, again, I can't emphasize how much I think it cost me today, you know, the fact that I didn't move on quick enough after a few disappointing points in the match.

ALICIA MOLIK: Probably an hour ago (smiling).

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I mean, it's been a while that I guess I've felt so disappointed because I've been on such a winning roll. I don't think I gave it away today. God, I was trying. But I guess I was trying to do all the wrong things. You can't win them all. I'm going to have bad days at the office - and today was one of them. You know, as long as there's a lot more better ones in the future, you know, I'm fine with that. I think I'm very good at taking a backwards step and having a pretty objective look at things. You know, I think there's a lot of positives that I can take from the last month and six weeks. But, you know, I'm very, very disappointed that I lost today. I feel that I've been playing the type of tennis that, you know, could see me well into the second week. But I have to deal with that. I have to, I guess, live and learn.

ALICIA MOLIK: You know, like I said, I think I'm very good at --

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I don't want to -- I mean, I don't want to continue thinking about it any longer than I have to. I had a good talk with my coach. I had a good think about it. I'll probably think long into the night tonight and then I guess tomorrow or the next day I think I'll pretty much be over with it. I don't think there's no point dwelling on it. It's very simple. To think about it for the next month, two months. I've been playing great tennis, had one bad day, today. Credit to Daniela, she played great tennis. But move on with it. Get on with it. That's what I've always done and that's what I'll continue to do.

ALICIA MOLIK: I think different matches, different conditions, different tournaments bring very different emotions out in you. At the Olympics, I was obviously very emotional. And the particular match that I lost there to Mauresmo I felt that I was showing, I guess trying to use too much emotion to get me through the match. I think it was more of a hindrance than anything in that match. I think I used up too much energy. I wish I stayed calmer in that match. So that's what I tried to do in the last couple of matches. You know, I don't think it was an issue out there today. Played great. The middle was probably much below average, and started to play good in the last game, which wasn't of much use. She'd pretty much run away with it.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, of course. Like I said earlier, you know, I have been playing good tennis, but there's no point playing good tennis for two games or three games. I probably would have been less disappointed if I went out there today and absolutely hit everything. You know, I think you can still hold your head up pretty high if you go out there, give it your all. If you're missing by a couple inches here and there, but you're playing your game the entire time, you might have a loss, but I think that's something you can still walk away with and be reasonably happy with. But, no, today is disappointing because I didn't lose that way. I probably lost being a little bit negative, a bit too defensive. Yeah, so definitely, I'm pretty pissed off (smiling).

ALICIA MOLIK: Well, I've got doubles and mixed now. Then I'll go back to Melbourne for a couple weeks. And then the European hard court season, which is probably a good five weeks at the end of the year. So I'm looking forward to that.

ALICIA MOLIK: I mean, I think that you could call today an upset. She played great tennis today. She didn't play scared. She came out to play and she came out to win the match. She was maybe never going to lose the match. But if she continues to play that way, yeah, I don't see why she can't, you know, beat a lot of the other girls - not only a lot of the other girls, but a lot of the other seeded girls.