AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2004

Alicia Molik

ALICIA MOLIK: Probably a missed opportunity, really. You know, yeah, it's not fun. Amelie's in the quarters. That's where I'd like to be. She's hitting that swinging backhand down the line, and it would have been niece if it was me. No, I'm not happy.

ALICIA MOLIK: I guess today I think something that I've considered my strength let me down. So, you know, sometimes you can find reasons and weaknesses. But when your strength lets you down on an occasion like today, it's not a good feeling. I didn't put enough first serves in full stop.

ALICIA MOLIK: Oh, yeah, rushing, low ball toss. I should have probably stopped. Whatever reason. But, you know, that's something that normally I don't have to worry about. Today I did. It's a bit of a change.

ALICIA MOLIK: Sometimes. I think today was a great match because it's a perfect example of why probably Amelie is No. 4 and I'm 40. It's great to see that she does what she has to when she needs to. And she did that today. I guess the good thing is next time I'm in the position that I was in today, I won't let that happen again.

ALICIA MOLIK: I'm not happy, yeah. Yeah, no, I'm definitely not. Like I said, she's in the quarters; I'm not. That's where I want to be.

ALICIA MOLIK: You know, 7-5, 7-5 is a close score. Yeah, I guess.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I mean, I expected to push her. And so I should have been pushing her with the way I've been playing. But it's one thing to create opportunities, which I did today. But there's almost no point if you don't take advantage of them. It's one thing get there; it's another thing to do something about it. Like I said, yeah, next time I'm in that position, I won't let it happen again. I'll change a few things around. I won't let it happen, yeah.

ALICIA MOLIK: No, I don't think unforced errors were an issue today because I wanted to hit as many winners as I can. When you take a bit more risk into your game, of course you're gonna make more errors. Execution was poor at a few times, but, you know, most of the time I did, you know, what I planned to do. So, you know, the plan was to be out there and be aggressive. I think a lot of times probably I wasn't aggressive enough early enough. As long as my winners were as close to the unforced errors, that's fine.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah.

ALICIA MOLIK: It means nothing at all, really, before I step out on the court. So, no, there's no added pressure.

ALICIA MOLIK: Set out early for Japan. I've got another event. So a couple days off, then I'll get started and get training for Japan. You know, friends and family are in town, so I'll have a few days to enjoy myself. Then, yeah, just get back in training for a couple of days before leaving for Japan. That's my next big event. I'm playing some good tennis. I want to continue it there. Then home for a short break, then away again. The cycle begins again.

ALICIA MOLIK: I don't know. I've never finished Top 20 or just outside of it. I think if I play more of the tennis that I played today, and maybe a touch better, then, you know, I think I'm gonna have a really good year. But, you know, I've said in the past, numbers really complicate things. So I try and stay away from them.

ALICIA MOLIK: Anyone that hits the ball heavy, I think, you know, the type of court, the Rebound Ace helps. I think I hit it just as heavy today - probably at times heavier. So, yeah, it's a good surface if you hit the ball heavy.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I think so. Probably hitting two or three first serves in instead of none for six probably would have helped as well. But, yeah, that's a time that I've got to, you know, knuckle down and not let her get back into it. Yeah, that's probably the most important game. The most important games in matches is when you get the break, and you have to consolidate.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I mean, today it was tough. A lot of times it's the easiest thing to do. It's obviously something I didn't do as well as I should have today. You know, will just be working on that, you know, probably next week in Japan. I'm sure I'll be in that same situation. Every match you play, you try and improve. So when I go and play there, I'll try and make amends, I guess.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, no problems whatsoever. I don't think moving was a problem today. I felt like I was feeling the court and moving fantastically. I just have to keep what I been doing and really looking after it.

ALICIA MOLIK: Plenty of massage. Getting my joints mobilized constantly. You know, icing. Stretching all the time. Warming up before practice sessions, warming down. Stretching after practice sessions. Basically all of that. Repeating it most days or every day for, you know, a number of times.

ALICIA MOLIK: No, absolutely not. Everyone gets wrapped up in the Australian summer. There's the rest of the year ahead. I'm finished here, so my mind's set for the rest of the year. Japan is my next event, so that's my next focus. It's been a great summer for me. I can't complain too much. But, yeah, I want to get going and I want to get ready for the rest of the year. I have stuff to show and play some great tennis. I'm looking forward to getting out there and continuing that for the rest of the season. In starting again, it's 2004, so couldn't start in 2003, yeah...

ALICIA MOLIK: No, actually, that was a match I'd like to get the tape of. Yeah, no, I'd definitely consider watching it again. I think it would be a really good sort of learning tool for me.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, but -- yeah, it can be frustrating, I guess. The past is the past. I can't change it. What I can do, the next couple matches I play, the next time I'm in that situation, I can change it. That's probably the reason for watching it. I do watch some of my matches and sort of evaluate them. There's a few points here and there I take note of or my coach wants me to take note of. Sometimes it's different sitting in front of the TV watching yourself than being out court. It's a completely sort of different perception of probably what you're feeling and what you're doing on the court. No, I think it will be good for me to do that.

ALICIA MOLIK: I could do it before but I don't have a video player. I might go to a friend's house or I might watch it when I get back once I've bought one.

ALICIA MOLIK: Depends. When you say "breaks," I probably come home five, six times a year. I come home after every single trip. But in terms of breaks, I don't know what you mean by "break".

ALICIA MOLIK: I'm going away. I'm going to Japan, and coming home. That's one week. Then I go away for six or seven weeks and then I come home. Sometimes it's three or four weeks, then I come home. It's a lot of travel, but I don't mind it. I enjoy coming home, recharging the batteries. I guess I get my eagerness back to get out on the road once I've come home and enjoyed myself a bit.

ALICIA MOLIK: Yeah, I don't know about hope. It gives me incentive, yeah. As I described, she's where she's at because of what she was able to do. She's No. 4 and I'm 40. You know, it was a 7-5 and 7-5, not much in it at all. Yeah, I think it's a good indication, you know, of where I'm at.