	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

NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 28, 2004

Elena Likhovtseva

MIAMI, FLORIDA, S. WILLIAMS/E. Likhovtseva 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk about your impressions of Serena, how she played, how the match went in the second set?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Well, second set, I think I started to play a little bit, like, more relaxed, you know, than the first set because I was kind of -- I wasn't nervous, but it's tough to get rhythm with her. She was, you know, she was hitting good returns, and then, like, she didn't give me the rhythm. I struggle with my serve. Then the second set, I played a little bit more relaxed, and I guess she started to, you know, she just wanted to hit winners. Then all of a sudden, she started to make a lot of unforced errors. I had chances. So second set, I won. I think I had a lot of chances in the third set as well, you know. 40-love on my serve in the second game.

Q. You had this injury coming into the match?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah, I had it for a while. I felt it was better than before, but, you know, during the match, I aggravated more so.

Q. When you strapped it up in the second set, did it feel worse?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah, it just was support, yeah. It's more like my knee and my hamstring, so... But it was nothing.

Q. When you were down at the end of the third set, you just loosened up and played terrific points. Whenever it got close again, did you tighten up? What happened?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah, I guess so.

Q. Was it just nerves?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah. I wanted to win also, you know. I felt like I could win. That's what, you know, some people, like Serena, she fights till the end. I also tried to fight till the end, but somehow I get tight so... And, you know, I think that Serena needs more matches because this is like her second match this year so... But she still, she fights till the end. You see her, she wants to win.

Q. You've beaten her before.

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah.

Q. Was that in your mind?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: No, not really.

Q. If you had not known that she'd been unable to play for eight months and went on to court to play her, would you sense she was rusty?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah, I think so.

Q. In what way?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: More unforced errors, and, you know, like she -- yeah, she did the easy mistakes. Not as consistent, I guess.

Q. Did you think her running, moving was off?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah, she's a little bit -- kind of she doesn't know where to expect the ball sometimes. I think when my serve was pretty good, then I caught her sometimes off guard, you know, served a few aces. So she wasn't ready for that.

Q. She had a few very wild service returns in the second set.

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yes. I guess once she kind of ready for the return, she has special like I guess backhand, she's ready for this. Then she just go through and she comes forward. That's her best shot so...

Q. From the public's perspective, whenever she plays, there's sort of a certain buzz, "Serena's playing," everyone wants to see what she's wearing, how she looks. When you're across the net and about to start a match with her, is it different from playing anybody else - the former No. 1, everything that comes around her?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: It is a little bit intimidating for me, like, to o, because she's a great player. But about the looks and stuff, I like how, you know, how she dresses. You know, we see it all in the locker room. So I know what to be prepared for, so... It's all right.

Q. You've had a tough start to the season just in terms of coming back. Is this a match where if you were playing with a lot of confidence you really think you could have gotten through?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: You mean this match or...?

Q. Yeah, this one. If you were playing at your peak and with confidence.

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: I think, I mean, I think Serena is not in her best form now. So I think, yeah, if I would play my good tennis, best tennis, I would win this match.

Q. You really maybe were overhitting in the first set too much. Then you calmed down in the second set. When you stepped up to close the match, serve the match out for 40-love, two double-faults, wild hits in there, then sort of a defensive shot on the third one, are you surprised at yourself? You've been on the tour so many years.

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: No, it's the thing that I, you know -- it's kind of -- it's tough. I try to somehow fight it, you know (smiling). I struggle with it, and I try to overcome it.

Q. If it was anybody but Serena Williams on the other side of the net, do you think you would have closed that set out with a lot more ease?

ELENA LIKHOVTSEVA: Yeah, it's Serena, it's center court, but, yeah, it's not like just about this. It's like when you think about that you can win, then sometimes it overwhelms you, you know? It's, like, it's different.

End of FastScriptsâ€¦.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297