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AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 20, 2001


Mary Pierce


MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: First question for Mary, please.

Q. It's been a long day for you. Can we just take you obviously back to the singles and get a bit of a feeling from you what actually happened out there.

MARY PIERCE: You know, it was a difficult match. Paola played really well. She served well. She just played a really good match overall. And, you know, I really just don't like making excuses for myself. I was on the court. I played. I tried to do the best with what I had, it just wasn't good enough today.

Q. She said she thought you were injured.

MARY PIERCE: Yeah. I mean obviously my leg is wrapped. I strained my hip flexor in the doubles two days ago, I guess, the very end of it. And, you know, I was a little bit sore yesterday but not really that bad. I just took it easy. And then today, it wasn't that bad. I had it taped more for precautions than anything else and it was maybe in the fifth game - third or fifth game, I don't remember exactly - but I just went for a forehand and I felt it. So, you know, it wasn't too good. It just kept getting worse and worse as the match went on. After I lost the first set, I called the trainer to have her tape it a little bit more and in a different spot also to see if that would help. It helped a little bit, but I mean I was, you know, limited in movement, and my forehand is what really bothered me the most.

Q. Which leg is it?

MARY PIERCE: Left.

Q. And after that, did you think about not playing the doubles?

MARY PIERCE: Well, I mean during the singles I thought about, you know, not continuing the match and stopping 'cause, you know, I mean it's a tough decision when you're out on the court and you really just can't move and you can't play your game. But I tried to have hope during the match, and to never give up. And, you know, it's a long way to come over here, and it's a Grand Slam tournament, and, you know, I just tried to leave everything on the court and do the best that I could. But, you know, after that, my doubles partner came up to me, Sandrine, and asked how I was doing. I told her I was fine. I promised her I would play doubles, I said I would try and see how I feel. Doubles is only half a court. It's much easier to play. You don't have to move. And so it was a bit easier, you know, of course playing doubles.

Q. Paola said that she thought that you could retire in the game during the singles. Did you consider that at any time?

MARY PIERCE: Yeah, like I said just now, I said that I did think of that because I wasn't able to play my game or move really well. But, you know, like I said, it's a Grand Slam tournament and it's far to come over here. I just didn't want to give up. I kept trying to, you know, have hope and just to play to the last point. You never know what can happen.

End of FastScripts....

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