AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2006

Amelie Mauresmo

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English for your champion, please.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Good job on the bet (laughter). Did you make a lot of money?

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Me, too (laughter).

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Of course, yeah. Of course. Well, I guess, the comments I made on the court were just very strange for everybody, for Justine, obviously for me, for the tournament, for everybody. But, you know, as I said, things turn around at some point, and I had some tough moments myself. I just really take it as it comes. That's the way it is.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Not at all. You know, also I was focusing on really what I had to do and taking control of the points the way I did for the whole match and really not paying really much of an attention to how she felt or whatever.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Not for me. Not for me.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't think so. I mean, I really went out there on the court, I was ready for anything, you know, for everything. I mean, I didn't know how it was going to go. I just knew, you know, I had to just focus on my game and really try to have the emotion part of the moment really on the side, which I did very well. I was really controlling the game pretty well. I knew exactly what I had to do walking out on the court against Justine. And overall, I was pretty relaxed. So I think everything really came together for that first set.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Probably, probably (smiling). That's the way it is. Yeah, I mean, I think it's very strange. But in the same time, you know, I think for all of them there was a reason, and that reason was maybe the physical preparation. Against Krajicek, she was not probably ready to go under very high temperature. And Kim probably got a little tired. She had already the hip was not right. And then today, you know, I think I'm just wondering maybe the nerves got in also. I'm just still wondering, you know, what happened.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I just wanted to understand first what was going on. So I asked her when we were both at the net. Okay, so she said, "I'm not feeling great," whatever. So, you know, walking back to my chair, yeah, I knew, I knew that was it. I knew that the tournament was mine. Yeah, right from that moment I knew, I realized.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I guess it would have been probably different or the way I reacted would have been probably different if the match went till the end. But the joy is here. And, really, again, it's tough for Justine, but I just also think I was playing some great tennis today.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I don't want to really comment on that. I was ready to die on the court today. That's just the way I was coming out on the court this afternoon. So that's it.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think everything was better. Maybe I played some better tennis at other points, but mentally I was not feeling so strong. So now I think the three main things in the game - tennis, physical and mental - all these three really came together here. And I started feeling that a little bit against Vaidisova. I mean, it was strange because that day I couldn't move. I woke up and I couldn't move my neck. So I had to use different things to work things around. You know, it happened to be a good idea. So I thought, "Yeah, mentally, you know, you're capable of doing that. You're capable of using other strengths that you are used to." I think it helped me also to get past the other rounds. So, yeah, everything really came together here.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. Probably look on the records for that. I can't remember. I don't know really. Just look.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, it's good, huh (smiling).

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, yeah. That's my next goal (smiling). No, again, I mean, as I said on the court, I've been waiting so long for this and really worked hard for this, as well. It's really great achievement. I now have achieved everything I announced in my career: Fed Cup, being No. 1 and winning a Grand Slam. So I'm very proud of that, I have to say. I'm probably, yeah, the proudest woman for now.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, when she called the trainer, I just tried, you know, just stay focused and really try to not get out of the match, which I did, because then the two points then that we played I really hang in there. I didn't really know what to think.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I knew I was playing great.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I knew. I knew I was playing great. I knew I was really dominating the game. And I knew tactically I was playing exactly the way I should. That was the main thing, I think.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, on my side I tried to mix it up, which I know she probably doesn't like too much. You know, it's hard to say. Really that's her feeling. I wasn't really paying attention, honestly. I just was concentrating on what I had to do.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I bought a bottle about three or four years ago. Very good one (smiling). Very old one also. I keep it. I thought, "You know, this one is going to be for my Grand Slam - my first Grand Slam title." Yeah, now I have to open it. I don't know, I might keep it still, a little longer.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No, no, no, it has started a long time ago. And I'm here with the trophy only because I had some experience, I matured, I grew up, and I had lessons from this professional career, which, you know, I also at some point tried to evolve in many ways - not only in my tennis, but also off the court. I made a few changes here and there that really helped me to be here today.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: What can I say? Am I going to make controversy about that? No. That's not the day for this for me.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I haven't thought about that yet. I'm sure my friends will find many ways for me to celebrate that. But, yeah, I think I will want to share with people that are here, my staff that are here working with me today, that are a huge part of this title, but also with people that stayed home and couldn't come or didn't have, you know, the opportunity to come. Yeah, probably sharing with people that helped me getting there. That's probably the main thing I will do. And concerning the bottle, it's not going to be enough for everybody, so I will probably choose the closest people. We will have, I'm sure, more than one.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, she explained, because obviously she's playing -- what happened, I guess that's what she did, walking here moments ago. I'm sure she explained to you guys, as well.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: (Laughter).

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. I don't know.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, a huge thing (laughter). No, I think it's hard being very far. I really have no idea how it's going to be received there and how people are going to react to this title. I can't wait to go back there and really see how people enjoy that.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. I think really The Championships made me a different player. Is this title going to make me also a different one? I don't know. It's probably too early to say. I think I've achieved a lot of things now in my career. I can really be I guess pretty relaxed now about the way I walk on court and the way I play. Really not too much to prove, I think, any more.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think, to be honest, I'm also here because I won in LA. It was only two months ago, a little bit more than this. Because at that time I proved to myself I was capable of -- it was not a Grand Slam, but I was capable of winning a big one against the greatest players, which maybe in some part of my mind was not for sure a hundred percent at the time. And I came here knowing that, you know, anything can happen. I mean, I could have also maybe be out of the tournament earlier, but knowing I can do it. "Okay, I'm capable of doing this."

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yes, I didn't really panic at that time. I was not playing really well. That's what I said. I really struggled in my first two matches here, and then things came better and better, and I really felt my rhythm was coming pretty strong in the fourth round and then quarterfinals. Yeah, during that match I didn't really panic. I just -- you know, that was the way it was, losing the first set. But then I really knew she had to make a big effort to win the match.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I was not expecting -- I mean, I didn't know really what was going to happen. I just -- I was ready for anything. As I said, I was ready to play outside, 40 degrees. I was ready to play indoors. I think it was maybe better for me. But would it have been different if the roof was open? Not sure.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I think Loic, my coach, was great. And he knows me pretty well now, so he knows really how to talk to me. And, you know, really put things right in my head. I guess my physio did a great job also during this week because I was pretty bad at some point, and he made some good work.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I couldn't move my neck for three days. But it didn't show, so that's good (smiling).

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It's amazing. It's funny because he makes me think a little bit of me seven years ago, you know. He's enjoying every moment of it. Is his game already really strong enough for him so that he can, after this tournament, really keep going like this? It's a question. I hope it's yes for him 'cause he's a great guy. But it's great to see. You know, he has a lot of personality. He enjoys it out there on the court. Yeah, it's good for the tennis, I think.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Oh, yeah, especially at the beginning. There was not a lot of noise, then these birds were out there. During warm-up already they were there, so I got used to them.

AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yes.