AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2006

Lindsay Davenport

Q. How would you assess that performance?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it was tough. It was really an up-and-down performance by me. I felt like I was making a lot of errors but I felt like I was doing well to control the points in the first set. Then in the second set I really just kind of fell apart with making way too many errors. She was doing a good job of keeping a lot of balls in. I do feel like the third set I really was able to turn it around and play really well. When it could have easily been, you know, 6-0 set, I had game points in all these games, and up. I felt like in the third set I started playing aggressive but with better margins and a little bit more contained. So, I mean, I'm happy I ended the match on a positive note. Physically came through in the heat no problem. So, you know, it's tough. You want to do things a little differently and work on some stuff you've been working on. Doesn't always go the way you'd like it to go, but I still hung in there and was able to pull through a tough opponent.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, you know, it was -- you know, it was a lot hotter than I anticipated it was going to be. Everyone's been talking about Sunday, Sunday. I guess I wasn't really focused on Friday's hot weather. But, no, it was good. I mean, I was sitting on the side of the court, I wasn't in air conditioning. Just kind of changed, stretched for a minute. It seemed to go by pretty fast. The same token, the cloud cover came over which helped quite a bit. But I felt good when I walked back out there to start the third.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I went over on my ankle a little bit. I never really have done that. So it seems to be okay though. It didn't hurt the rest of the match. It's a little sore right now, but I was able to play the rest of the set and be fine. So I don't think it's anything that bad.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's not frightening. I mean, I look at it as a challenge to play a lot of the young girls that are coming up and the really good ones. I think I've played most all of them by now. And, you know, I don't care what age they are or how long they've been playing, it's all about the tennis and what kind of game that that girl can bring on that day. I thought she played really well. I thought I played up and down, but was able to play really well when it counted, was doing some things well. And she's going to be good, though. She's young and she's very talented.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'd never seen her play before. I've heard stuff about her and I heard she had a good game but had never really watched her play for any length of time.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, it was good. I mean, she was like -- I remember looking up one time in the second set and seeing she had such a low amount of errors, so she was doing a really good job of being consistent but not just getting balls in, she was still being semi-aggressive with her shots. I thought that she had good variety. I felt like if I had, you know, focused in a little bit more and cut down on my errors, it could have maybe been a little quicker than it was. But at the same token she was forcing me to go for a little bit more.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, great, great player. You know, obviously had such a great year in 2004. Not a fantastic year last year. But, you know, she has the ability to be very dangerous. She's got a big forehand and a big serve. Again, I'm going to have to try and get a little better. But gonna be a tough, grueling match, that's for sure.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I probably will do things a little bit more differently tomorrow. Probably will hit a little bit less. Probably will stay in my room and drink all day - drink water (smiling) - and really take it easy tomorrow in anticipation of, you know, needing all my strength for Sunday's match. But once the match day comes, I think you kind of have to keep things as normal.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah (smiling).

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's really funny. I was telling my coach after. It never worries me to lose a second set. I mean, it's never -- I don't know what that is. I think if I win the first set and I'm in a comfortable position and still don't win the second, I always feel like I play better early in the third. I don't know if that's just from it happening often or just years of experience, but obviously you want to get it over in two sets. But it seems like if I can come out in the third and play well, that a lot of times that carries me through. I felt that way today. It was really important for me to get that first game and the first break. I guess I feel a lot more calm when the third set starts maybe than when the second set ends.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It could be. It seems to happen like that quite often. "Oh, I want to get it over in two. Oh, we're in the third. Darn it. Oh, well." As long as I can come back and still play well and at a high level, I mean, I guess I'll take it. Doesn't matter if you win in two or three.