TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN

March 12, 2001

Lindsay Davenport

MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, you know, luckily I got to warm up on that court. I found it to be actually faster than the big court. It's actually a very nice second stadium. It has like a nice high back-drop. It's sunken in. It was a great court to play on. Sometimes you go to the outside Stadium Court and it's not as friendly for the players because there's just people right on top of the court. Playing on Center Court, you're used to, you know, back-drops and more space. I thought the court was great. It was a little bit faster, which I actually thought was to my benefit. You know, I thought I played well out there. Surprised actually at 10 a.m. there were some people out there. I thought I'd be playing in front of like ten people. It was actually a pleasant surprise.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think when you're used to playing on the big courts, they're always a little farther away and you always have -- you know, you can see the ball better because you always are playing with a ten-foot wall behind the court. Sometimes you go to those courts and there's people right behind the court. But it's a great court. You know, it wasn't a problem.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think it looks very nice. I think it looks very classy. When I first got here, I was like, "Wow, that looks different." The more I've watched tennis, I think you can maybe pick the ball up a little bit better than against a green playing surface. I think it is fantastic.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I go in streaks. These tournaments I like to play the doubles. But after this tournament, I'm not playing like the next four or five tournaments. I go in streaks with it. I've always found that in these longer events, I like to play. You play, you get days off sometimes. You know, especially today, I mean, it's 11:30, I'm done, and I have tomorrow off. I'm happy to go out there today and play some doubles. Certain tournaments it does get a little tiring. So I think this year I'll probably play like eight or nine events, half the tournaments with doubles, half without. Hopefully that's a good balance.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, after this, obviously we have Miami, the Ericsson Open. I'm going to go home. We have two tournaments in the States, Amelia Island and Charleston. Right now I'm only playing Charleston. However, I've told the people in Amelia Island there's a chance I might play, depending how long I'm in Miami. Then I have almost like a month off. I'm just going to play Madrid and Paris. Last year I started a little earlier in Rome, got hurt, which put a big damper on the whole French Open. I think it's best for me to practice on some clay here, get over there a few days before Madrid, practice in Europe for about ten days, get ready for the French.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: To me clay is clay. Maybe Arantxa could tell you better exactly the difference. To me, it's all clay. Anything's good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, not a tremendous priority where if I don't win it, I'm going to be disappointed the rest of the year. So, no. I mean, it would be great to win. It's going to be very hard. That's why I've decided not to go to Europe for all those weeks. By the time I get to the French, if I had spent a month over there, I think would be ground into the dirt. I would just be fried. I'm just going to, you know, be fresh, try and play well. You know, watching Mary play it last year, she definitely was not a clay-courter by any means, just going for shots, was on top of her game, and sailed through to win. I'm going to try to take that approach.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Both, absolutely. It's very hard to be away, especially in, you know, different continents for many, many weeks. So I think it's best just to go and get it over with.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. Who wouldn't?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I mean obviously I don't know who I play yet, they play later tonight. But it's a tough draw if I play Serena. I haven't really seen her play yet, but she has been winning quite comfortably. She's always a dangerous player. Last time I played her at The Open, I played very well to win a good match. Last year in LA, I lost 7-6 in the third. The last two times I've had to play very high-quality tennis. So I'm happy that today I think I played better, a lot better than yesterday. If I do play Serena, the hard-hitter, hopefully I'll get used to that. With a day off tomorrow, practice some things I need to work on.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, you scratch your head here, then you look back at the Australian Open and Martina had everybody in her half. I think in my history, I've always found -- every player might think the same -- I've always thought I had tough draws the tournaments I have won, the Grand Slams I have won. I've found that it's helped me get through them. If you can get through and build some confidence, it's a great thing. Obviously it's always tough to get through those matches. What can you do? You know, there's always next week, the week after that. Luckily it's not just like a once-a-year thing and I get a tough draw off the bat.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: They never play the same tournaments. The only time I played them both was at the US Open. So I guess no. That's the only time I played them both in one tournament.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You have to go for it, though, against her. It's a lot different playing a returner like Serena or Venus than playing other players. You have to go for your serves more. In that case you are going to get more double-faults. Hopefully you're not letting them tee off and hit winners every second serve you hit them. If I play Serena, it will be the same strategy, go for it more. As a consequence, I'll have more double-faults.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I played later in the day, and I played at 10 a.m. this morning. I was up this morning at 6:30. I was not doing much yesterday.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I think it was a tough day to have it. Everybody played Sunday and everybody had to come back today. I think also I knew I wasn't going to win. Last year I knew I was going to win and attended the awards ceremony, was happy to get the Singles Players of Year and I think the Player Service Award. This year I kind of a little birdy told me I wasn't going to win (laughter). Not Brooke, though.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, exactly. I attended those the two years I won, as well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: The little birdy told me it might be a good idea to go there, too.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I didn't know she didn't go.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, you know, I don't want to comment on other people. Like I said, last year I went in South Beach when I found out I was going to win. It's tough. I don't know her schedule today. I played at 10 a.m. I haven't played at 10 a.m. i'm going to say in years. It comes very early when you're used to playing late. I was like, "Oh, my gosh." I don't know what her schedule is today and what her routine is for tournaments. So I don't know.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'm not all that social, so I don't go out that much during tournaments. To all of a sudden put me at parties, cocktail things, it's hard for me to do. But that's my personality. I don't know. I mean, like I said, I've gone before when I've won, I've been a part of it.