PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 26, 1999

Lindsay Davenport

Q. Players have said you had improved your serve and that you were playing more aggressive than in the past. Is it something that you worked on recently?

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I have been practicing my serve for a few months now. I am just being so tall I should probably have a better serve than what I had maybe a year ago so I have tried to get that better. Here I have been trying to play very aggressive. I think the last few months I might have kind of gotten away from being so aggressive just tried -- so really decided that especially here at this tournament and going into the US Open I really want to take short balls and come in and hit second serves and go for winners and that is a style of game I want to play. With players playing so much better these days and being more aggressive I think that is the way I need to go to keep at the top.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it is obviously great to get a win over someone you have never beaten. I was really happy with the way I played. I thought I played one of the best matches I have played in the last few months. She is a very tough player. I don't think she's gotten back to her highest level since hurting her ankle at the French. But at the same time, I thought I did exactly what I needed to do tonight.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It is weird, I know. Yes and no. I mean, obviously I can't warm up playing the type of player that I am going to be playing because they play so different Sandrine hits hard; Ruxandra hits it a lot higher with some spin, so I guess I am at the advantage maybe, I don't know, that I am already through. But it is weird. I don't think I have ever been in this situation before.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I played a great first set after losing the first game, six games in a row, then in the second set I made a few more errors. I lost a game when I was up 30-Love. I made four quick errors which that is what I have been trying not to do. But other than, I thought I played very well. Second set few more errors, but the last two games, I fought really hard; a few long games at deuce there was able to win those to close the second set out at 6-2. So overall I am really happy with the style I played and the way I executed.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I think it is the kind of match I needed to play before the Open, real aggressive and I am going to try to do the same thing tomorrow.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Not really. I was a little -- you take it a little bit more seriously; you might be a little bit more nervous playing somebody you have never beaten, but the last time I played we had such a close match I had a lot of chances and I didn't win and I wanted to turn that around and when I had chances, take advantage of them. Especially the week before the Open you want to start getting on this great roll; hopefully I did.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I guess. I mean, I won. It is a slow court. The ball bounces up high which probably should have helped her because she hits the ball a little bit higher bounces up, but at the same time I thought I was timing the ball really well tonight. It seemed to be going through the cord, so who knows, I know the Open is a little bit faster; ball probably skids more than it does here. Just keep playing here and hopefully keeps going well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, nothing bothering me - knock on booed, and I am feeling very good.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, it is one of those matches where you get a lot of confidence from. I don't think I played as well the other night against Dechy, and I thought I raised my game a few levels higher tonight. Now got to come back tomorrow and hopefully I will play as well.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. (Laughs) Not really. I mean, I really wanted to attack the ball and come in a little bit more than normal. A few of the openings I came in a little bit to the backhand, but a few times -- I didn't really think one way or the other which side to play. I thought they were both pretty equal, but just hit the ball where I thought was the right spot to the hit it.