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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 14, 2006

Lindsay Davenport

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lindsay.
Q. Was that nostalgic?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Nostalgic (laughter)? No, we're not that old.
Q. Was it fun?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. Well, it was interesting to see a little bit how -- you know, how people's games change. Obviously have some similarities to where she left off.
No, I mean, I've always enjoyed playing with her. She really makes you go for a lot and think about shots. Great mover. Places the ball extremely well.
Q. Are you surprised she didn't try to come in more?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Am I surprised she?
Q. Didn't try to come in more?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No. She never had that against me. You know, she was trying to be very, very consistent and get a lot of balls back, and it was working well.
Q. What was different in the third set from the second set in your play?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think, you know, I had some opportunities early in the third set, especially that first game. You know, missed just a few balls going for a lot. You know, was trying to keep the points shorter.
That's what her game does. You know you have to hit really good shots. Just was off on a few balls that I needed to make today.
Q. How much of that was you missing by a few inches here and there and how much of it was her doing it to you?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Probably both. I definitely was a little bit flat, especially in the beginning. Seemed to get it back. You know, in the third, in the beginning, like I said, there were some chances to continue the lead. Just couldn't do it. Some 15-30 point maybe in the first game or 30-All, would have been nice to get off to that lead, try to keep it going.
Q. Was it the point where she blocked the two overheads?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That was at 1-3 already. I mean, I was talking about like the first two games I was receiving.
Q. How much did that call bother you at 1-2, 30-30?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I saw it really far out. I don't know exactly what -- if it really was or whatever. I saw it out. I was surprised. But, you know, I didn't feel like we were getting many overrules. It's just that's what it is. I thought it was. I was surprised. He was acting like, no, it was in. I was like, "Just tell me you didn't see it." I'd have more respect for that because I saw it out. There was nothing.
It's a tough call on a tough point. But, I mean, it's only 2-1 in the third. It wasn't like 6-All in the breaker.
Q. But you missed the next shot and now it's 3-1.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah (smiling).
Q. Can you gauge where she is? Seems like that's a tough match to get a reading on her.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It was. I felt like I didn't play great, but I thought she played very smart, which is very typical of her. That's what she does best.
I mean, she's always going to be a good player and be dangerous to anybody.
Q. Where you okay physically?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'm okay.
Q. Just seems sometimes you were holding yourself as though you were a bit uncomfortable, or is it my imagination?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I don't know (smiling).
Q. What is going on physically, Lindsay? You kind of danced around that.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, just been struggling with a couple problems with my back. For the most part it's okay.
Q. It's not of grave concern? Is it something new? Just go a little more in depth.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's been a month. You know, I'm trying to -- I have this tournament and then Miami, and then I think it's about probably four to six weeks off. I have a bulging disc.
Q. When did you get the diagnosis?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Last week.
Q. We obviously know how much you want to go to Miami. Will this keep you out of it?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I've got to go. That's the problem. I'm trying exactly to decide how far to push it, when to rest. I don't know. I'm kind of feeling like I'm going to give it my best with the hard courts, then kind of see exactly. I think it might be tough to switch surfaces, all of that.
I don't really know. I mean, it's just kind of up in the air.
Q. What is the treatment for that?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Four to six weeks off. I don't know. That's just what the doctor told me last week here. Hard to go through exactly what rehab means while you're playing a tournament. Kind of pushing that out.
Q. Do you use these two tournaments as the example of what you wanted to not do any more?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Exactly. You're preaching to the choir. I think I look at it as though it's going to be tough on the clay, to try to tough out the hard courts. I just found out on Thursday. So that's where I'm at.
Q. What symptoms do you get with it at the moment?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Pretty much just pain (laughter).
Q. Does it restrict everything that you do? Particular movements?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It just depends. I mean, I can get it feeling okay for a little bit, then it will kind of stiffen up a little bit.
Q. You've consistently said over the last couple years that you don't want to have to be dealing with another significant injury. A bulging disc is not a thrilling injury. Mentally and emotionally, this has got to be pretty tough to deal with.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I didn't quite know what was wrong. Dubai, it was really bothering me. Came back. The first days here, was really bothering me again. Did an MRI. Obviously, showed that.
You know, it's tough to decide exactly what you want to do. It's obviously an important tournament for me, so I didn't really want to miss it. You know, wanted to play. Now it's like good judgment, what you should do, trying to figure that all out in the next few days.
Q. Do you think you made it worse by playing?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't think so. They said it was pretty far away from the nerve, which is the main damage, if you start poking into the nerve. I still had some space before that.
Q. When does it bother you?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, obviously the longer a match goes on, it doesn't get better.
Q. It's not a particular shot?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Just a lot of them. It's tough. It's just uncomfortable. It's just stiff.
Q. Even sitting here right now, how much discomfort are you in?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: We'll see when I get up (laughter).
Q. You were nice and gracious in talking about Martina's game today. That was far from your top level, wouldn't you say?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, now I don't want to swing this completely like away from taking everything from her. I know I had to go for big shots, keep the points short, try not to get into longer rallies. The first set I was trying to be a little bit more conservative, and it wasn't working. She was making too many balls. I tried to go for bigger shots. It was working the second set. She got a little frustrated. If I could have continued that level of consistency early in the third, it probably would have helped me get through.
Instead, when she gets more confidence, I feel like I have to go for bigger and bigger shots. You know, started missing. But kind of knew that I didn't want to get into just making balls, kind of duking it out with her from the baseline.
Q. Is it impossible to give a read on where she is, how good she is now and is going to be? Considering your condition, that gives you nothing to go on.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, well, I mean, you know, I still feel like I would have beaten a lot of players today. She is a very good player. She's going to be at the top as soon as she plays more and more. It's just a matter of her getting more tournaments under her belt.
Q. Can she win a major?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I'm sure. I mean, I don't think she'd come back if she didn't feel like that. We're still only in March. She still has a number of months to continue to improve. I think the more confidence she gets, the better her ability will be.
Q. What sort of differences in her game did you pick up on today?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I thought she had a lot more margin over the net. I felt like her balls were going a lot higher. I felt like she did not serve well, and that's going to be a problem against, you know, some other players. I mean, she moves well. She anticipates well. She obviously redirects the ball up the line very well.
Q. Could a four- to six-week layoff turn into something longer or more permanent?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I hope not.
Q. When you look back on the great Wimbledon final, can you put it in perspective? Do you think about that match often? Do you want to get back there and be in that position again?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I would love to go back there. That keeps me going quite a bit.
As far as like really thinking about it, no. I mean, probably the first few months, it was exciting to be a part of, but it's pretty far now.
Q. Why not just take off three months and then go to the grass?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I might do that. We'll see.
Q. (Question regarding penalties for not playing Miami)?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think the penalties for playing are pretty stiff.
Q. Even with an injury?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah.
Q. Why do you think they designated Miami and not Indian Wells?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: That I don't know. Maybe Amy here knows. Keep me out of this (smiling).
Q. With this problem, between matches, what are you having to do? Is it lie flat on your back? Ice packs?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's pretty much lying flat on my back. The trainers here were great. I was here spending a lot of time just trying to do anything that I could. Mostly it's being flat.
Ate dinner last night. The rest of the afternoon, all night, I was just kind of laying there. There's just inflammation there around the discs and the joints. While you can manage that on certain days, until it all goes away, I won't exactly -- I'll be playing with some discomfort. They thought, you know, about four to six weeks range, probably four weeks of not doing anything except rehab, to get the inflammation down.
Q. Did you watch Andre last night?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I did.
Q. Feelings?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was bummed. I'm a fan of Tommy Haas, there's no question about that. But you could see that he's trying to come back and wants to do well. Just not playing that well yet.
Love to see him make another run here.
Q. Like Andre, is the clay pretty pointless for you? Wouldn't it be a good move just to skip all the clay?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I can't figure it out yet. I don't mind playing on it. It would be hard to go, gosh, three months without playing at all and go straight into some big tournaments if it is in June or July. We'll have to see exactly how this progresses.
I haven't given up on it this year. I don't know why. Most years I do and end up going. I'm not thinking of giving it up yet.
Q. Is this the disc in the lower part?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think L4. Does that sound right?

End of FastScripts...

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