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NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 22, 2006

Ashley Harkleroad

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Ashley, please.
Q. Tough loss, Ashley, and you played like hell. It was terrific. What do you think of the replay situation?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I like it, honestly. Because, you know, you're not, like, getting, you know -- you're not getting too pissed over things that you really aren't sure, you know.
Like, for instance, I didn't really ask that many times because I don't want to waste them, number one, and I probably know in my head that it's in or it's out. So I did get one of them right.
So, I mean, I just think that it's just a little less stress to have to think about for somebody else to call your lines all the time. Then, you know, here you go, you have this thing where if you think you're for sure, then, you know, you're in control of that, not somebody else. So, I kind of like it.
Q. Were you in favor of it before you went through the system?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, I mean, I didn't really know how it was going to work, honestly. I was just -- I mean, 'cause I get mad sometimes, you know. Like, I'll be like, "You know, that was out, why didn't you call that?"
But now, okay, that might have been in. I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to waste one of my turns, you know, because you only get two in one set.
Q. Difficult at all to remember that you had that option available? Were you aware?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, one time, when I got it right. Then one time she hit -- I figured hers was in but I was going to try it anyway because it was too close, needed that point.
But, yeah, kind of relaxes you a little bit to know that you have that option.
Q. All sort of holding our breaths in the first set, waiting, waiting, waiting. Was it intimidating at all thinking you were the first one to do it?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, no, not really. It was good calls, you know. Good calls all the way through.
Q. Did you feel like you were part of a historical day?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: (Smiling). Kind of. I mean, she told me it was going to be the first match ever to be like that, so I thought that was pretty cool.
Q. Did you find yourself thinking about it at all during the match? Did it distract you in any way?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Never. I didn't think about it once.
Q. When you did decide to challenge, did you just think, "I know for sure that that one was..."
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, one of them I knew for sure I hit it in. The other one, I figured she hit it in, but, you know. Two good calls, I was going to try it, you know. It was too close, so...
Q. What did you think about the effect on the flow of the match with the replay?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Doesn't hurt the match flow at all. It's so hot out there, you need an extra couple seconds, you know (smiling).
Q. Maybe less arguing in the long run?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: That's what I'm saying. It's less arguing. I don't really argue too much but my husband can go on and on all day long (laughter), you know, and sometimes I just want to be like, "Look, the ball was in, move on." So I think it's going to be good. If they can keep it up, maybe in more tournaments, I think it will be nice.
Q. He's playing on an outside court. What is the fairness of it?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, he'll just probably ask me how it was, you know. But he's keeping his mouth shut more now anyway. He's playing better.
Q. You don't feel it's unfair for most of the players not to have the technology?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, I don't know. I mean, it would be nice if it was on all the courts, but I'm sure that's kind of impossible to do. I was just lucky that I got to be one of the first ones to try it out.
Q. Did you watch the screen for the replay, or the reaction from the umpire?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, I watched the screen.
Q. What did you feel immediately after you were upheld, after you were successful?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Oh, I knew it anyway. I could tell. It skidded off the line. I can pretty much tell if I miss the ball or make the ball, so I knew for sure I wanted to question that. Just didn't seem like it was out to me.
Q. Here's a big question: What's your eye sight?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It's perfect (smiling). It's absolutely perfect.
Q. Do you think it will prove -- I mean, I think some people were saying they think people would see that the umpire and linesmen do a pretty good job, better than people think?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: You know what, honestly, I think they're probably going to be on their best behavior with that going on. I think maybe sometimes, maybe, they get a little lazy. I think they do call bad line calls. I've seen bad calls before. They know that this thing's going on, they don't want to mess up either.
Q. Kind of embarrassing?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.
Q. Do you see more potential for the crowd to get involved, maybe urging you to challenge?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah. I think, honestly, it's going to be good for tennis, if they will do it. If they will continue to do it. They're going to try to do it at the US Open, too. I think it will just be good for tennis, you know, fun for the crowds, fun for just the tennis players in general, keep everybody more relaxed knowing that they're kind of in control a little bit more.
Q. A match of this length, how much of a factor was that in your not being able to put this one away? It was a long time on court?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, yeah, it sucked pretty bad that I couldn't put it away. She was cramping over there at 5-2, I guess she was. Sometimes when somebody's over there doing that, you should run her, you know, but instead you're thinking, "Just keep it in the court and she's going to get tired and miss." I did the wrong thing, because I got tight, you know. So, that was the problem.
But it's over now, so, I played good at times and not so good at times. But it was hot out there. Mentally, gets draining.
So there's always next week (smiling).
Q. Is it nice to be on center court again?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: You know, I never won a match here, never. NASDAQ, I never win a match. I don't know what it is. It's just -- I'm jinxed here.
So maybe one day, one year, maybe I'll win a couple matches here. But it's just not my tournament so far. I've been here since I was 15. I have yet to win a match here. I'm jinxed.
Q. How about in the Orange Bowl?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Orange Bowl, you know, I was ranked 2 in the world in Juniors. Every time I came to the Orange Bowl, just never really did what I should have done, ever. I think one year my best was quarters, you know. I was seeded, like, 2 so...
Q. It was the first time you've played her. You're 20, she's 19. Do you see it as two young Americans who are going to replace the more established Americans once they move on, like Lindsay, maybe you'll have something going on?
ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I don't know. I think we both have to do a lot of improving to be one of the top players on tour.
But I see, we're just so young. Obviously, the only thing to do is improve. I think we both need to improve our serve, you know. We're not, you know -- Venus is like 127, we're like 103 speed-wise. It would be nice to pop it in there at 120 or something like that. Easier games on your service games.
So, you know, I guess -- hopefully, one day, we can be kind of rivals, but I think we both need to improve on some certain things.

End of FastScripts...

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