home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com		 ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

NASDAQ-100 OPEN


April 2, 2006


Lisa Raymond

Samantha Stosur


MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Weekend for the Gators?
LISA RAYMOND: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, it was great. I had to follow suit out there today. Hopefully they can do the same tomorrow night.
Q. Did you watch the game last night?
LISA RAYMOND: I watched the first half. And then I had some dinner plans, but then I caught the end.
Q. Have you turned her into a Gator yet or what?
LISA RAYMOND: She doesn't know what a "Gator" is (smiling).
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I'll go for them. They're winning. Might as well. Might as well join along.
LISA RAYMOND: She's certainly not going to be rooting for the Bruins, put it that way.
Q. 24-2 this year. That's pretty amazing record. What do you attribute it to?
LISA RAYMOND: Well, I think, you know, I just think we finished the year very well last year, and we came into this year, the team to beat, No. 1 in the world I think at the time.
You know, I mean, I think we work hard as a team. We don't just go out there and take it for granted. On our days off, we go out there, as well as our singles, if we're still in the doubles tournament we have at least 45 minutes to an hour where we practice certain things that we need to do for the next match.
So I think that's important.
And we stay fresh. And I think, you know, we are friends. We're friends off the court, which I think is important, to have that chemistry on and off. It's going well
Q. This is, what, four tournaments in a row?
LISA RAYMOND: Yep, yep.
Q. What does that feel like, to win four tournaments in a row?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: It's great. I mean, you go into every tournament hoping that you can continue getting through it and winning it in the end. Four in a row, it's great. Just got to keep to try going, try and be like Roger (smiling).
Q. I guess I'm reading this right, 54 doubles titles for you, Lisa. In college, if my memory serves me correctly, you were No. 1 singles players, for a couple years. Could you imagine you would be able to create a niche like this and become an incredible doubles player?
LISA RAYMOND: No, the ironic thing is I never played doubles in college, you know. I mean, Andy just never really had us out there playing. It was something I started doing later on in my career, and it's just, you know -- I've picked good partners, and, you know, I just enjoy going out there and playing doubles. It's just very simple for me. It's just, you know, I kind of just know what to do when I'm out there on the doubles court. Sometimes I get a little confused on the singles, but...
You know, it's funny. If you would have said to me, five or six years ago, you know, "Lisa, you're a doubles specialist," I probably would have gotten upset with you. Now it's something, as I've gotten older, you know, at 32, when I look back, I say, "Hey, now it's about winning and accumulating titles and being No. 1 in the world." You know, I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I'm certainly not going to take anything away from that.
Q. When you say "never," literally never?
LISA RAYMOND: Doubles? I said in two years, definitely any dual matches because we used to win, you know, pretty easily, then he'd always want to get on the plane and get out of there.
But I truly believe -- I think I played with Jill Brenner - remember Jill? - maybe twice, and I think maybe played with Andrea maybe once. That was it.
Q. What is it like seeing Martina across the court? I know you've seen her a lot.
LISA RAYMOND: Right.
Q. It's still pretty amazing to see her out there as a fan.
LISA RAYMOND: Yeah, I mean, what she's done is incredible. What is she, 49, 50, whatever she is? Yeah, it's pretty unbelievable.
But, you know, obviously she's in incredible physical shape. She loves the game. I actually think that she served better today than she served when I was playing with her.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I agree.
LISA RAYMOND: A year and a half ago.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Absolutely.
LISA RAYMOND: She's serving, it's coming in with more spin on it, a little more heat. You know, usually that was always kind of the part of her game that you could really attack. Today, you know, I was struggling returning it.
You know, Sam was returning it pretty well. But, yeah, I was definitely shocked at that.
Q. Do you think that maybe that's the story of her playing at this stage? You think it's gotten less attention than it deserves internationally and States side? This is a player that was No. 1 for so many years. All these years later, she's doing so much. Do you think it's underrated or not getting the attention it deserves?
LISA RAYMOND: Uhm, no, I mean, I think -- I think doubles doesn't get enough attention, put it that way. And, you know, hopefully, you know, that's gonna change.
But I think what she's done is phenomenal. You know, I think if she had better results maybe, you know, maybe she would be getting more attention.
Q. Let's put it this way, can you imagine being 49?
LISA RAYMOND: Absolutely not (laughing). No. I can guarantee you that.
Q. Especially considering that she won so much, didn't have anything to prove.
LISA RAYMOND: No, definitely. I mean, and, again, it's a tribute to her, I think, fitness. She's just in unbelievable shape.
Q. So where do you go now? What's next?
LISA RAYMOND: We're going to Amelia Island.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah.
LISA RAYMOND: Tonight she's driving, I'm leaving tomorrow morning.
Q. Not going to take her through Gainesville on the way up there?
LISA RAYMOND: I told her, I'm like, "You're going to pass it, better get there before Monday night."
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I'll be ready.
Q. It's gonna be wild.
LISA RAYMOND: Yep, it's gonna be wild. It will be in Jacksonville, too, and Amelia Island. They'll be going crazy, too.
Q. Jacksonville is total Gator country.
LISA RAYMOND: Psychotic. Yeah, exactly.
Q. Where will you watch tomorrow night?
LISA RAYMOND: In Amelia. I'm sure a bunch of us will get together. I'm sure watching with her, whoever. A bunch of us, yeah.
Q. Do you have anything special you wear for game night or anything like that?
LISA RAYMOND: No.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: She gets dressed up in the whole suit.
LISA RAYMOND: I put on the outfit (laughing).
Q. Is it a little better than when you and I were in school there?
LISA RAYMOND: Oh, God, I mean, I was around when they went to the Final Four last time. I mean, I was in Gainesville, I was training there. But, you know, I mean, Donovan, he's done a great job.
Q. Do you have orange and blue clothes left?
LISA RAYMOND: Geez. I have probably boxes of Gator stuff at home, literally. So, you know, I pull out my, you know, sweatshirts. I mean, she's seen them, seen me in them and hats and stuff.

End of FastScripts...

About ASAP Sports • FastScripts Archive • Recent Interviews • Captioning • Upcoming Events • Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297