TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN

March 27, 2000

Jennifer Capriati

WTA: Questions for Jennifer.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I wish I could say that, but no (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Never. I've never done that. I think that was like the wind, the wind shot there. That was kind of cool, though (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, it's unbelievable. I mean, it is the first time I've beaten, I mean, a player ranked so high in a tournament. So I'm just very excited because I think I played really well, and of course you have to play well to beat someone like her. You know, I'm just very happy because it shows I've really come a long way, you know, all the hard work has paid off in my fitness, because I think I kept up with her pretty good.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The biggest?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I wouldn't say that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, I remember beating Monica, you know, way back to get to the semis. One of the biggest. I would say next to that one. They're pretty equal.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, if you can count Hong Kong, but that's not -- it was an exhibition. I mean, I beat Martina there. No, I guess for a long time, this is my biggest win, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think for a while everyone's been interested in my story, whether I'm good, bad, whatever. You know, it's fine. I'm used to it. I'm used to seeing you guys. I don't think really it's changed much. Yeah, it goes to show I must have done something really good or really bad, I don't know (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I know there's more work to do. It's definitely a big win. I'm going to enjoy it, you know, for today, for a little while, then just, you know, forget about it and go to the next one. I play tomorrow already.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think, you know, I played really tough. I played aggressive. I hit big shots. But I didn't overhit, you know, which sometimes I could have a tendency to do. You know, I think that's the way I have to hit to beat someone like Serena. So I played within myself, and also I didn't underhit either. I mean, I was still going for my shots and was aggressive even in the tight moments. You know, I was just able to move well. I made some good gets. You know, maybe that threw her off a little bit. You know, even though I made, you know, my double-faults, I still served well and I came up with big serves. I think mentally I stayed tough.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think it's a whole different look. I mean, now I can say that, you know, I've had definitely more matches, just more match experience - even just this year, the last couple years. Now I feel back to my old self as far as just, you know, being mentally tough out there. You know, maybe just that pressure situation. You know, when I first came back, I maybe not would have been as tough and mmaybe would have broken down. You know, I was able to stay in there, stay positive, and just keep fighting. And that didn't happen against Venus in the first match.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I just try to get back to playing how I was playing to get up to 5-1, I mean, in my mind know that I've been winning the whole time, so why at this point do I have to let the momentum change. I just kept going for it. Really I don't know. Some of those things you just can't explain. You know, you just don't know. It's something supernatural, I don't know, it seems like.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I had a little bit of a letdown in the second, as far as energy-wise I think also. You know, she played better. So I think it was important for me to get the first game at least, you know, to kind of break that momentum that she had. So that was good that, you know, I won the first game, then to get the break right away. You know, I just felt like I started playing again like I did in the first set. You know, I think I played really well in the first set, then I think she got just a little nervous, a little tentative on some shots, and that helped, some free points there. So I just, you know, got on a roll there.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: But the lady didn't call it. She didn't call it because the head chair umpire had stopped play because I had stopped play because I thought it was let. I had seen something out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was something blowing on the court again. It turned out that it just was fuzz from the ball. Obviously it was a lot if I saw it. I mean, it was something that distracted me. She heard me. No one else heard me. Serena didn't even hear me. That's what happened, so I lost the point for that because I had stopped play for nothing.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Different back from when I was a top player?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think I'm getting pretty close to being that level, top level, and maybe even just better now. I feel physically stronger. I mean, I feel myself hitting shots that I could have never hit before. I think that's just strength-wise. I mean, the game is different now. I mean, there's a lot more power. You know, she hit a 118-mile-an-hour serve. You didn't see those serves back then. It's different. I think I've just -- definitely just gotten better and stronger than when I was in '92, '93, you know, so it's almost like I'm better now.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: And smarter, yeah, definitely smarter. You know, I think I'm able to change my game if it needs to be changed, just to adapt to the way my opponent is. If I need to, you know, a change strategy-wise. Just, you know, I've added a little more variety in my game, too. I can come to the net, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, he's just helped me believe that I can do it. I mean, I knew that I could do that. But we just worked on it. I mean, he just told me that, you know, I can do those shots and I can come to the net, I have great volleys, and I should, you know, mix that in my game. So we just worked on it and he gave me confidence on that, you know.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I was (laughter). I mean, I had been, you know, getting some bad calls, I thought. So it was good that I got something to go my way, at least.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think so.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. Somebody caught it, whatever.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, that was definitely to my advantage, too. I think it just evens out both ways.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The let.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I was fine. I mean, I saw something, then I called the let. I saw what it was. I knew probably for that it wasn't going to go, I was going to lose the point.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, and then I saw that, too. So I thought maybe nobody would hear me, but I guess she did hear me. Serena didn't hear me, I know that.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, never.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Because they thought I think it was the call, because it was so obvious that it was out. I don't think they knew what was going on.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just precaution. I'm really leaking right now (laughter).

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I have a good chance to win it. You know, just take it one at a time. I definitely believe in myself that I can win it. You know, I'll just take it one at a time.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think sometimes they definitely are, you know, for both players, for each player. I don't know, there's so many of them now, you just kind of get used to it. You're going to hear those rings, whatever. You know, when you're winning and it's going good, you don't hear them as much. When you're losing, I mean, they're definitely much louder.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I never thought about that. Yeah, or at least make sure they're off or something. I don't think that could be possible. How would they ban them? That would be cool, though, yeah.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, right now everything is just going pretty good, seems pretty good right now. Just wish that you were able to have more of a say in the line calls and stuff, disputing those. Wish you could win one of those arguments one time. That's pretty tough.

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Which new relationship?

JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I'm just very happy. That's all I'm going to say about that.

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