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THE SOLHEIM CUP

September 24, 2011

Alison Nicholas

DUNSANY, IRELAND

BETHAN CUTLER: Like to welcome European Team Captain, Alison Nicholas. The end of the second day, the teams are tied 8-All. Perhaps you could start by just comments on your thoughts on the score line overall.
ALISON NICHOLAS: Yeah, obviously the Americans came back at us a little bit. Didn't hole as many putts. The girls played really, really well, some of the matches were just unbelievable. The scoring was just incredible. We just didn't hole the putts coming in.
But I'm very confident in my players. I knew it was going to be all about tomorrow anyway. I know they're pretty up for it, and they're feeling good.

Q. In the build up all through the weeks, even the girls themselves said that they needed to be ahead going into tomorrow. Now that you're tied, does that change the focus or the pressure?
ALISON NICHOLAS: I'm not aware of them saying that, actually. But I knew it was always going to be a tight match. I think we've always been aware that we've always overplayed players rather a lot before the singles, so I have rested players so that we're ready to take them on tomorrow.
In the past we've played a lot of players five times and they've been exhausted coming into the singles. So for me, that was my strategy.
BETHAN CUTLER: Perhaps some comments on your star players, Laura Davies and Melissa Reid this afternoon?
ALISON NICHOLAS: Absolutely fantastic. Laura set a record, hasn't she? I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I heard it over the record.

Q. 24 and a half points.
ALISON NICHOLAS: 24 and a half points. That's just phenomenal, isn't it?

Q. Beat Annika Sorenstam's points record.
ALISON NICHOLAS: Oh, did she? Oh, Annika will be a bit upset. I didn't actually tell her that. Does she know? I'll have to go back to the team room and tell her. She'll be gutted. She might make a comeback. You never know (laughing).

Q. Laura was saying that for tomorrow she thought one of the things was for the European players not to look at the scoreboard but just concentrate on their own points. Would you give the same advice or any special advice you're going to try to give them before tomorrow?
ALISON NICHOLAS: Absolutely. It is. They've got to go out there selfishly and go get their points and not look at the scoreboard. You've got to take care of your own business. Certainly I totally and utterly agree with her.

Q. What's the mood in the camp right now? Because obviously you had a really big sense of momentum heading into this afternoon, and obviously the first real setback of the match has come at this stage?
ALISON NICHOLAS: It is, but everyone's upbeat in there. I mean, they all came in and we had a chat, and they seemed ready. It's as simple as that. We said it at the beginning of the week, it's about winning the singles, simple as that. And it's nothing that any of them haven't actually said.
Obviously, anyone would prefer to go in with the lead. But what it is is what it is, and we deal with it, and we go forward and we go and try and win. Everyone's got to not watch the scoreboard and try and win that point.
But they seem pretty upbeat. I mean, no problem at all. I think we've got strength and depth in my team. They're very up for it, and I'm backing them (smiling).

Q. You were tied going into the singles two years ago. What cow think you've learned from that experience going into tomorrow now? Is it that you have a stronger strength and depth than last time? Is that the main difference?
ALISON NICHOLAS: I think so, yeah, absolutely. And now it's up to each individual now. I've done the draw. They've got to go out there and win their point. Simple as that.

Q. Looking at when you sat down to do your draw for tomorrow, how difficult was the process of deciding where and when or how to set it up for tomorrow?
ALISON NICHOLAS: Very difficult. It's not easy. We tried to do what we thought was the best thing with Annika and Jo, and we've done that. That's all I can do. Give it my best shot, what I think is right, and we all agreed. I know my players will play for it, and that's about it, really. I can't say anything more.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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