Amélie MAURESMO defeated worlds number one LINDSAY DAVENPORT 4-6 7-5 7-5

28 January 1999

Q. Lindsay, were you surprised that she was able to stay at that level for so long?

A. Not surprised, probably in the semi-finals, that a person is going to play pretty well. But I was surprised with how well she started serving again at the end. She served well in the second set, not so well in the beginning of the third, and then, you know, you think at the end of the third, someone might serve worse in the match. But I couldn't touch some of those at the end, and that really made the difference. My first serve percentage went way down and hers went way up, to the point where I couldn't return them, and, you know, I had my chances up a break twice in the third. 4-2, I think had some chances on her serve and I let them slip away, and that's what happens: you lose.

Q. Are you shocked she has got this far? A. No. I mean, if you look, she's a very, very strong girl, very talented player, and it seems like mentally she has put it a little bit together a little better these days, and she's very tough to play out there.

A couple of times, I mean I thought I was playing a guy, the girl was hitting it so hard, so strong, and I would look over there and she's so strong in the shoulders, those shoulders, and she just hits the ball very well.

Q. That probably hasn't happened to you for a long time, has it?

A. No. I mean she hits the ball not like any other girl. She hits it so hard and with so much top spin, you know. Women's tennis isn't normally played like that. And, you know, a one-handed backhand, she mixed it up well. She did everything pretty well. I mean, I made some errors there at the end, but, you know, for as good as she played, I still let it go at the end, which is disappointing. But, you know, at the end, when she needed to take dictate the match, she did, so all credit to her.

Q. You say you let it go at the end. Was that because of the pressure you were under, or was that something you felt you weren't doing properly?

A. I don't think it was so much pressure, you know, I didn't feel so much out there. I knew I was playing a great player, and I knew it was going to be tough. But every time I got up, it seemed like at 2-1, for instance, I think I got a game point to go 4-1 or 3-1, and I played a loose point, and next thing I know she hit a let cord and I'm down break point again. And that turned it round. And then I got the break back, and I held for 4-2, and then when I had some chances on her serve, it was gone. And, you know, every time like I got my foot through the door, that I thought I was going to get to the end, you know, it was sort of shut on my foot. So, it's disappointing. I haven't, you know, had a match slip through my hands in a long time, so it's a tough one to swallow in the semi-finals.

Q. She beat you in Berlin. How much has she improved since then?

A. She has improved a lost, definitely, and so have I. On clay, she is very tough to play against. I think, today on a hardcourt, it favoured my game, and I still couldn't do it. But she is very - her serve has gotten very good and a lot more consistent, I think. And like I said, I just had a tough time reading her serve at the end of the match.

Q. Was she much stronger than that last match? Is there a noticeable difference in strength and power?

A. Probably, I mean, the shoulders looked huge to me. I think they must have grown; maybe because she's wearing a tank top. I have no idea.

Q. Is she the strongest hitter you have played to?

A. It's different. She mixes it up more; but, you know, her backhand is very hard when she steps into it, and, you know - I don't know. But I mean, no, she hits the hardest, probably with a lot of topspin that there is, and sometimes that's hard to gauge because on this court it jumps even higher up.

Q. Who would come close? A. To what?

Q. To the way she hits the ball?

A. Come close - I mean, somebody like a Conchita has the same type of forehand, or the same type of game, with a lot of topspin and hits the ball hard. But, you know, someone like Monica or Mary, they hit the ball hard but it stays low. This was like hitting hard and trying to find it up there. So that took a little while to get used to, and at the end I didn't handle it very well.

Q. What did you think of that match point, because it was pretty spectacular, the - - -

A. Yeah, I mean, I hit a pretty good shot, and, you know, sometimes if someone - you never know how they handle the circumstances, and she just put everything she had into that shot and it was a great shot. You know, sometimes if someone gets tight maybe they miss the passing shot, who knows. I think I did the right thing. If someone can up with a shot that's unbelievable, that's a lot of credit to her.

Q. She says she works out in the gym on the off weeks of tournaments. Is it something a lot of girls do? Would you ever consider working that hard in the gym, I mean?

A. Yeah, I mean, everyone has their priorities. My priority isn't necessarily to have huge muscles and whatever. But all credit to her. If she wants to work hard in the gym, that's great.

Q. Is she good enough to take the next step?

A. I think it might be tough for her to win in the finals. I think Martina handles that kind of ball excellent, and Monica - Monica might not make the same kind of errors I did today. Who knows? I mean, she's very talented and she played great. I don't know if she can do it that well one more match. I'm not sure. If she does, then she will have a good chance; but if she doesn't, I think one of the other two will take it.

Q. You have improved considerably by conditioning yourself and getting rid of some weight. She has obviously put on some pounds. As a nineteen year-old, do you think, being that muscular, she's in for a - - -?

A. I can't believe she's 19. I mean, muscular - I mean everyone handles it differently. Some players, you know, aren't that strong, and they're great players; and some players are obviously very strong and pretty good. You know, I'm sure she's only going to get stronger.

Q. Do you have any regrets that you haven't been in too many close situation in matches where you have done so well?

A. Who knows? Sometimes it can work for you and sometimes it can work against you. The regrets I have are maybe the game at 4-2. I wish I could take that back and try and break her again to go to 5-2. But, you know, you can't help the way you play in the first couple rounds with the draw that's given to you so, if you have easy matches; and the tough match I had did today, I didn't pull the close one out. Probably the tougher loss is easier to handle. Sometimes, it's easier to lose two and two and two then to have chances and lose a close one. It's a learning lesson. I mean you have to go through them and, hopefully - I have taken a lot out of losses in the past, and hopefully I'll take a lot out of this one as well.

Q. What do you think you did wrong today?

A. I just think, you know, in the big moments I didn't step up, and she came up with some great shots, and I threw a few errors. But the main thing is, at the end, I was putting second serves in and she was hitting first serve winners, and that was it.

Q. Lindsay, do you think she has a champion's presence?

A. I don't know. I think, maybe you can tell that by watching someone play a lot, not playing against them. I can't see what she's doing between points, and I haven't actually watched her play too many matches; but she seems very, very focused, very mentally tough, and she did not, you know, get nervous at all at the end. She didn't kind of hesitate at all. She took it. And for this tournament, she is acting like a champion. I mean, she was almost out in the first round. I think Morariu had her a set 5-2, I think, and two breaks and she has obviously, after that match, turned a lot of things around and playing, you know, playing like she has nothing to lose.

Q. Lindsay, when you are at a tournament, is there any way, since you are travelling all the time, that you treat yourself? Do you take certain days off if you are not playing a particular day? Would you get out, go around the town, maybe take a bubble bath, or is there anything that you might do to relax while you are on the road?

A. Yeah. I probably don't go out that much just because I have been in this city like eight times now, so I think I have seen everything there is to see. But I mean, I take baths, I watch TV, I'll go to movies, you know, I've been gambling here. Who knows? Each city is different. You know, I haven't had a lot of days off with the doubles, so it's not like I've been able to just, you know, stay in my, you know, just do whatever I wanted for all day. I've been here every day. But it depends what each player likes to do. I wouldn't be around the courts on my day off.

Q. What do you play Black Jack?

A. Black Jack and roulette, I've been playing here.

Q. How do you think you have fared?

A. I'm up a lot. Thank you.