L. Davenport - Day 7
Monday, June 27, 2005
Q. How tough was your serve today?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It's good. I knew I needed to do that. Was able to go
through a really, really long stretch of not getting broken from like the
first service game up until when I served for the match. Against a returner
like Kim, that's all I can ask for.
You know, no matter what happened, I stuck to my game plan, even though when
I started missing some balls. I wanted to keep the points short, I wanted to
just go for shots, and stuck with it the whole time. Eventually it paid off.
Q. On the first match point, looked like it missed by a little. Did you get a
good look at that ball? Did you think it was over when you hit it?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: No, I didn't think that. I thought that in the third set
when I hit that one backhand.
You know, I had Love-30 that game and didn't get up Love-40. That's what I
wanted to do. Got the match point, had the backhand up the line, went for it,
missed it.
Of course, when it doesn't turn your way after you lose the set, you start
thinking, "Why didn't I just make it? Why didn't I just hit it cross-court?
Why didn't I?"
But, you know, looking back, it's something I went for. But I would have
preferred it over in two sets.
Q. How did it feel when you hit that ball? Did you think it had a chance?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I thought it did. I don't know. I'd like to see the
replay. I thought I hit it pretty well. I knew it was out. It wasn't that
close that I thought I got a bad call.
Q. Where would you rate the quality of that match for yourself?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I thought I was hitting the ball well. I mean, it's very
tough to gauge on grass. But I was, you know, going after shots, making some
errors, but, you know, holding serve, getting close to breaking a few times.
I mean, I was happy with the way I played.
I finished the second set not very well in the tiebreak. Made a lot of just
bad errors there. But was able to come back in the third and really just kind
of calm down and play a little bit cleaner again.
Q. If you had come to a different decision a few months ago and decided you
didn't want to come back, what would you be doing today?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know. I mean, it's been in the works that I was
going to be back playing for quite a while. It never quite got that. My
husband and I talked quite a bit about starting a family, just relaxing for a
little while just because I've done this for so long.
But I'd be surprised if I had another job right away.
Q. So today was more fun?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Well, I was trying -- I knew it was going to be a really
tough match, and I was trying to keep my cool, which I thought I did a good
job with. I did enjoy it until the third. I was really ticked off about not
winning the second. I think that took some enjoyment out of winning in three.
But, you know, I mean, I thought I handled everything pretty well.
Q. A lot of times when you play in a tight match, you start to have
conversations with yourself, mutter a bit.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Didn't happen, huh, too much (laughter)? It's like such a
battle for me not to. I was like (hesitating) every time I would want to.
Before going out there, besides being a great tennis player, one of his best
attributes is she wants it more than anybody out there, and I knew that. I
thought, "Okay, I'm not going to give in."
I felt like I gave in a lot in the tiebreak, but was able to recoup in the
third. I was trying really hard not to worry about anything, but just the
next point. But it's a struggle for me.
Q. She has that big backswing on her forehand side. You try to maneuver her
into some cross-court forehands in order to take advantage of that. She hit
some wild ones today.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I was really surprised at the French, at the end of that
match, exactly what happened with her forehand. I was trying to keep that in
mind with my serves and on the bigger points. Sometimes, you know, it
backfired a little bit maybe playing it, missing some balls trying to go
there. I did know about her backswing. I did know that she did miss a few in
Paris. I was going to try and go there a little bit more.
So, yeah, that was part of plan going in.
Q. Given where you were a year ago, are you kind of amazed that you were able
to turn around your rivalries with Serena and Venus and even Kim now?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Pretty good, huh (smiling)? Very rarely pat myself on the
back. But the players that I just felt like were running me out of the game
in 2002, '3 and a little bit of '4, I'm happy that I was able to mentally
kind of overcoming those barriers with all of them.
Venus was pretty big, losing all those times in a row. Paris, I think I had
lost the same with Kim: six times in a row. You know, eventually it got a
little bit stronger in the matches to pull through some of them.
Q. Is it mental or are you in a different kind of shape now?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I think both. I think working out and getting in better
shape has helped me mentally quite a bit. I definitely feel even though -- I
think all of that gives me confidence when it's a little bit closer now. And
then once you get the one...
I felt really good going out there today, really good. Like I said, I was
really bummed about not winning the second set, but I felt like I did really
well up until the very end stages.
I mean, Paris gave me a lot of confidence out there today.
Q. You didn't have any kind of a wrap on. This stage in a tournament, you
might have that.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I know, so far. I'm a little worried about tomorrow,
though (laughter). You know, I had three really easy matches, I mean,
time-wise the first week easy matches. Today on grass, especially, a really
long match. Hopefully I'm going to spend all night trying to get my body
recovered to play tomorrow.
I feel fine right now. A lot of times I wake up the next day just really
stiff. I'm hopeful that won't happen. But it was a tough match. Got to come
back again tomorrow against another really good player. Hopefully that will
be okay.
Q. Yours was one of three really tough women's matches today that all went
long, maybe were the three best matches of the day. After that, does it
buttress your thoughts on prize money and those issues?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, it's just been such a topic that's been around
for so long that I kind of stopped worrying about it a few years ago. You
know, women's sports, we've come, like that slogan, we have come a long way,
I do believe that. I'm very proud of my country and how they treat men and
women, how we really strive for equality. And I think it's just a process
with the other slams.
We get bad raps for some easy matches, we get for not -- bad rap for not
playing three out of five. All we can do is just try to play our best out
there and try and change minds slowly.
Q. Do you still have pet Rottweilers?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yes.
Q. Two of them?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Two and a half. My mom and I share a third one.
Q. Do you get to see much of them?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Oh, yeah. When I'm at home, all the time.
Q. What is endearing about them?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: You know, I grew up with Rottweilers. I don't know. I
mean, it's just been our family dog forever. I've had eight or nine now.
Q. They help with your determination on the court?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I don't know about that. They're great. They're our
children.
Q. 37% unreturned serves today, that's more than one out of every three
serves coming back. Is that more than you would have expected against someone
who can return serve as well and plays such defense?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah. I mean, I was. I mean, that is the kind of stat that
I need to win those matches. I mean, you've got to - especially on grass -
get those free points. So I've been working on my serve quite a bit. It has
been my problem with the consistency sometimes. And today I kind of just
stuck to where I wanted to go and knew what I wanted to do.
Helps your case a lot when you can get, like you said, one out of every three
in a game or a couple points a game, some easy points, gives you a lot of
confidence.
Q. You've turned the rivalries around. You've gone deep in the last four
slams.
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: But?
Q. Are you overdue? Do you feel overdue? You put in the work, had a lot of
good wins. Is it coming for you?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hope. I mean, I thought, you know, I had some great
chances last year. You know, it's amazing. You play a match, the same thing
after the US Open, this match that you've been really striving to win, then
you realize, "Gosh, I'm still only in the quarters." It's still so long to
go. All I can do is go out there and try and keep the same mindset that I had
today and try and play well, work on it one match at a time.
It's tough when you play really tough matches and really matches that you
need to get through so early. I'm going to have to just kind of come down
from my little high that I have and start again tomorrow.
Q. Did it feel a little like a final?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: It just feels like it was a big match, a match that I was
looking forward to for the whole tournament when I saw the draw. I mean, I
knew that was going to be a tough one to get by. A little bit of same thing
happened at the US Open playing Venus. I mean, looked forward to that match.
Came through it. Now I just have to come back out.
I don't know about a final, but maybe a little bit later than a Round of 16.
Q. I was talking to Kim's former coach. He was not only impressed by the
quality of your serve, but even more by the quality of your return. Do you
agree with him? Was it extremely good today?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: I hope so. On grass, it always helps my return. You just
kind of have to go after it. I didn't really ever delay at all. I was trying
to guess a little bit on her serves. I thought I did a really good job of
hitting a high percentage of returns in, but still hitting them quite hard.
So that's nice of him to say. I hope it continues.
Q. Have you watched Venus play much this week? What do you think about where
she is right now?
LINDSAY DAVENPORT: Yeah, I saw a little bit of it today as I was waiting.
I've said for a long time I've always felt like she's just a few matches away
from getting a lot of confidence back. I think she likes the grass. I think
the same with her, it makes her go after the ball a little bit more, helps
the pace of her shots. I'd like to see her do well. I think she's got a good
opportunity here. It's amazing how tough that section of the draw was and how
exactly who's kind of come through it.
But she's been fighting well. Must be tough to come from, you know, the last
12 or 14 months haven't gone the way her career has always begun for her, and
she's still out here battling. You know, hopefully she does well.
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