June, 26th 2002
Capriati D Marrero 6-2, 6-1
Q. What did you like best about your match today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What I like best?
Q. Yeah.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That I was able to be quite aggressive with my ground
strokes and I think I served pretty well. I think I concentrated -- I think
pretty much my whole game I was happy with today. Made a few stupid errors,
but besides that, it was okay.
Q. The entire press corps is writing about beat. No disrespect to you.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I can go. I don't have to be here.
Q. On other questions about the match, if I can ask, to do with the age-old
theme of payments to players and the different relations of prize money and
the slight disparity between the men's game and the women's game at
Wimbledon, I was wondering whether talking to some of the players, clearly
there are feelings that it would be nice if the prize moneys were leveled up
so there was an equality there. Do you feel that would be a positive step
forward in the game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, absolutely. I mean, it would be great. I think we'd
really appreciate it, and it would show that, you know, the organizers and
the directors really appreciate our game. But I think it's been so long like that.
Q. I think the US Open now has an equal money.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, they're equal. So maybe things are a little bit
different over there. I mean, it's not something I'm too concerned about
though. You know, little more here, a little more there, it just...
Q. I was thinking more on the principle rather than -- clearly, both amounts
are healthy enough to survive on. But just the principle more than anything.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, well, I mean, there's the whole argument that they
play three-out-of-five and they play a lot longer on the court. I mean there
are so many arguments behind it. Just couldn't really get into it. I mean,
it's not something I really want to get into right at this moment.
Q. What do you do to prepare differently for grass?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think your mindset has to be totally different. I
try to just always look to be coming in to the net and just be more
aggressive and taking the opportunity. Especially if I hit a good shot, I
just kind of, you know, I have to expect the ball come a little shorter. It's
better to not let the ball bounce too many times on grass, because you never
know with the bad bounces. So, I mean, just the way you move. You just know
that you got to get lower on the grass. And, you know, you just have to be
thinking to play a certain way out there. And, you know, the keys are
returns, serving and returns, so you obviously have to work a lot on that.
But you just can't get too frustrated on the grass.
Q. Do you find that grass is playing well at this point here?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, it felt good. The Centre Court felt very good. It
was nice and hard. The bounce, I mean, it wasn't too fast. So... They
bounced up pretty high.
Q. Yesterday it looked like there were already bounce spots behind the baseline.
I was just curious.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just because maybe it hasn't
rained. So that's probably why, they're a little bit dryer. And they're
becoming browner, you know, faster. But that doesn't mean I want the rain to
come (smiling).
Q. Would you have been happier with a little harder workout today? Obviously
you're going to be happy with an easy victory, but would it be good early in
the tournament to work harder for it?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I think the last match I played, the second set was a
little bit difficult. So there I had a pretty good match. And then I think
there's going to be lots of tough matches left, you know, before the second
week. And I think even my next match is going to be pretty tough. I'm not
sure, do I play Bedanova? I think so. Anyways... So... No, because I'm
playing doubles also, so I don't want too many, you know, tough early rounds.
Q. You're going to be meeting Serena for the third or fourth time. What have
you done to prepare particularly for her?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, first I have to get there, and then she has....
Q. I'm assuming.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Assuming... I mean, I'd rather not talk about it until it gets close.
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