August, 16th 2002
Capriati D Henin 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
TOUR OFFICIAL: Go ahead, please?
Q. Jennifer, some days you don't play in a studio with perfect lighting
and no wind, and some days it's like today, right?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. You wish you could do that. You wish you could just
move to indoors or something. But, no, it was really tough out there. The
wind was brutal. So, I mean, in these kind of matches, you know, when you're
playing someone like Justine, it just makes it even tougher, so it's more of
a mental struggle than, you know, I would say the tennis part.
Q. What do you try to do actually in the wind, is there any secret?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's tough. You have got to go for it. But you can't go
for it too much and you just have to really play the wind. I mean, instead
of, you know, you try to play the opponent, too, but you've really got to
figure out, you know, one side you got to go for it and the other side you
can't, you know, hit it as hard. Really, on the serving part, that's just
the toughest because it's tough to get a rhythm. You know, you just kind of
got to get it in. And, you know, I hit a couple of good wind shots I think
which worked well for me. I've never done that before, so I was just able to
stay really concentrated.
Q. Which were your particular wind shots that you're proud of?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know, I hit a couple like these slicers, these
funky little slice slots and I thought, h'mm, that works well in the wind
because, you know, it's moving around already, so...
Q. The lobs, too, were you playing the wind in the lobs or were those a
couple of key moments?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I was just -- you know, tried to hit them as best
as I could and they worked.
Q. What was the turning point?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think, you know, when I was able to get the first break
on her in the second set, and she was serving really well in the first set.
You know, after that first set went by, I really -- I think I got tougher
and I just got a little bit angry with myself, you know, because I thought I
had some chances, and, you know, I just stuck in there and was able to get
the break and she didn't serve as well in the second and third set.
Q. Would you have preferred to go without the break between the second
and third?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I was fine. I mean, I would have probably kept
going.
Q. She was the one who asked for it, right?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.
Q. Jennifer, early in that third set, I think it was the first game, you
seemed to have trouble when you were double faulted twice to be broken in
the first set, were you concerned at that point that you weren't going to
have the kind of great success in that third set that you eventually had?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It was a smart move on her part to break it up, and I'm
having the momentum and I'm just feeling great going into the third, and
then, you know, I've got to stop everything and come back cold turkey again.
You know, it's like the adrenaline dies down a little bit, feel a little bit
stiffer, and that was the thing. So, it took me a while to just warm up
again. It took me like that game and I was fortunate to get the break back.
Q. You looked like you were stretching your back. Were you having back
problems at that the point?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just stiffness.
Q. Did you actually take a shower or did you just --
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I just changed. But I mean unless you just keep
moving around the whole time, I mean, I think you're obviously going to
stiffen up a little bit.
Q. Do you think there was any dramatic change in your understanding of
the wind that maybe changed the second and third sets or was it basically
that the level of your game went up a little bit?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think my level went up, but I was -- yeah, I
wasn't getting as frustrated with the wind. I was starting to go settle down
and kind of -- I adjusted to it much better and, yeah, it was starting to
play it a little bit better, so --
Q. But even without the wind, you know, tennis matches sometimes the
first set is somehow, I don't know why you're more nervous and you're
struggling and then all of a sudden if you lose it you kind of loosen up and
start playing your regular game. Was that a bit of the story today, too, as
well?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think so. I think maybe today in the first set it
was a little bit tense; and, yeah, I mean I had nothing to lose, that is
what I think, you know, when you lose the first set and then I go into the
second, then I just start hitting out on my shots and I just sort of, yeah,
I get more angry with myself and just kind of, you know, put a little extra
oomph on my shots and try to move the ball around and just go for it. I
figure I already lost the first set, so if I'm going to lose, I'm just going
to lose going for it. I'm definitely not just going to just try not to lose
-- you know what I mean?
Q. Do you recall other conditions as bad as this on the wind, other
matches where it was windier that you had as much trouble?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I'm sure a couple of years ago in Miami there was
probably sometimes there at that tournament where it was the worst. It's
known for the wind there. So, I mean I can't -- I mean one year they had to
actually cancel it because the wind was so bad so -- but I mean this is up
there, one of the worst days.
Q. Anything as bad as Australia in the final this year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: As far as the heat?
Q. Yes.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean it's different. I don't know what I'd prefer,
a really windy day or really just hot like that and no wind. It's kind of a
tough call there.
Q. Is this the best you have been playing this summer, do you think, in
the last two weeks?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, for sure. I have really -- this week, I have come
into my game well and just the results that I expect are how I expect to be
playing now. I mean, I'm happy that it's finally coming, you know, going
into the Open, that I'm playing better.
Q. Is it purely tennis you are talking about or more physical or --
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think, overall now, just a little bit of everything.
You know, I was -- I said before I was working really hard and the fitness
and maybe the last couple of weeks, you know, a bit tired from that, and
just now it's like I, you know, slowed down a little bit and now I'm peaking
from that. So I really feel like the results starting to work for me.
Q. You are going to play Martina or Jelena next. Any preference?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean it would be nice to play Jelena, you know,
this is sort of like the revenge week, so maybe I can try to get revenge on
her, too; or Martina, I mean, it would be fun to play her. I like playing
her because we have just such great matches and such a battle. So, either one.
TOUR OFFICIAL: Okay. Thank you.
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