August, 17th 2002
Capriati D Dokic 7-6(5), 4-0 retired
TOUR OFFICIAL: Thank you. Go ahead, first question, please.
Q. Jennifer, what are your feelings of getting to the final in that way,
with her retiring in the second set? Does that take away anything from the
feeling of accomplishment or anything?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, not at all. I think the match was, the first set
anyways, you know, I was pretty much on a roll and it was almost at the end
anyways, you know, when she retired. So, it was very important to get that
first set in, and a very intense first set, so I mean I think that was the
match right there.
Q. Do you have a sense, after you've won the first set, that you have her
at a down moment, emotionally, and it's time to pounce, in the start of the
second, because that's the way it seemed?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: This time, but I mean on other occasions, like last time,
I think I've always won the first set, and what happens is I just back off a
little bit and, you know, just let up and it gives them a chance to get
right back in it. You never know, like that could just give them more
motivation to come back out and play better, but that's something that I'm
working on is to try, you know, mentally, after I've won the first set to
just keep the pressure on.
Q. You had a little bit of problems with the serve the first game; was it
the wind again?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it was a great match, and I've served great the
whole time, you don't have to focus on, you know, the first game. It was
just -- I don't think that has anything to do with anything.
Q. I notice that you are again using a lot of different shots. You're mixing
it up with those funky little slice shots you were talking yesterday. Is
that a natural evolution in your game or was there a time when you thought
that that was how you wanted your game to sort of broaden out? At what point
did you make that change?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think as I get older and more experienced and,
you know, realize that sometimes, you know, the way that these girls play
now, I mean everyone is -- it's just hard-hitting shots. I mean those are
not going to win matches and I can't just try to hit somebody off the court,
even though that is my main game and the main strength and that is what
usually works for me. But sometimes, you know, that's just the way that
they're playing that the other girl is they like that and they feed off that.
So, you know, I just tried to figure out or have been working on different,
you know, to change the pace.
Q. How high a level in the first set did the tennis seem to you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I thought it was pretty good. I mean it was just kind of
a -- just a one rhythm kind of set. I mean it was just only hard-hitting,
but it was great hard-hitting. You know, maybe there wasn't so much variety
or anything but I think, you know, just off the baseline it was definitely a
very high level.
Q. Jennifer, do you feel -- I mean you've talked about revenge all week and
this is three in a row, you have kind of got your revenge. Does that
motivate you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, definitely. I'm very happy about it. Who knows who
I will play tomorrow. If I play Mauresmo, there is another chance. But I
mean when I'm out there I'm not focusing on that, you know. I'm just trying
to win the match and play my game and I'm not thinking, "Oh, you know, this
is going to be revenge or whatever," but it's nice it turns out that way.
Q. Do you have any preference on who you meet in the final?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.
Q. What does this title mean to you? You won it when you were 15. You
were a finalist last year and one other time. What would winning this mean
to you now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It would mean a lot. I wouldn't say it would mean as much
as coming back and winning a Grand Slam, but it's up there, and I've always
played well here and, last year, I got to the finals, and I think I have a
great opportunity tomorrow, and I mean going into the Open, for sure, I mean
it would mean a lot and it would give me a lot of confidence.
Q. It would be your first final since the Australian Open. Were you a
little bit upset by your overall results since the Australian Open?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: First final, no, I got to the final in Rome.
Q. Of yes, of course.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I think I've, you know, been consistent. And I have
had tough matches, tough losses that have been really close, and it's not
necessarily like bad on my part, it's just, you know, there's a lot of good
players out there, and you can't win all the time, and it's just that's the
way it's. I mean I think it's good. It makes me more motivated to try and
come back and -- it means more than when you win the titles now, knowing how
tough it is. But I mean just because I haven't won the titles I still have
had a great year. I mean, I've only had a few quarter final losses, so --
Q. Jennifer, maybe 20 years ago there were two players on the top like
Chris Evert and Martina, after that we had Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. How
many players in the group have a real chance to go to a final in a
tournament?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, maybe a decade ago it was like three, but now I
would say there's maybe five or six or even ten now.
Q. So that means that you have tougher matches a lot earlier in the
tournament most of the time?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean -- yeah, at least, you know, when you start
getting to a round of 16-quarters, yeah, then it becomes really tough.
Q. Jennifer, are you the type of player, in preparation for tomorrow,
will you watch this match tonight very closely or will you just get away
from the courts and just relax by yourself tonight?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. It depends what I'm doing, if there is
something else that comes up that sounds for interesting...
Q. It's not crucial to you --
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean, no, it doesn't matter because I've seen them
both so many times and know how they play and they can't be playing that
different, you know.
TOUR OFFICIAL: Okay. Thank you.
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