June, 30th 2003
Capriati D Myskina 6-2, 6-3
Q. Were you happy with that today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yes, I was. I was happy that, you know, she's a tough
opponent, so I was able to stay concentrated and focused the whole time and
play good tennis, and even in the second set, just not lose my concentration.
And I kept the pressure on.
I don't know. It was difficult to get a little bit of a rhythm out there,
but I just stayed concentrated.
Q. To lose only five games, that must have been about as good as you could
have expected today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, I really expected a tough match.
Q. Maybe a three‑setter?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, I mean, that's why maybe I played so well
and, you know, I was just ready for ‑‑ I played her before and I've had a really tough match with her before in the past.
Also, I just, you know, didn't want this day to really drag on with the
weather, and so I really tried to close it out at the end.
Q. Can you compare how you're playing now with how you were playing I think
it was two years ago when you faced Serena in the quarters. Could you
compare your strengths, weaknesses, from two years ago until now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't really remember two years ago (smiling).
But I think, you know, I'm just gonna like look at myself now and see what ‑
how I'm playing now and really because that's the past anyway. So I feel
confident, I feel comfortable on the grass. It's just a matter of me going
out there and just playing my game.
And, you know, I feel like I'm moving well. She's obviously been playing
well. But I'm just gonna be really psyched up and just apply everything that
I've been doing and hopefully just it will be the same, you know, things
won't change in my game and I can continue to be aggressive and serve well.
Q. I'm sorry to bring this up again, but Lindsay was just in here earlier
and she was critical of Billie Jean King for not letting her play Fed Cup
basically. Lindsay’s mom is having surgery on Monday. Billie Jean said if
she wasn't there on Tuesday morning, she couldn't play. Do you think the
rules are too stringent in general?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think Billie Jean’s rules are too stringent in general,
but I don't want to comment anymore, just because I have already and it's
just a waste of time to talk about it for me.
Q. Does playing Serena feel like a big rivalry?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I guess Miami we played. It's just, I don't know, there
are just so many other good players out there, and it's like you could say
that there are a few rivals and there is a rival amongst, really, the top
five or six players.
Q. Where does playing her rank for you in your sort of matches that you get
fired up for.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, anyone that I play, especially the No. 1 player in
the world, I'm going to get fired up for. This is the quarter-finals of
Wimbledon, so it doesn't matter who I'm playing. You know, I'm trying to win
this tournament.
You know, we've had some great matches in the past and usually we always
have great matches. And, you know, I just know it will be a fight again and
just be really looking forward to play because, you know, the last few times
I haven't been able to pull it out, so.
You know, but I'm just gonna really just try to just concentrate and play
the ball and concentrate on my own game and not really see Serena across the net.
Q. How big is the drop off between that top group you were talking about and
the next group, the difference between the fourth round and who will be in
the quarter-finals?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think there's still quite a bit of difference you can
see from all the results today. Yeah, you're going to have some upsets, like
you had at the French or some other places, but not enough to just be on a
consistent basis yet.
I mean, the players are still young so I think it will only get better. And
the field is getting stronger and just experience has a lot to do with it also.
Q. You've pretty much had Serena’s number all of 2001. She's turned the
tables on you from 2002 through this year. What do you think the reasoning
is for that?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I really don't know. I mean, she's definitely improved as
a player, and she doesn't give as many free points. She's just not as
erratic out there, and maybe not every time I've been in my best form. So,
you know, I guess maybe it's just a cycle, so maybe it means that things are
going to change again, so...
Q. So tomorrow...?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. I don't know. I mean, really, I'm just
gonna go out there and just try to play my tennis, and my best tennis, and
that's it.
Q. She was mentioning how great she thought you were returning serve during
this tournament. How key is that? And, again, how key is your serving tomorrow?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's the name of the game. The whole thing is serving
and returning.
And, you know, I always have confidence in my returning game, which I don't
really feel like, you know, scared of anybody's serve.
But if I'm serving well, it definitely makes things a lot easier, and then
there's a point in breaking, you know, there's really no point if I can't
hold on to my own serve.
Q. Does she have the best return of serve in the women's game, other than
yourself?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, no, I think there's a few out there that really. I
mean, I think Lindsay has a great return of serve also.
Q. But she's up there?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.
Q. By coincidence, you and the Williams sisters were playing Russian
opposition. What do you think was key in the fact all three of you won?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, we're playing on grass, first of all. I think it's
to our advantage. And experience, like I said before, yeah.
Q. How is your shoulder? Is it okay?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, yeah, it's fine.
Q. Serena talked about not just your return of serve but that you hit that
return really low. Can you describe the emphasis on keeping the returns low
and the importance of that on grass.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I think it's just because the way I hit it and the
way it's coming, it's automatically going to go back the same way. If it's
coming low and hard, it's gonna go back low and harder.
I just ‑ it's really important to try to stay low on the grass and not ‑ I
mean, just your positioning, to stay low. And, you know, that's it. I can't
explain it. I just step in, and that's it. I hit it, and that's the way it
goes back (smiling).
Q. Did you mind playing on Court 18 today? Would you have rather been on
Centre Court?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it doesn't matter. A court's a court.
Q. Get your work in and be done before the clouds?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, there are a lot of good matches on today,
and I could see where they would just have trouble deciding which match
would go where. And so, you know, I'm just happy to be through.
Q. Having said that, tomorrow's going to be a very much more high‑profile
game, more of a highlight of the day than you've had so far. You talked
about being conscious on Saturday, the crowd really wanted you off and
Henman on. Do you like that? Do you like the big stage you'll have tomorrow?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Basically, I'm just gonna try to not have the folders
(sic) on and not really see anything that's going around, just me, the
court, the lines and the ball, and just really try not to hear what's going
on or, you know, stay in my own game.
Q. Can you do that? Do you have to work at that to shut out what's around
you, or does it come automatically now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I think it takes work. And for me, that's one thing
I've been working on this tournament especially.
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