September, 7th 2004
Capriati D S. Williams 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Q. You've had a little bit of time to think about it. What are your emotions?
Must have been one of the bravest wins of your career?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, I feel great - of course. I'm thrilled
about it. I just fought hard and, you know, I prevailed because of that,
because I was just fighting. I think I played smartly at times and mixed up
my shots, and I just believed in myself, you know. So it went my way.
Q. Serena said that the chair umpire went temporarily insane and that she
was robbed. Could you comment on that, please.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, that's what happens in tennis matches. I mean, I
can't recall how many times that, you know, things have gone that way either
against me or, you know... That's the way it goes. It was just, you know,
one point of the match. But I think that I had some bad calls also at some
point. So, really, it's just for one point, I don't think changed the match
like so early on especially in the match.
Q. When you stood up to serve in that final game, three matchpoints, what
was there any moment where you thought back to the dramatic match last year
on that same court?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, there was actually a couple times there where that
went through my mind. I was like, "I'm not gonna let this happen again." I
think it was a good thing to think about it. I was like, "No, this is not
going to happen again. I'm just going to, you know, go for it this time the
best I can," you know.
Q. What did you see on the overrule in the first game of the third set?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I didn't really see anything. I mean, I was just like,
you know, it was close. It was close, I thought. To me, it looked like it
was close, so...
Q. Do you understand Serena feeling the way she does? She was in here saying,
"I got robbed. I got cheated."
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think if you look back on the tape, I'm sure I was
robbed a couple times on some baseline shots. You know, I came back and, I
mean, I lost my service game on the next game, so it was completely even
after that. So, I mean, yeah, I can understand. I mean, when you feel like
you've been wronged and, you know, the umpire and you're just at war with
the umpire basically.
Q. Did you hear the overrule?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Uhm, yeah. Well, yeah, yeah.
Q. On TV, watching the TV replays, it looked like -- well, I couldn't hear
it myself -- but the only time it came clear was when the point --
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I guess the umpire, I looked at her, and she said that
was her call.
Q. Do you think more and more players will call for a Shot Spot on the
umpire's screen? You mentioned that you thought it was a good idea early in
the tournament. Do you think other players will start to think that?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm sure they already do. I mean, I don't know what has
to be done to actually make that possible.
Q. She thought that your strategy was to get every single ball back, and she
said that she thought she played like an "idiot" to play into that. Is that
your strategy?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Of course I'm going to try to get every ball back. Of
course (laughter). I mean, Wimbledon, it's grass. It's a completely
different game. I was just trying to move it around as best I could. And
change-up the pace. Yeah, I mean, the way Serena plays, you're put on
defense quite a bit. I think that, you know, even playing like defense -
which usually that is not my game, my style is to play on offense - that I
even was able to win at this point. So, really, maybe I was the one playing
like an idiot. But, you know, I still won, so...
Q. Where would you rank this in terms of how proud you are of how you played?
Is this up there with your Slams?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, every Slam that I've won, I mean, I've had to fight
my heart out. You know, this is also another match, you know, where I've had
to do that. And that's -- like I can recall in the other ones that I really
just believed in myself and believed in the hard work that I put in and, you
know, really just fought for every ball and really did try to get every
single ball back.
Q. After that heart-wrenching loss last year, night match, packed house, is
it particularly sweet in somewhat similar circumstances to come back and
hear people cheer for you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, it just goes to show you how amazing it is
that I can have this chance to come back a year later and really be in the
same position again. I mean, I haven't won the tournament. There's still two
more matches to go. So, really, I'm not going to dwell on it too much and
just kind of put it away.
Q. Are Ashe night matches your favorite atmosphere in this sport?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I have to say it's really -- you can't describe it.
You know, the position, it can be a hard position because, you know, you
feel so much tension and so many emotions going on out there, you know, but
I love it at the same time. I mean, I wouldn't trade it for anything. There's
no place I'd rather be no matter how hard it can actually be. You feel like
you want to cry out there because you want to win so bad.
Q. Can you possibly try and describe just the intensity of the arena and the
intensity of the crowd, possibly try to put words to that.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just -- I mean, it's just like you're just like in this
huge arena and just so many people just are just basically -- sometimes you
feel like they're on top of you, watching you, which basically they are. But
you're just two warriors out there, fighting.
Q. Coming into this tournament, did you have any doubts that you'd be able
to find the level you showed in the last three sets?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. And as soon as -- I mean, if I did feel some of those
doubts creeping in, I'd just try to just put them away as fast as possible
and know that, you know, whatever happens, happens. But I believe that I can
win this tournament.
Q. You're pumped up now. You beat Serena Williams. What is your game plan
for the next match?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Right, well, enjoy it now, for the moment. But, you know,
I have two days off, so I think it's just really just go through the exact
same routine that I've been doing - you know, the same practice times, the
same workouts. Really, you know, not answer a lot of questions about this
and, you know, about the press and all this stuff and just think about my
next opponent. Really not -- I mean, just think about my game, too. Just
don't change anything.
Q. Have you had a chance to see Dementieva play this tournament?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know what, I've watched a little bit of her play
Mauresmo and that's it.
Q. She's obviously advanced pretty far again with a serve that is perplexing
to a lot of people who watch it, including a lot of us. It seems like you
should be able to sit back on that second serve and just hit a winner, yet
no one seems to be able to do it.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, it's tough because it comes in with a lot of slice
and I think you're, you know, watching her do the motion. By the time the
ball comes, it's too late. You're like watching how kind of awkward it looks,
I mean not even watching the ball anymore. And, I mean, it's just -- it is
tough, but it goes to show you, I mean, you can have that serve and you can
have a 118-mile-an-hour serve, too. But, I mean, as soon as the point
starts, though, she's a machine off the baseline, so...
Q. Any possible way to prepare for that? Will you watch tape? Is there any
way anyone can try to assimilate that, a hitting partner, anything?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know what, I think I've been playing long enough to
know how to return serves like that, whether they're easy or hard, and I
just basically can adjust. The first intention is to go for it and attack
the serve. You know, if you're missing, it's tricky to either -- to try not
to overhit it. But I think, you know, basically, I've been playing long
enough to know how to adjust.
Q. You think you've become a better fighter
as you've gone along, as you've come through your career, with perhaps some
of the experience you've had like perhaps Henin-Hardenne last year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, it seems like I've
been fighting against something since the start of playing tennis, so that
is -- I've gotten pretty good at it, yeah.
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