WIMBLEDON 3rd ROUND

July, 1st 2000
Capriati D Basuki 7-6(4), 6-0

Q. A little bit noisy out there, wasn't it?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, a little bit. A few distractions out there, between the Centre Court band, I guess. You know, it's a busy court around there, I think, a lot of stuff going on.

Q. Do you think the band playing shows disrespect to the players that are trying to play matches outside?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think it shows, yeah, that they really maybe, you know, are not thinking about the other players that are playing out there, you know, trying to win and do their best. I think they could choose another time maybe to do that kind of thing. It was pretty loud. I think it was pretty annoying for all the players.

Q. Was that the main reason you were struggling up until you called the referee?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it wasn't the main reason. I don't know, maybe from the rain, I had to go indoors and warm up, so it took me a little while to readjust there. Then also, I mean, she has, you know, kind of a different game. You don't get a lot of rhythm from her kind of game, so pretty erratic there. A combination of all those things, I just wasn't playing too good in the beginning. But I was able to settle down after calling the referee. That helped a little bit. They stopped the music.

Q. What did you say to him? What did he say back?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just said, "What's going on? Can they turn off the music?" He said they were pretty much done in ten minutes. I just said, "Well, in ten minutes I could be down a set and a half already. I don't have ten minutes to spare." He just said, you know, he'll do his best.

Q. One of the big issues this week is parents' involvement in their child's game. How big is the challenge in finding the right balance between kind of being stifled by a parent and having a very productive, beneficial relationship when the parents are really involved in a child's game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I can just only speak for myself. You know, my parents have always supported me. I think if you always have that good relationship prior -- that you even come on to something like this, you know, playing professional tennis or any sport, whatever that you're in the limelight, all that stuff -- if you have a good base from the beginning, you know, nothing should really break that up. Of course, there's going to be things that you have to learn to deal with and cope with. But as long as you just, you know, stick together, I think if you find a way, you know, that as long as, you know, there's not too much pressure involved, you know, all that kind of stuff.

Q. Is it a fine line to find that balance?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think it can be, you know, because you've got so many other aspects, I mean, just involved; you've got the press, you know, the public. It's hard to just kind of, you know, keep it in the family and see how you would balance it normally anyway. You know, there's so many outside factors, so I think it's a little bit difficult sometimes.

Q. How much work is your father doing with you now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, right now he's my full-time coach.

Q. You were here several years ago. Now you've come back the last few. The tabloid newspapers here treat the tournament so differently than the newspapers in the States. Are you amused by the way they do it? Are you angered sometimes? How have they treated you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm immune to it, is all I have to say. In the beginning, my first couple years here, you know, of course it was kind of a shock, a new experience to read all those kind of stories. You know, I think I was fortunate enough that I didn't get that many stories about myself that were just ridiculous. So I think just more of them came from when I stopped playing. But while I've been here, I think it's been okay for me.

Q. The last few days, they've been commenting on your weight gain, on the way you look so much bigger and stronger. Have you seen that?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's why I don't read the papers.

Q. You've played Lindsay now five times - twice this year, which were losses. You're probably going to play her in the next round. What do you have to do to overcome her?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, the previous time I played her, I came close. It was in Scottsdale. I think I took the first set. Even Australia, I had a good second set there. You know, the difference is that, you know, once I get ahead to not lose that lead, first of all, just stay on top of it, stay in control, not think so much, "Oh, I'm winning here." Kind of back off there, you know, maybe I don't expect it. But this time, just to believe in myself and, you know, expect that I can do well against her and I can win. First to have that attitude.

Q. So you think maybe in the past she had maybe a little bit of a mental edge on you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think that's been the case with me with a lot of the top players, that I just didn't really believe myself that I could, you know, win. You know, this time I'm really not just going to think about who's on the other side of the net and just play my game. I'm pretty pleased with the way I've been playing so far the last few matches. I think I'll have to play better, of course. You know, Lindsay still has to win her next match.

Q. Today's match, do you have any idea what that linesman went to speak to the umpire about? You didn't say anything unlady-like to her?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not to her. Maybe I said something to myself. I guess she -- I can only imagine because I saw the umpire look straight at me after that.

Q. But the umpire didn't say anything to you at the next changeover?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just to, you know, watch what I say.

Q. Do you have advice for younger players who are trying to find that balance that you spoke of earlier with their parents' involvement based on the experiences you've had? Is there an attitude to have that's really productive for achieving that balance?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, I really have no comment on that, no advice for anybody else. I can only speak for myself. It's too difficult of a thing, you know, to get that balance, that fine line.

Q. How do you feel about the success that you've had now, since it's been a number of years since you've been this high as far as advancing? How do you feel about this year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You mean my chances here?

Q. No. How do you feel about going this far so far?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, I feel great about it. I mean, this is the farthest I've gotten in this tournament for a long time now. You know, I mean, already in the first Grand Slam of the year I did well - I got to the semis. You know, I still have that, you know, added belief now that I can really do well, maybe even go further. I'm very happy about it.

Q. Are there any specific tactics you need to employ against Lindsay, if she does advance?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I just have to be serving well and returning well, is the main thing, just feel physically fit.

Q. Having come back to the level you are now, a good year in '99, the farthest you've been at Wimbledon for a while, what are you looking for from the game? What is your motivation? Are you there to earn the prize money available or fulfill yourself in just tennis achievement? What are your objectives?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think most of it is to fulfill myself in the tennis. Money and all that doesn't really matter to me. You know, if I stop now, I would probably do okay. That's not my motivation. You know, I just, for myself, want to see how far I can go, reach my full potential before I get too old, you know, and can't play anymore. I just don't want to have any regrets about not giving it all I had, you know, to make some great achievements.

Q. When did you first start the relationship with your father again coaching you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Basically since I came over and started the European tournaments, which was back in Rome.

Q. On the moment when you called the referee, your opponent says that she doesn't respect you for that because she had to put up with the noise, as well, and it broke her momentum. Do you think it was fair that you should have done that at that time?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, it was fair. I have every right to call the referee. It was on a changeover. It's as important as calling an injury time-out to me. I'm sure it benefited her, too, because the music stopped, if she was getting so annoyed by it, too.

Q. She says it didn't benefit her because it broke her momentum.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, it stopped the music. I'm not concerned with that.

Q. Would you actually like big band music in a different form?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I do.

Q. Like what?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know the names of the band or anything, just that swing music.

Q. It wasn't that out there.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I know it wasn't that.

Q. Why was the second set so much easier today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I just really got the momentum going for myself after I won the first set. That first set was really important to pull that out. Just my confidence gained. I started playing more aggressive, just serving better, returning better. I was able to break her immediately. After that, you know, I think she just maybe gave in a little bit.

Q. Had you lost that tiebreaker, were you confident enough you could have won the next two sets?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think so. I was starting to get in my game by that point, into the tiebreaker. That's what I thought: "Even if I lose this tiebreaker, still at least I'm getting a better rhythm now out there."