25 giugno 2001
Capriati D Vento-Kabchi 6-3, 6-2
Q. Did you feel that there was a special ovation for you out there today?
Seemed very warm.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not any more than usual. I mean, every time I come here,
the crowd is always like that, very supportive of me, very warm. But, I don't
know, maybe a little bit - a little bit extra.
Q. Do you feel that that might be because people expect you're on a roll,
that this could be your year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, or just from the accomplishments that I've done
this year. I guess, they want to see me continue with the success that I've
had. But, like I've said, I think they've always been like that.
Q. I couldn't help noticing as you came in, you have an ice pack on your
knee. Have you injured yourself?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's just the same thing from the French. The tendonitis
in my knee I felt. I'm just taking care of it.
Q. Is your success more satisfying considering how long and hard you worked to
come back? Could you describe a little bit about what you put into that
comeback.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I've put a lot into it. Definitely made the commitment. I
mean, I started my comeback a long time ago. It's just something that doesn't
happen so quickly and overnight, you know. I wasn't out of the game, you
know, for a week. It would take a long time. In a lot of ways, it is sweeter
because when you really have to work for something, you appreciate it a lot
more; when it just doesn't come so easy to you, you really value it because
you're the only one who really knows what you had to go through to get there.
Q. Did you expect to reach these heights when you started?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Started when?
Q. When you were starting out in the game way back when, did you expect to
reach these heights at some point, or were you just taking it as it came?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I was taking it as it comes. I was just a teenager, too.
I didn't look that far ahead into the future. Really, I was just enjoying
the moment, you know, everything that I was just experiencing at that time.
I didn't look ahead. You know, you have time to do that when you're an adult,
I guess. That's when you're supposed to do it.
Q.
Do you feel as confident coming into this tournament, as confident that you
can excel on this surface as you did going into Australia and into the
French?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I've
always felt comfortable on the grass. I mean, I think it's definitely one of
the hardest surfaces, that's for sure, because it's just a whole different
game. You know, you have to be in shape. I mean, there's a certain mindframe
you have to be in to play on this stuff. You never know who you could play
against. You could play unbelievable serve, volley. The points are so short,
you never really have time to work your way into it. But, you know, I think
I have a pretty good game plan of how I want to play on this stuff. I've
been practising well on it for the last couple weeks.
Q. You may or may not have seen, but Martina Hingis just lost. It's maybe
stretching the point a little bit, but it seems to emphasis the
precariousness of fortunes in this game. There's sort of a fine line between
success and failure, as your experiences have pointed out, as well. Are you
surprised that she's lost?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. I mean, I'm not surprised. You know, you don't expect
anybody to win these days. You don't expect anybody to lose. You just never
know what's going to happen. Every match is different. Every tournament is
different. It's not always just about you anymore either. It depends on your
opponent also. You know, so she lost. You know, stuff happens. You know,
just to the next one.
Q. What was your last match on centre court, do you remember?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Before today?
Q. Yes.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Last year.
Q. You were on it last year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Against Lindsay, yeah.
Q. Your family appeared on the stand. Did you get any power from them today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Always, you know, when I look up and I see my family
there, it always gives me support and strength, yeah.
Q. What happened when you got off to the slow start? She took the first two
games, then you seemed to find your game.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. Well, I hadn't played any matches on grass. This is
my first match. I'd just been practising. So I think, I don't know, she came
out playing well. It wasn't that I was playing bad. I just didn't find my
groove right away. That's the grass also. I think I picked it up after, and
I played a lot better. You know, I'm happy that I pulled that one out, you
know, had a little bit of a tough time out there.
Q. In the last two weeks you sort of shut yourself off to get away from the
craziness. You didn't do the TV talk shows or anything like that. What was
your reason, and has it helped you out?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, the reason is because, I mean, two weeks later is
another Grand Slam. You know, that's the most important thing to think about.
Doing all that stuff, I think I would lose my concentration, my focus. You
know, I want to forget about it so I can go on to the next one. Doing all
those things would just, you know, keep living in the moment, not that it's
bad, but do that stuff later. But I'm not a big fan of talk shows anyway (laughter).
Q. Do you find the pressure of expectation a bit harder to bear now that
you've won two Grand Slams this year?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Hard?
Q. Is it harder to put up with the expectation? Tougher to put up with?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, so far I haven't really felt any expectation or
pressure. I'm sure now, you know, we'll see what happens. Okay, the first
one maybe is just like a one-time thing, a fluke. The second one, maybe
there's something else here. Maybe there's going to be more attention now. I
know for sure there's going to be more attention. You know, we'll just see
how it goes. I think quick to handle it. That's why I have my family and my
friends, where I don't have to think about the pressure so much.
Q. Do you enjoy this extra attention? Was it slightly easier when you
slipped out of the limelight a little bit?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Actually, it hasn't been so bad or so out of control. It's
all been pretty low-key. I just learned that I'm in control of that. You
know, I don't have to let it get out of hand. I value my privacy. All I want
to do is just come to do what I have to do, and that's it.
Q. Both you and Martina have credited your practise sessions with her as
helping you a lot in this comeback. Have you seen a difference since you
started practising with her in her game? Obviously her confidence is shot.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Actually, I haven't practised with her for a year.
Q. Do you notice anything different about her now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't really want to comment on her. I just talk about
my game.
Q. After Paris, you were in Florida?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.
Q. Did you have a grass court there?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yes.
Q. At Saddle Brook?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah.
Q. Fairly similar?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I mean, nothing's similar to here, but it's grass.
It's as close as it will get. It's good. The worse that is, the better this
seems. So easier.
Q. Ten years ago you were the youngest ever semifinalist. Can you remember
anything about that at all?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I remember all of it, just being here, playing here.
That wasn't the first year that I beat Martina?
Q. That's the year you beat Martina in the quarters.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: So, I mean, that definitely stands out in my mind. I mean,
it seems kind of like a long time ago, but everything's changed, you know,
even just the locker rooms, this new facility. I mean, everything is so different now.
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