03 luglio 2001
Capriati D S. Williams 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-3
Q. How aware were you of Serena's physical problem? She was saying she was
having nausea problems, that kind of thing. How much did that affect what
you were trying to do out there?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I had no idea until she took the bathroom break.
Basically, I don't know, every time I play her, I'm pretty much used to
something going on there. She usually takes the time, you know, before I
serve. I mean, she's just kind of like a slow player in between. But I didn't
think anything was wrong with her up until that point. I mean, I think she'd
been playing well, so...
Q. What happened in the second set when you first took a medical time-out
and then the trainer came out and put the blankets over you? What was the
problem?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just have a little strain in my glute. I mean, ask them,
they'll tell you more about it. But I had to go off court to get -- for her
to rub it there. Then afterwards, on the court, it was just like the
stretching.
Q. Can you talk about you picking up your level of play, the run of games,
the 14 of 15 points, what was going through your mind at that point when you
really turned up your game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. You know, in the end of the second set, I was close
there to losing it, and I just -- I just kept saying to myself, "Try to at
least hold on to your serve and make her serve it out." Then at 5-4, I just
really gave it everything I got. All the games were so close up until that
point. I mean, I think most of the games went to deuce all the time. And so,
just always so close. Just really concentrated. I thought to myself, "Bear
down, you've got to go for it now, this is your last chance." And it worked.
I think after that, I got a lot of confidence, especially after winning the
second set.
Q.
Was there anything you were trying to pick on of hers?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I was just basically trying to hit the balls deep, get
the balls deep, just move her around, you know. Just usually her forehand's
her weaker side. I think she makes more errors. But today she was hitting
more winners off of it, so I was just playing more to the backhand, just
trying to keep the balls deep, actually.
Q. What special sense of satisfaction is it when you kind of survive a
struggle, when it's not you at your top, the other person at their top,
because this seemed like a real struggle for both of you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, it was a difficult match. And I think at
certain points we both played great, and then other times, you know, we
didn't play our best tennis. But it makes it that much sweeter to actually
come back and win a match like that. And, I mean, it just proves like for
the next time that even if you're down and you're about to lose, I mean,
just never say die.
Q. What are your thoughts on playing Henin?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm looking forward to it. It will be a different match.
There's going to be more rallies, for sure, in this match. I haven't seen
her play that much, so we'll see.
Q. You played her once before, in Berlin maybe?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, and we didn't finish.
Q.
Any impressions from that that you can take away into this match?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, it was on clay. But, obviously, I mean, she's a
great player. You know, I think clay is her best surface, but we'll see.
Just hopefully I'll be serving well. I'll really just try to attack her
game. You know, she's got good hands. I mean, she's a very talented player,
so I've got to be ready for anything.
Q. How about the Grand Slam? Is that more in your thoughts that you've
gotten past such a major obstacle?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, not at all, because there's still more obstacles
coming, the next match.
Q. Is this the toughest obstacle so far?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: So far in this tournament, yeah, definitely.
Q. How do you think you played before you were on the brink there of defeat?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You mean today in the match?
Q. Yes, today.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Actually, I was playing well. I should have won the first
set. I missed a few easy shots there that I shouldn't have missed. Just like
I said before, all the games were so close. They were just going to deuce
every time. So I was just unlucky there on a few points, too, so...
Q. When you're two points from defeat there in the second set, do you draw
on the success that you've had this year? Does that kind of help you bring
you over the hump there?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Actually, I did, I thought about the French final there,
that I was two points from defeat also. I thought, "Well, if I can do it
there, I can do it now." It worked, so...
Q. You mentioned that Serena usually takes her time-outs before your serve.
If I could ask, do you think there's a kind of a gamesmanship there?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I don't know. Some players -- every player has
their routine and their ritual. I know I play really fast. So maybe for me
it just seems slow. I mean, against other players, maybe she does the same
thing. It's just her pace. But I think it is just the way she plays because
it happens every match. I don't know if she's doing it on purpose or not. So
I don't know.
Q. When you started winning all the games and all the points, she was
looking like she wanted out, did you think she was giving up, and were you
surprised?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I didn't she was giving up. I think I was playing
really well at that point. Maybe she was kind of surprised. She lost the
momentum. She was surprised I came back and won the second set. I think she
just was kind of shocked there for a little bit. You know, I took advantage
of it. I tried to get on top of her as much as I could. You know, at that
4-0 game, the game before she took the break, I was a little surprised at
that game. I was thankful for that game (laughter).
Q. You looked a little upset when she took the bathroom break.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I thought it was a bit strange. But, I mean, you're
allowed to do that. What could I do? She, whatever, had to go, had to go. I
was just more concerned that I didn't want too much rest to get stiff for my
hip. So that's why I called a trainer out, too, and just tried not to
stiffen up out there.
Q. You had a tough match against Serena; Justine has had an easy match. Is
that an advantage for her?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I don't think so, because I think I have a day off. I
feel well physically. I'm in good shape, so I'll be able to recover. I think
my leg will feel okay. She did have a tough match in the beginning where she
came back, Boogert, so I think it's good to have those matches. So both of
us have had those kind of matches, so we have to draw from those experiences.
Q. She's not really tested yet, and you are. That's good for you, no?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: She was tested in that match, right? I don't know. I mean,
it could make her really fresh for the match. I don't know. But I think I
can recover enough, yeah, for that.
Q. What will be your game plan?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: My game plan?
Q. Yes.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I'm not really going to say what my game plan is (smiling).
Q. When you slipped and threw your racquet, were you angry, a little bit of
that volcano you were talking about the other day, the emotions underneath?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Because it was 3-All in the tiebreaker, can't afford to
lose points like that. Yeah, I was just upset that I had to slip and lose a
point that way.
Q. Last year, after you lost here, you came in and talked about your
fitness, said, "I'm fine, my fitness isn't a problem." How much more fit are
you this year? How much did that come into play today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I guess saying that last year was pretty much a
joke (laughter). So it's a different story. It's whatever moment you're in,
whatever state you're in. Maybe then I actually thought I was okay. But now
that I've actually improved tons more, and maybe even now I'll say that in a
year from now, like I thought I was fit now. So maybe next year I'll be even
fitter. I think there's always somewhere to go.
Q. How did it help you today, given the heat, the length of the points,
length of the match?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, yeah. I mean, that's why I try to train like I do.
Living in Florida, in the humidity. I think going home really helped to get
used to that. I mean, I try to make my practises grueling, and my fitness
workouts grueling so the matches seem easier than the practise.
Q. You said that you prepare when you play Serena for maybe slow play
between points, maybe a break, medical break. Do you do the same when you
play Venus? You kind of expect that, too?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I haven't played Venus that much. I only played her
at the Ericsson. Before that, I hadn't played her in a few years. I think
they're different. They're completely different out there.
Q. It was announced today that the WTA is going to be moving to Saddle Brook.
Can you give us comments? Do you think the staffers will enjoy it?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think it's great. I'm really excited about it. What
more could I ask? They're going to be there. I'm going to have access to
them, to the trainers, to the therapists there. I think it will really help
Saddle Brook a lot.
Q. Would you call Serena a particularly mentally strong player or do you
know now in your last three matches that when the going gets tough, you're
going to be able to push by her?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. It's tough to say whether I won mentally or
physically because of the tennis. You know, maybe a little bit of both.
Maybe because -- I don't know - more experience, I can be more consistent on
those important points. That kind of makes a player break down mentally, so
I don't know. She just gets frustrated, you know, maybe when I return some
of the balls that she hits. It seems like sometimes she's not expecting them
to come back, like she's surprised that I can get them back. I don't know if
it's mentally.
Q. Did you notice an appreciable difference in a loss of power from her? She
says she lost four pounds over the last few days, wasn't eating, struggling
for fitness and energy. Did you notice that in the third set?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, not at all. I thought she said she was an impostor in
France, and this is the real her coming out, so I don't know.
Q. Did you know why she took the bathroom break? She said she was nauseated.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. Maybe she had a bad case of like diarrhea
or something. I don't know.
Q. There was no indication on court?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I just asked the umpire. She just said that she had
to use the bathroom, it was an emergency. I didn't want to know the details.
Q. Do you think there's any attempt to sort of dilute the fact that you won
by sort of bringing up these things? In Miami there was a knee injury. Today
there was sort of this indigestion or whatever was going on. When you win a
match, sometimes there's something hanging over it, and there would be
nothing hanging over it?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It doesn't matter. I think I know the truth inside. I
think most people do. It's only important for me to know. I mean, I could
turn around and say I was dealing with my own thing out there with my leg.
So maybe that helped because I wasn't able to look at what she was doing.
You know, but, I mean, it's pretty much the same things that happens every
time I play her, so I'm just used to that.
Q. Back to the impostor quote. Do you think that Serena thinks she's a
better player than she really is?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. I'm not going to comment on that question.
Q. Do you think she's a hypochondriac? She thought she was but didn't know
the exact definition of the word.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I don't know. I mean, we'll talk about me.
Q. Did the easy win of Justine over Conchita surprise you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Not really because Henin is such a good player. When she's
on, I mean, she's really only on. That's the thing I've got to be careful
of. When she's in the zone, you know, it's really difficult playing against
her. And Conchita, I mean, she's not the player that she used to be.
Mentally, she's not as strong, and physically.
Q. Is this the most fun you've ever had in a press conference?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. There's been a couple. Maybe the first press
conference ever.
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