24 giugno 2003
Capriati D Casanova 6-1, 6-3
Q. You got on top very quickly out there, made sure you stayed
there. Pretty impressive performance.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Thanks. Yeah, that's what I wanted to do, is just come
out and start strong. I knew she was kind of a tough opponent, she could be
dangerous. So first time I played her. I just came out swinging, playing my
game. The key was in the second set to really not lose concentration and let
her back in the match.
I'm trying to do that now, to stay on top and stay focused, even if I've won
the first set easily, just kind of pretend that, you know, the match is
starting from that point now. Because usually it is, you know, after the
first set. You give the opponent a chance to really get into it and warm up, so...
Q. Are you mentally and physically prepared for this tournament?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think I am. I think physically I am. Mentally I just
feel confident and pretty motivated, and I feel like I'm playing well on the
grass. So overall, I feel pretty good about my game, yeah.
Q. Is grass difficult for you?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, not really. I've had a chance ‑‑ I played a
tournament last week, and I've had a chance to really get used to it and
practice on it for a while. So I feel pretty comfortable on the grass right now.
Q. Your forehands, some of them, were ferocious, to put it mildly. Have you
been hitting them as well as that lately?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I have. In practice. I guess when I'm moving well
and my timing is on, it just makes my timing better when I'm moving well,
and I feel loose, relaxed, just kind of really fresh out there. I notice it,
you know, in my weapons. I feel like the forehand side is a weapon. You know,
it was really on today.
Q. Pretty powerful weapon if you can keep that up for the next two weeks.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, thanks.
Q. Do you think you'll be able to?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I hope so. That will be a key. If I can just go
out there and just kind of just swing away and just concentrate on my game
and not get distracted, you know, I think I should be able to keep it up.
But just kind of match by match keep focused.
Q. How about confidence in your serve? In the past that's been
problematic. Has that been solved a little bit?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think so. I think it's just getting better and
better, and I'm getting more confidence in that. I think it just kind of
goes with the rest of my game, too. I think maybe that could be the
difference of me being, you know, where I am now and where I could be, or
back to being really at the top.
I'll just keep working on it and getting more and more confident. That's it.
Q. How do you work on it? In other words, how do you practice your serve to
try to make sure the second serve is consistent?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Just practice it a lot basically.
Q. Second serve or first serve?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Everything. I mean, I'm not going to go into it and
really give my practice strategies away. But, yeah, me and my coach work on
it, different ways.
Q. How do you account for the fact you've not yet won a tour title this year?
Can you give us a reason why?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I can't (smiling).
Q. Is it form on the court or is it a mental failing?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: You know, I haven't won a title but I still have played
some pretty good tournaments. I mean, I still made last year a couple times
the semifinals of a Grand Slam, the French, a lot of tournaments still
making the finals. Yeah, I mean, compared to my results before, it seems
like it's so bad that I haven't won a tournament.
But, you know, just had bad luck, I guess.
Q. Would this be a good time to put that right?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Sure, yeah.
Q. Luck as well as the form.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think so (smiling). But, I mean, I'm not going to
put too much expectation or pressure on myself. You know, just basically go
out there and try to perform to the way I know I can. You know, hopefully do
that and just enjoy myself out there, too.
Q. But you feel you could still be a rival for the Williams sisters and the
two Belgians?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Absolutely.
Q. Can you elaborate on that, maybe tell us why?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, I still feel like I'm in the game, you know, 100%.
I haven't lost any of my ability or my motivation. I was plagued a little
bit by some injuries, you know. Obviously my surgery and everything was a
setback a little bit. And, you know, I had a great run the last two years. I
mean, winning three Grand Slams, coming closer to really the Williams more
than anybody. You know, everyone else is just kind of behind.
And now just because, you know, I haven't kept up quite the momentum, I mean,
it's now given other people a chance to do it. Nobody, I think, can really
keep up that kind of momentum. I mean, we see even the Williams sisters now.
Everyone has a good run, you know, once in a while. You know, then they kind
of get set back and they'll have it again. Can't elaborate more.
Q. That's pretty good.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Thanks (smiling).
Q. You seem to have really good support out there. Are you conscious of that,
do you thrive and feed off it?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I think the English people have really been behind
me and supported me well here. I've always felt that.
Q. How useful is it if you're in a difficult game, maybe needing a bit of
encouragement?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's good. I mean, at that point you're really trying to
block out the crowd because you never know when they could be kind of
against you. You know, you just have to have that ability to block it out.
Because even if they're so much for you, too, it could sort of add a little
bit of pressure also in the match. You know, to not miss a shot or something,
you know, you don't want to let the crowd down.
I think it's just important to just kind of block everything out.
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