TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS SEMIFINAL

May, 15th 2004
Capriati D S. Williams 6-4, 6-4

Q. So many efforts from your daddy for you to do well in Rome. You are in the final and, for once, your dad is not here.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, let's not get on my dad... (laughing). Come on, give him a break. But it all -- it's a lead-up to something, you know (smiling). No, it's about me always - of course. I just, you know, was just focusing on a few things, really just on myself the whole week, the last few weeks. And, you know, just came together. And probably nobody expected me to do well. I mean, you know, nobody's been hearing my name actually for the last, you know, couple months. So, you know, kind of when I'm ready to do things, you know, it comes together, and the package has to be all together for me to play well. He's probably on a plane right now coming over (smiling).

Q. After you had that double-fault on a matchpoint, were you afraid it was going again to happen with Serena, you always fight a lot and then maybe at the end you don't win?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Those are the thoughts, the voices in my head that, you know, I'm trying to, you know, brush away, brush aside and say, "Go away," you know. I just, you know, had another time to serve. And that's what I felt, that, you know, "Just gonna go for it. If it's not gonna happen, it's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna let it go by giving it away," you know. And, you know, I'm only human and I give myself almost -- you know , I gave myself a break out there. It happens to everybody, you know. Whatever, if it happens once, it's fine and I shouldn't get down on myself because of that. I still remained positive after that and said, you know, to myself, "I have still another one." And, you know, had the momentum going there and I felt it the whole time. So, you know, I felt like the match was in my hands and I wasn't gonna let it get out of my hands.

Q. She seemed to have momentum, too. At the end when she hit that last forehand, the ball poised on the net cord. You waited because she had won a point like that. What kind of a moment is that, when you see that ball...
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: It's a sign that it's gonna go my way, I don't know (laughing). I mean, she came out like that, too. I mean, she hit so many lines in the beginning and, you know, I just, again, just didn't try to make it about her out there, just tried to concentrate and do what was my game plan out there and just hit my shots, you know, instead of playing just to stay in there and not to lose, you know, which would happen kind of in the past and, all of a sudden, just let her just get the momentum again. But, you know, this time I realized that most of the time I think I did have most of the momentum.

Q. Is that something Heinz has particularly worked with you on?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What's that?

Q. When you're in situations where you're concerned it's going to slip away..?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Uhm... no, not really. I think it's just -- I mean, I've always known that, and it's just a combination of things, you know, that I think that just help me to keep the momentum going and the belief in myself. And, of course, I mean, he's helped with that. You know, when I'm feeling in good shape, that helps me also. And, you know, just doing things for myself just, you know, just makes it all that much easier for me to just not get too negative out there and, you know, just believe in myself more.

Q. Eight defeats in a row against her. Which was the most painful? Did you have a feeling during this match that she was in trouble physically with the knee or something?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, I don't know. Her serve was a little bit different, you know. Maybe because of her knee, she wasn't pushing off as much, but... Or she's saving herself for the French; I don't know. But, you know, that doesn't matter. I mean, they're all painful, you know...(smiling) that's the truth.

Q. So this is the sweetest moment, I guess?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I mean, you know, she has to let me win one time to keep things interesting; otherwise, it's boring all the time, you know (smiling).

Q. You still have a final to play, but is this a huge load, to get one of the Williamses off your back - for a while anyway?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, of course. It's just, you know, a player that's been No. 1 in the world and she's, you know, "the one to beat." I've lost to her, you know, so many times in a row. So she's one of the girls that would be, you know, a lot off the back if I would be able to win, you know. So it's just very, you know -- a personal victory for me. But, you know, it's just on to the next thing, you know. There's another job to do. You know, just gonna enjoy it later on, but, you know, it's just satisfaction of working hard and having it come out and playing well, you know. It really should be the same almost when you win or lose, but, you know, of course that's easy to say, you know...

Q. Talking of things getting off your back, how is your back?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: (Smiling)... Yeah, it's feeling really good right now. I think I'm moving as well now as, you know, I did in the past - maybe couple years ago or a year ago or so. Just really feel more loose and flexible. And because of hurting myself, I mean, it's like a blessing in disguise, you know, just really my body trying to tell me something and to take care of it and start now so I can keep going for a while longer.

Q. So you said it's been a couple years since you felt this good?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. It is getting stiff here, though, sitting here (smiling).

Q. Never mind the computer, do you and the players largely still regard Serena as the No. 1 player in the game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: That's tough to say right now. I think right now it's, you know, it's hard to say who's consistent anyways. I mean, it's just kind of no one can play at the same time. So it's really -- it's hard to tell who is the No. 1, I think. All the girls, I mean, all the girls really have the potential. So, you know, I guess the rankings, that's what you got to go by, and it's just really tough to say right now.

Q. Are you going to call Stefano tonight to tell him what happened? We don't know, what is the relationship right now?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think he knows right now (laughing). No, I'm gonna call him right now. I'm waiting to call...