03 giugno 2004
Myskina D Capriati 6-2, 6-2
Q. What was actually the problem in this match?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: The problem is that I was just having a bad day, off day.
Q. After winning in such a great match against Serena Williams, is it
difficult to come back after a big win, to find new energy?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it's not that. I mean, maybe it was just too much
excitement, too much hype for that match. I couldn't focus on the next one.
You know, everyone just talking about it too much, and it's only the
quarterfinals.
So maybe it was just -- I didn't have much time to really concentrate on it.
Q. Did you have any physical problem today?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No.
Q. Did you feel tired? It looks like you didn't move as usual, as well as usual.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I mean, I guess I was just flat today. But no problem.
Q. A lot of players play good against
Myskina. Is there something about her game you don't like, strange game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, a little bit. You know, she can hit the ball really
hard, and then sometimes she'll just hit the ball with no pace, nothing. You
know, you don't know what she's going to do. But she's very, very fast, and
a lot of people don't think she's so fast, but she's really fast.
You know, I mean, she played good, solid tennis. But really today I just,
you know, I didn't make it difficult for her at all. But, I mean, of course,
you know, she's got a consistent game, and she's a smart player, too.
Q. You had two points for 3-All in the second. Looked like you were back in
it. Did you feel like you were finally getting your teeth into it at that
point?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I thought so. But, I mean, obviously it just wasn't
my day today. You know, I just had no rhythm, no timing on my shots. I mean,
they were like flying. I mean, I haven't been used to someone hitting the
ball really so -- I don't know. She was just kind of almost pushing it on
purpose and hitting it really with no pace on purpose.
So, yeah, at that point I thought maybe. But, you know, just didn't -- wasn't
good enough.
Q. Did you already feel bad at the warm-up? Were you okay during the warm-up?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah. I mean, there's no reason, nothing happened, no.
Just one of those days, you know.
Q. This was a similar opportunity for you as was at the US Open. I don't
know if it's too difficult for you, but can you contrast those two matches at all?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, I don't want to talk about the US Open. The US Open
is history. This is now, you know.
Q. After the quarterfinal over Serena, did you feel less pressure or more
pressure going into this match? "I've taken care of a nemesis, and that's a
good sign that I'm on my way"?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No. Neither way. I just felt no pressure. I felt really the same.
Q. Could you explain what happens in the mind of a player, a lot of
expectation on this match, then you're on the court and nothing works? Can
you explain what happens in your mind, you want to break every racquet or...
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, that's the way sports is, you know. Just
sometimes you have no control, you know, what's going to happen.
Yeah, you know, in your mind and your body, you're going pretty crazy
inside, you're trying to figure out ways to change or what to do or what's
going wrong. So you have a million things going through your mind.
I mean, when it's not there, it's not there.
Q. Are you surprised to have two Russian girls in the final on clay?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I mean, these days, nothing is surprising really.
Q. You go from a slugging match with Serena where you guys have historically
gone on court and bashed the ball at each other about 100 miles an hour. Her
deal here was to keep the ball deep, precise, and as you say, often without
a whole lot of pace on it. Was it difficult to make that transition from
Serena to this one?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, actually the way she usually plays is, you know,
just like a hard-hitting baseline match, usually every match I've played
against. You know, she obviously came out trying to play a little
differently, totally just throwing me off my rhythm completely.
Yeah, I mean, with Serena's match, it wasn't high-quality tennis. There was
nowhere to, you know, get rhythm really. But I had two days of practice. You
know, I was just expecting Myskina to come out and, you know, play the
normal game. But, you know, I mean, she's hitting serves, what, like, you
know, 50 miles an hour and then usually I should be able to just take those
shots and hit winners or do something. But it was just like -- just nothing
was going in today.
Q. Do you often find it difficult when you have to generate the pace
yourself out there on the ball?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, it is difficult. I mean, especially under these
kind of circumstances already, you know, there's a little bit of tension.
And when you're not swinging freely, it's especially hard because, you know,
usually you can at least use some of the pace.
But when you just have to create it all yourself, it's harder than most
people think.
Q. If you make several consecutive return shots as a gift on a second serve,
it's a sign that I don't think her serve was that strong or unpleasant with
the spin or whatever, but it's a sign you've been in a way upset or whatever.
Any comment on this?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What do you mean "upset"?
Q. You made obviously three return mistakes on her second serve.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I know that.
Q. Can you comment on that, why that happened, to such experienced player?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I just explained today, now, that sometimes you have an
off day and things don't work right and you're missing, you know. And off
no-pace serves, you know, just didn't work today. There's really nothing I
can explain more.
Q. You said Myskina's game maybe threw you off guard a bit from what you
were expecting. How difficult is that when the player you're playing against
is completely different than what you anticipate going into the match?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, it's hard. I mean, that in combination with not
playing well. I don't know if I was just not playing well because of me, or
she maybe made me not play well. I mean, I'm sure if she would have just
gotten back to, you know, the same rhythm that I'm kind of used to, I'm sure
I would have been able to improve in the game.
But, you know, it was just I didn't feel confident within my shots, so it
was just getting worse and worse.
Q. As you get older, to get so close, but still so far, is it harder? How
different are these losses to take in a semi of a major as opposed to in
1990 when you lost in the semis here?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Well, as of, what, three tournaments ago, I was losing
first round. So I look at this as a big improvement, and I've really done
well to get this far. You know, that's a bonus for me. Nobody would have
thought that before anyways, too. So I look at it as just -- this is just
the start again.
Q. Do you know at this point what your plans are going into Wimbledon? Will
you go back home?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, I think so.
Q. With all you said about the off-pace stuff, the last three games she
cranked it up pretty good, pretty much swinging from the hips. At that point
did you pretty much mentally say, "I just don't have enough left; I'm not
going to be able to match her power, there's nothing in my game today"?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: No, it had nothing to do with that. You know, first of
all, you're having a tough time when she's not even really hitting the ball.
How do you expect to really just hit it when she starts ripping it? So it's
basically just like, you know, playing two different matches in one. Just,
you know, when you're not playing well, you just can't all of a sudden say,
"Okay," unless you have another set to go or something.
Q. You mentioned she's very fast. Before the score was 5-1, do you mean by
that she is very fast and in the meantime possibly she made personal
progress in her game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: What?
Q. In a sense to play better.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Yeah, yeah, yeah, she played better. I don't understand
the question.
Q. I'm saying the score before between you two was 5-1.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: Oh, 5-1, yeah.
Q. So I'm saying a lot of people didn't realize she's very fast.
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I knew she was very fast.
Q. Does it mean you in some way think in the meantime she recently made some
personal progress in the game?
JENNIFER CAPRIATI: I think she's just developing as she's supposed to and
going to your game, you know, and reached her level. She's I guess coming
into her own game, so getting better and better, yeah.
|
.gif){kind=small}