1st Round
Anna Kournikova beats Jennifer Capriati
6:4, 6:4
November 14, 2000
Q. You finally won one in
Madison Square Garden; does it feel good?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I've won matches here before.
Q. But singles here in the
CHAMPIONSHIP?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, yeah. Well, of course it feels great. This year I am
seeded in the top eight. I don't get to play the top eight right away, so that
feels good. I'm just really happy with the way I played, and I definitely was
going into that match with a lot of confidence. I've beaten her before. I know
exactly how to play her. And I knew that she is right now not in her best shape
and that I am playing well. So I was pretty confident before the match.
Q. Is there anything special about playing in Madison Square Garden? Do you feel
any special aura?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, it is definitely different from the courts we play
everywhere else. But it feels great. It feels just fantastic. It has a great
atmosphere. There was a lot of people today, so that also makes it better. Yeah,
it just feels good playing here.
Q. Do you feel similar to her in a way because of your guys?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. I think we have completely different pasts.
Q. You say you were happy
with your game tonight, yet you seem to be very disappointed about your forehand
in the first set.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I wasn't really disappointed just particularly about my
forehand. I maybe wasn't happy with an easy mistake that I made. Sometimes maybe
I overjudged the ball a bit and went for too much or too little, and that's the
only reason why I was unhappy. I was trying to pump myself up and just try to
figure out what I made wrong and do it right the next time.
Q. You seemed to take over
the match almost when the ball almost hit you. What were you thinking when that
ball like -- because you glared at her?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I didn't see it. I just looked at the referee because the
referee was saying something, because I was with my back turned to her. I didn't
really notice it. I just felt it going by.
Q. Do you think that you
have what it takes to win a major?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I'm going to wait and see what happens right now. I'm just
going to take and one match at a time and that's it.
Q. Your former coach says
that in certain moments of the game you played too risky, dangerous balls; do
you agree and do you care at all about those comments?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: There's a lot of people saying a lot of different stuff. If I
were to be caring about what people say, I think that I would have no thoughts
of my own and that would be very difficult to keep up with everybody, what they
are saying. So I'm only concentrating on what I am doing. I have great people
around me. As far as the game, I think that Jennifer is playing really risky,
and still, she is playing good. I think that it is just the way you play. It is
people's character and it is a person's style of game and you can't change it.
Somebody plays defensive like Amanda Coetzer and somebody hits the ball like
let's say Jennifer or Frazier, so you can't really change completely the game.
You just cannot adjust a little bit. And that's my game. I'm aggressive. That's
the way it goes. Since I was five years old, I was hitting the ball hard.
Q. There seems to be some
mixed feelings about the tournament going to Germany next year. On one hand it,
reduces travel and the stress on the players. On the other hand, there's a lot
of affection for finishing off the season here in New York; so there are certain
mixed feelings. What are your feelings on the move to Germany?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, in general, I mean, you know, the only thing that I am
glad about is that the season finishes two weeks earlier. That's a good thing
for players, I think with so many injuries this year. That's a good thing. And
also, like you mentioned, the time difference and everything is pretty difficult:
Coming back from Germany, going and playing at Philadelphia, it's pretty
difficult. But we've gotten used to it over the years, and I guess it was okay,
but there's not much that we can do. Of course, we had meetings about it and
everything, but that's the way it goes. We'll just have to, you know, play there
and that's it.
Q. Richard Williams was
talking this week about players like yourself and Venus and Serena who are very
popular and should be getting appearance money, TV money, things like that; what
is your thoughts on that?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I haven't really heard exactly what he said. I have just only
today heard from some other players what he said. But, you know, first of all,
everybody has the right for their own opinion. It doesn't really bother me a lot
what he says. But, you know, of course there is players that do attract more
attention than the others. There's a few players that do attract attention. But
still, it's just too difficult to say, because, you know, I really have not a
lot of opinion on that, because right now there is nothing we can do. And the
Tour is the Tour. We all belong to the Tour. So we're just going to have to wait
and see what he's going to do next.
Q. If he gets his way, will
you consider doing similar demands?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Oh, he won't. (Laughs). No.
Q. Can you talk about some
of your favorite Internet sites? You must be around the globe a lot, you must be
relatively Internet savvy?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I just check the news and, you know, just follow the
sports in the U.S., the news all the time, and that's it. Nothing else, really.
I don't have too much time for that.
Q. What do you think about your next match with Conchita?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, we've played each other a few times and I have beaten
her, I think, once, so I pretty much know how to play her. In fact, we just
played doubles against each other last week, but it is definitely not her
favorite surface, which makes me feel a bit good and confident. But she's
definitely a tough player for me. I'm going to have to be really ready and just
be focused on every point, because she really mixes it up a lot. She has a lot
of topspin, a lot of slice, and she really, really, like I said, makes you move.
You have to really be always on your toes, on your feet to be ready for, you
know, whatever is coming. So, it is going to be a very tough match.
Q. Does it bother you that you've never won a tournament yet?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Like I always said, ranking is much
more important to me and I think that I am playing really, really well right now.
And it will come. I've been really close a few times.
Q. Would you be interested in coming back here next year for an
exhibition at the Garden?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's too far to say.
Q. What are some of the
things you look forward to doing here while you're in New York?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Playing. What do you think I'm here for? Playing, of course.
Q. But New York has so many
things to do besides playing?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, what are you here to do? You are here to write. Why are
you here in Madison Square Garden? Because you are here to write. Same thing for
me. I have to get ready. I have to practice. You know, I played this morning. I
had lunch. I went to sleep. I played again here. And then I had to get ready for
my match. And then I'm going to have a massage, go to bed, have room service,
sleep and then wake up tomorrow practice and play my doubles match, and the same
and the same, every day.
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