Quarterfinal
Anna Kournikova beats Conchita Martinez
6:4, 6:0
November 16, 2000
Q. In the semifinal match, you play your doubles partner, Martina Hingis.
Can you give us some thoughts on that?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I
haven't had much time to think about it. I was just concentrating on my match
that I finished. We just played last week, obviously, and three weeks before
that. So, we're pretty used to playing against each other, I guess. You know,
I'm just going to have to play my best tennis to try to beat her, and I know
that it's going to be very difficult, but, as usual, I will try to do my best.
Q. The last two times you
played her, you won a total of four games. What is different about you and maybe
--
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: A total of eight games. The last two times.
Q. The last two times, 0-1
and 0-3?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, 6-Love.
Q. This is wrong. Then I
stand corrected. Still, what is different about you and what is different about
she?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: She is No. 1.
Q. I'm talking about
Conchita.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Oh, Conchita. The last time what?
Q. The last two times you've
played her you have won a total of four games, what was different tonight for
you and for she?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, the last time I played her, I think was in Berlin in '98
-- or in Indian Wells, or in Montreal. Montreal, Canada. That was my first
tournament after I had not played for three months with my thumb injury, after
Wimbledon, the accident when I was playing against Steffi Graf. So that was my
first tournament playing, and I won a couple of rounds, and, obviously, I was
still into match play. But she was always a difficult player for me. She mixes
it up a lot. She has a lot of slice and a lot of topspin on her serve, and it is
very, very difficult to get used to, because she always changes the rhythm. And
sometimes it's really slow and sometimes it's really fast. Sometimes she would
bring it up really high and then suddenly she would hit a forehand winner. So
you really don't know what to expect from her and you have to always be ready
and bring back a lot of balls because she also moves really well. And I think
that today I was moving really well. I was serving really well and I was always
ready, and just very focused on every point. In the first match here she was
down and then she came back; so I knew that she would try again and again. Even
when I was up in the second set, I was just really focused and I'm really happy
with my total game today.
Q. Does playing with Martina
in doubles, show you the way she thinks -- (inaudible) -- does that help you in
your singles?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, we've been playing together for a long time. We played
all of '99, and four tournaments this year. So I think in some ways, for sure,
definitely it helps my game and we're having a lot of fun playing together, and
just support each other and, you know, of course, when we're out there on the
court, we always discuss what we're going to do and the next point, the next
point. So I think we learn something from each other.
Q. She is known to be one of
those people who plays big points really well, very good on her strategy; have
you taken some tips from her to help you in your game?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I said, we've been playing doubles together, but doubles
and singles is a bit different. I can just say that it did improve my singles a
little bit.
Q. Your results seem to
speak for themselves, that you are more comfortable here. Is there anything
different than last year and the year before? Do you feel more comfortable here?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah. Definitely. The first time I played here was three years
ago, and I was pretty nervous, it was my first time, of course, and I was
playing against Monica and she is one of my favorite players, and I think that
we had a very tough match, and I was struggling with my serve. Last year I was
playing against Mary. I was bleeding, I think. I think I was upset in 5-2 or
something like that. That was also one of my -- couple tournaments coming back
from my foot injury last year at the end of the year, so I was also pretty
nervous. This year, I'm seeded in the Top-8; so I don't get to play the Top-8
right away. My ranking is much better. I'm playing much better. I'm much more
confident. I think it helped me a lot after the US Open, playing a lot of indoor
tournaments and just getting a lot of confidence and match practice.
Q. So do you attribute that
to being less nervous, then?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Oh, definitely. I've learned how to not get overexcited and
just play calmly and patiently and just trying not to go for it too much.
Q. Before it looked more like (inaudible) not playing your own game. Is
that how you have really improved mentally; what is the key to that?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really. I still try to play aggressive. I know that my game
is aggressiveness, and you can't really play the other person's game, because
then they are in charge. So you still have to try to play your game, but maybe
with a little bit adjustment, of course. And even today, I tried to play
aggressively, but, you know, like I tried to come to the net when I could, when
possible, and just make her move a lot. And, of course, it is not always
possible with Conchita's high balls to come to the net, but I tried, and I think
that it worked well.
Q. Were you surprised by Elena's win over Lindsay yesterday?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really, no.
Q. Is she that good? Is she somebody to fear for 2001?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I would say that I think Lindsay had a tough time last
week. I mean, she played the tournament in Philadelphia, obviously, and she won
it, and she had a tough match in the finals against Martina. So obviously I
think mentally and physically, she was a little bit tired, and maybe just a
little bit, you know, maybe not too prepared for Elena. But I think it is just
one of those matches where she didn't really finish if and Elena took advantage
of it.
Q. Could you talk us through, I think it was the 15-40 point in Game 5
where you caught up with the lob and you hit a spinning backhand winner, just
describe that point if you would, and also did you break a string on your
racquet on that point?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. No. My -- the thing that you put on the
racquet, just kind of cracked so I had to change one.
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