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Official Site of the 2000 US Open by IBM - News


            Jelena Dokic
            Saturday, September 2, 2000

            J. Dokic v. F. Schiavone 7-6, 7-5


            An interview with: JELENA DOKIC


            MODERATOR: At Jelena's request, tennis questions only, please. 

            Q. You had a lot more unforced errors in this match than the last 
            match. Was it hard to concentrate out there? Was the heat bothering 
            you? Was she just very good?

            JELENA DOKIC: She went out there, had nothing to lose. Obviously, 
            the pressure was on me to win the match. I was expected to win. When 
            you lose a few points and get down a break, you get a bit tight. 
            That's what happened. Overall, I stepped up the pace when I needed 
            to. I was down in both sets. I just played well when I needed to. 
            Sometimes you're not going to play great. What was important for me 
            was when I don't play well and win a match, that's what makes you 
            stronger. I think it was good for me to pull that off and do it in 
            two sets.

            Q. How hard was it to stage a comeback today? 

            JELENA DOKIC: I couldn't hear you. 

            Q. How hard was it to fight back today? You did very well in 
            fighting back in both those sets. 

            JELENA DOKIC: You know, especially in the first set, she had a big 
            lead. In the second set, she served for it. They were close games 
            there. I think, again, I played well when I needed to and didn't 
            make the errors, took my chances. I just stayed concentrated and 
            focused, tried to get back into it. You won't always be up. You're 
            going to have to make comebacks. That's what I did well today. 

            Q. How confident in your game are you right now as you approach a 
            probable match with Serena Williams? How would you break down what 
            you have to do to be successful against her?

            JELENA DOKIC: Well, I played Venus this year in Rome; did well 
            against her, I won that match. It's probably going to be pretty much 
            the same - just hard-hitting. You've just got to hope they make a 
            few errors. For me, it's just important just to stay in points and 
            not make errors. I think at the moment, I'm happy with how I did 
            here. No matter what happens in the next match, you know, to have 
            two Grand Slams in a row, do very well, finish in the Top 10, 15 
            players in a Grand Slam, play consistently, is the most important 
            for me at the moment. I'm just going to go out there Monday, I think 
            it is, you know, got nothing to lose, just play the way I do and see 
            what happens. 

            Q. What sort of breakthrough would it be for you if you were able to 
            beat Serena Williams?

            JELENA DOKIC: Oh, I think it would be big for anybody to beat Serena 
            or Venus. They're probably the two players at the moment that are 
            just -- they're unbeatable. Again, if I was to win, it will be great 
            for me. You know, I've beaten big players before. You know, I've 
            faced a lot of them before. I know what to expect. 

            Q. On the TV feed going back home, the commentators were being a bit 
            unfair in criticizing the way you were playing, saying if you 
            continued to play like that, there's no way you'll beat Serena 
            Williams. Do you think they weren't taking the conditions into 
            account today?

            JELENA DOKIC: Again, like I said, what I'm happy with is that I got 
            through not playing very well. I played well in the first two 
            matches. You won't always play great. You know, she had nothing to 
            lose. You get a bit tight. That's what happens. To not play as well 
            as I want to and still get through matches, that's very important 
            because you can win matches not playing well.

            Q. What did you call the trainer out on the court for today?

            JELENA DOKIC: It was just really hot and humid, I felt a little bit 
            dizzy. It was okay, actually. I got through it. If it came to a 
            third set, I would have lasted.

            Q. We saw you get ice. Was there anything else that you got?

            JELENA DOKIC: No, no. 

            Q. Were you getting any treatment in the locker room after the 
            match?

            JELENA DOKIC: No. I just finished. 

            Q. You were down 4-1 in the first set. What was going through your 
            mind at that point? What did you tell yourself to psych yourself up?

            JELENA DOKIC: I think I had a really bad start, especially on my 
            serve. There was only one break. I thought if I could hold my serve 
            at 4-1, I'll have a chance at breaking her. She doesn't have a huge 
            serve. If I could stay in points, I knew I could get a break and 
            come back. I knew that if it did get to 4-3, I could probably, you 
            know, come back. I was in situations like that before, so I knew how 
            to react to it. 

            Q. Can you tell us how you prepared this morning? Did you train with 
            your father before?

            JELENA DOKIC: No. I just practiced with Rubin this morning for about 
            45 minutes or so. That's about it. 

            Q. During Wimbledon, there was a lot of talk that by Richard 
            Williams making a lot of headlines, it took pressure off his 
            daughters. Do you get the feeling that when a father is in the 
            headlines a lot, it adds or subtracts pressure on the daughter when 
            she plays?

            JELENA DOKIC: It could be both really. It just depends which way you 
            look at it. If there is attention on something else, then there's 
            not so much attention on you. That puts pressure off you sometimes. 
            Sometimes if you think about it too much and worry about it too 
            much, it can get to you. I think the main thing is to go out there 
            and not worry about what happened outside, off the court. Sometimes 
            it's hard to do that, but you've got to be able to because it's 
            going to distract your tennis and you won't win matches like that.

            Q. Do you feel as though you're getting much better at that?

            JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I did well at Wimbledon. I 
            got through a lot of matches. Here, as well. It's very important. No 
            matter what the circumstances are, you know, I've been getting 
            through matches. 

            Q. When you are down in a match, usually do you look towards your 
            coach? Do you look towards your father for encouragement? If he 
            wasn't there today, did you just focus inward?

            JELENA DOKIC: I think whether you're up or down, you always look for 
            support. If you are down, you start believing that maybe you can 
            come back or that you can win matches. I mean, you feel like you're 
            lonely out there, you've got to try to get that from yourself, 
            inside. It's hard to do that sometimes when you've got to really 
            believe in yourself and not a lot of people can do that. Like I 
            said, I believed that I could come back in both sets, and I played 
            well when I needed to.

            Q. What did getting to the semis of Wimbledon do for you and your 
            confidence?

            JELENA DOKIC: Well, I think when you string a lot of matches 
            together and win them, play well, you sort of start believing, "I 
            can beat these players, anything's possible." You know, it's hard in 
            Grand Slams, especially when you're not seeded, you could play 
            anybody. For me to get through matches in a Grand Slam, no matter 
            who it is, is important. That's what I've done the last two Grand 
            Slams, the tournaments that I've played lately. This year I've been 
            quite consistent, which is important.

            Q. What do you like most about playing tennis?

            JELENA DOKIC: I really enjoy the game. When I started, I enjoyed 
            just playing, whether it's practice or matches. You know, especially 
            a match, the thrill and the excitement of it. When you are in 
            situations where you are 5-3 down or something like that, she's 
            serving for the matches, to come back, you feel really good. To get 
            the crowd, whether they're with you or not, experience that. That's 
            what's, you know, so great about tennis and the lifestyle itself.

            Q. And if you could change one thing in your life, what would you 
            change?

            JELENA DOKIC: At the moment, I'm happy with the way things are 
            going. I've done what I wanted to this year, considering the 
            circumstances, the amount of tournaments I can play, which has been 
            really tough to pick them out. You know, I've just enjoyed the game, 
            win or lose. That's what I'm really proud of. I've just kept on 
            going. I have no regrets about the tour. 


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