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Q. Was this match a little closer than what the
score indicated? Looked like she
was doing pretty well returning your volleys, just didn't seem like she was
winning
the points.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't think there was many volleys in the match at all. But
I think that it was just really difficult today to get used to the conditions
because it
was really windy, and the wind was going both ways.
We both made some unforced errors, but I think that I played very good today and
I'm really happy with the way I played because she didn't give many free points,
and I had to work. I think I did a great job today.
Q. How tough was it with the wind swirling around?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It was very difficult to adjust because it was going all
directions. It was very difficult to put away the ball because it flies a lot or
it goes
short. So you had to kind of get used to, you know, in the middle spot.
Q. Were you unable, as a result, to work on certain things that would help you
against the next opponent?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I don't really work in a match to get ready for my next
opponent. I play that opponent that I'm playing, so...
Q. I've always heard that the wind swirls in one direction. You're saying it was
all
over the place?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, for sure it was all over the place. It wasn't like going
exactly this way (indicating). Then we would get used to it quick. But it was
just,
you know, stopping and starting, and stopping.
Q. Aside from the wind, you weren't scheduled to play in the main stadium today.
Was it a pleasant surprise to find you were going to be playing in the big place
today?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Doesn't really bother me where I play.
Q. What are you expecting now with your next match against Arantxa?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, it's always tough to play against her. I've beaten her
the previous times that I've played. So I am going to have to be even more ready
for that she wants to beat me. It's always tough to play against her. She chases
all the balls down. You have to really keep your focus on every point.
Q. Do you think you're playing at a level right now where you can perhaps go
until
next weekend, or is there something missing?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, we're going to have to wait and see. I'm going to take
the match at a time, step at a time.
Q. You have some downtime. Are you going to get a chance to enjoy yourself in
the city?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Sure. I do that every night. I go out for dinners and stuff.
Q. Will a new face win the US Open?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think so. But it's really difficult to predict who and what
is
going to win, because there is just so much, you know, going on. But for me, I
think it's going to be a new winner.
Q. So, not Hingis, not Graf, and not Seles?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, yeah, probably. But I just don't know what to say. It's
very difficult to decide.
Q. How do you rate your own chances at this point?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I said, I'm going to take it a match at a time. I feel
physically strong. I feel like I can go three sets or two sets, as long as is
needed.
But I'm just going to take it a match at a time.
Q. Are you surprised to see 14 or 13 seeds having moved on to the Round of 16?
Are you surprised there haven't been more upsets to this point?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, not really, because I think that the Top 20 right now is
playing really solid. You know, anybody who's like below that, you know, they
have
a little respect for the Top 20 probably.
Q. Who is your favorite celebrity outside of tennis, outside of sports?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't really have a favorite one. I just, you know, like in
general people. I don't really have a favorite one. Everybody's different in
everything. I just like to see the good stuff in every person.
Q. For the Fed Cup next year, do you intend to play that first round match?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I didn't even know they made the draw. I haven't -- I don't
have any idea. But, of course, I would like to play.
Q. Thoughts on playing Arantxa?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I said, I've beaten her before. I have to get ready for
the match because she's going to try to win this one. It's always difficult to
play
against her. You have to concentrate on every point because she chases
everything down. Even if she's losing, she's going to try to win. So I have to
be
really focused.
Q. You seemed today to play the big points really well when you needed to, you
were going to the net. Is that something that comes along, since you're coming
back from an injury, that is starting to get easier for you now because you're
playing a little bit more?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes. It's the matchplay, and match practice, so it helps a
lot that I played some matches before. I'm starting to feel the game well, you
know, when I need to come in or when I don't need to come in and play safer on
the big points and win them.
Q. Marat Safin was in talking about when you practiced, how you always beat
him. His friends would say to him, tease him, "How can you lose to this
girl?" Do
you remember when he finally beat you?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't keep count. I don't keep the track when I lose or
when I beat a guy. I was just happy that he would always play with me, even
though I was a girl. He didn't care. He just wanted to play tennis. The same
with
me. I didn't care. I just wanted to play and be on the court. And we had a lot
of fun.
Q. But he said when he finally beat you at Nick's, he said there was one time --
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I've never played against him at Nick's.
Q. He said when he finally beat you, he never played with you again.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, No. I think he was at Nick's for like two weeks. It was
like three years ago. I don't remember playing with him at Nick's.
Q. He does remember playing you there. He said he beat you and never played
with you again.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's not important, is it? Is it a big deal?
Q. How is your thumb holding up so far?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Oh, it's great. I don't feel any pain or anything. I don't even
remember that it was there.
Q. So no concerns in the back of your mind?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Huh-uh, nothing.
A. KOURNIKOVA/R. Bobkova
6-3, 6-4
Q. Seemed to be having a little trouble with your overhead. Are the lights very
difficult in that big stadium?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It was my first match playing at night, so I kind of had to get
used to it a little bit.
Q. It affects the overhead more maybe than some of the other shots?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, of course, because you have to look up. I got used to
it, then I made quite a few afterwards.
Q. How do you feel about your match tonight? Very happy with the result?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I am happy that I got through. She played very well.
Today she was running everything down, but like I said, I had to get used to
playing at night and I have, other than that I felt great. I think my serve was
going
very well, and I was just trying to go for the shots, I was hitting a lot today.
Q. How many times have you played in this stadium?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I played here last year.
Q. A couple of times? How many times?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't know.
Q. I am told that there is a pretty unique swirl of the wind.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes, the wind goes around and it is very difficult to predict
where it is going. It is kind of difficult because it is a side wind. It is not
like going
one way or the other.
Q. Is there any other place that you know of that reminds you of this or is it
really
unique?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: The stadium kind of reminds me of Lipton. It is kind of,
probably, built like that and a little bit looks inside like the stadium at
Lipton.
Q. How is the thumb?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It is great.
Q. It is hard to get up maybe when you play someone like that who is ranked a
little lower than if you were out there against Novotna, something like that? Is
it
mentally harder to play your very best and go for every point or what?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well. It is kind of difficult because you never know what to
expect from those kind of players and they can play awfully well sometimes and
you have to be really ready and you have to be focused because like I said, if
you
are going to sleep for one point, they are going to start playing very well.
Q. Do you have someone scouting her?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I played her before.
Q. You have been asked before about the situation in Russia. I was curious if
you
talked to your grandparents at all in Moscow this last week or so?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Of course, I talk to them very often.
Q. What was their take on the situation? Are you more worried now than you
were say a few days ago?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I said before, everything in the newspapers and
everything that you see in the TV, it is a little bit over exaggerated. Maybe
there is
some problems, but they have always been there. It is just that right now maybe
it
is a little bit more and people are still living the same lives as they lived
before.
Q. Do you think you might have come in a little more to the net? Looked like you
were playing more from the backcourt than you usually do?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, Radka played very deep today, so it was kind of
difficult for me to come in.
Q. Do you get a sense of how closely the Russian public follows your career and
results?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't really divide Russian public and American public or
whichever public. I think I am glad that all people enjoy watching tennis,
coming
here, or watching it on TV because I am glad that the sport of tennis is going
up.
Q. More referring to like the Russian newspapers, do you see your playing -- do
you get clips from Russian newspapers?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really, no.
Q. For example, the Russian magazine Sport Express put you on the cover one
time?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: The what?
Q. Sport express. Isn't that it?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: And --
Q. When you are on the cover there in Russia, does that give you some pride just
to know that the people back home are --
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I am on the cover here too, so -- well, for me, it
doesn't really make any difference. I mean, I am not like -- it is not my goal
to be
on the cover or it is not my goal to be in the newspaper. My goal is to play
good
tennis so I don't take it as -- I am not proud of that I am on the cover of
something
because it is not my goal.
Q. You made some great strides actually in your game this year. I am wondering
if this is what you expected or actually you have gone a little further than you
thought you would this year?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, my goal -- my coach's goal, he was always saying
that I had to get to the Championships and I had to be in the top 16 by the end
of
the year and that happened really fast after Lipton that I got into top 16. So I
am
happy probably with it. But now I see what I can do, I would probably like to go
forward on and on.
Q. They said that when you were younger you practiced a lot with Safin. Do you
follow his matches at all or not?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I didn't practice a lot with him.
Q. Another miss --
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I was -- we were raised like in the same club and we
were always on the same courts hanging out and from the -- from like six years
old and we were just there all day from like 9 o'clock in the morning our
parents
would drop us off there until like 9 at night. We would always hit with
everybody.
There were a group of kids.
Q. You don't necessarily follow his matches?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I do. He is a very nice person and as long as I have
known, he would always play with me even though I am a girl and --
Q. They said you beat him.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes, that is true. Before he was, you know, he used to cry
a lot. No, I am just kidding. No, he was really nice. We always played. It
didn't
matter that I was a girl or I was playing worse than him or better. We were just
playing and we did a lot of physical activities together.
Q. Any other people in that group that we would know?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No.
Q. Could you see him being a top player, No. 1 some day? Do you think he has
it?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: He has got a great game. As long as I can remember, he
was hitting the fence because he was always like playing very -- he was -- all
the
juniors before were keeping the ball in play and just trying to win that
tournament
or point or whatever. He was always trying to hit the ball and I think that
helped
him a lot, that he got those big strokes and he is playing really relaxed. I
love the
technique that he has got and I think that it helped him a lot that he moved to
Spain because like we know in Russia it is very difficult to practice. I think
that he
should be a great player
A. KOURNIKOVA/L. Ghirardi
6-1, 6-3
Q. How did you feel you did today?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I felt very good out there. It
was a first match. It is always difficult to play first match,
but I am glad that I went through. And I felt very comfortable on
the court.
Q. What are your expectations for this US Open?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I am just going to take it match
at a time and really concentrate on each match and just try to
enjoy being here.
Q. What percentage is your thumb, 100 now?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It feels great. It feels great.
Q. What is it like hearing all the kids screaming your name
after the match for autographs?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I am glad that they are here and
doing something and that they are enjoying watching tennis and
that they have something to look up to and, you know, enjoy
watching the sport.
Q. You seem to have a lot of success (Inaudible.) -- you had
a lot of success with your drop shot in the first set. Surprised
you didn't have much more of an effort to try and return --
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I guess I just did it at the right time
and maybe she was wrong footed or something like that.
Q. When you look at what you did at the Lipton this year, I
mean, does that make you think about how well you can possibly do
in a tournament like this?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I know that -- that tournament
showed me that I can play well and I can play well a lot of
matches in a row and beat top players in a row. So I got a lot of
confidence from that and experience from that tournament.
Q. Do you refer, though, mentally to that tournament that
often?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really. It is in the past. I just
have to look into the future.
Q. This isn't a tennis question per se, but if you would I'd
like you to consider answering this. Your homeland Russia is
going through so much troubles now. What are your thoughts about
that? Are you in touch with relatives or friends in Russia?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Of course I have grandparents there,
and everybody. But I don't really follow-up with the stuff that
is going on there in terms of politically. I know that all that
they show on TV and write in the newspaper, it is a little bit
exaggerated and the people are living normal there as we lived
before.
Q. You are not too worried about the decline of the ruble?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It is the same. It is just people are
overreacting, like, you know, in the newspapers or on TV, I think
that -- well, always I think that everybody else in the world that
Russia is so poor and there is nothing, but there -- it's a normal
life there just like anywhere else.
Q. There have been some reports that some of your sponsors
or endorsers maybe wanted you to tone down your image a little
bit. Could you talk a little bit about that?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I have never heard that from any of
them. It is probably one of those things that has been rumored or
something like that. But it has no basis to that. There is -- it
is not true. My sponsors are very happy with everything.
Q. Actually, I imagine it would be, but being the poster
girl for the WTA, does that get a little tiresome?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I am playing tennis and I am trying --
I am going to do everything for the sport and, you know, if WTA
asks me to do something, I will do it for them.
Q. I am seeing like, for example, probably the most amount
of photographers I have seen here. Does that get tiresome?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I guess it comes with the job.
Q. Did you know that Barry McKay has picked you as his dark
horse to win the tournament?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Who?
Q. He is an old-time player.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't really follow-up with the
peoples' picks and stuff like that.
Q. Do you see yourself as a dark horse or not?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I say, I am just going to try and
take it a match at a time, enjoy and try to be here as long as
possible, so I can enjoy it and I am just going to take it a match
at a time.
Q. Speaking of photographs, there have been so many of you -
you have been on so many covers and so forth - are there one or
two photos that you particularly like?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't know. I don't have one in
front of my face right now. No.
Q. As few matches as you have played this summer, is it
realistic that you can get far in the tournament?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Definitely. I think I feel fresh and
that is maybe a good thing. I feel good. I have played a couple
of matches in previous tournaments before this so I feel good and
I just have to be really focused and try to keep my concentration
on the court.
Q. What did you lose on the tennis court today?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Oh my necklace.
Q. Did you find it?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah.
Q. On a conference call maybe a month ago you had said you
were inviting others, besides Sergei, some of his teammates,
Scotty Bowman. Is there going to be any Red Wing players? I know
Sergei was here.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Scotty had just had an operation and I
talked to him and he wasn't able to come because he is getting
treatment for like another two months.
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