WIMBLEDON
Date: 2007-07-03

WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2007

Amelie Mauresmo
LONDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Amélie Mauresmo. Who would like to ask the first question?

Question What went wrong?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. Everything went wrong today. No, well, the serve was definitely not working really well today. A little bit I think I had some up and downs throughout the first week, and it showed a little bit more today when it's a bit -- well, first when you play a better opponent and when it's a little tighter in terms of score.
So it definitely showed more today as well as, yeah, the rest of the game didn't work very well. Probably confidence. I'm struggling to get the confidence back. That's probably an explanation, well, to what I produce in terms of tennis today.

Question Did the stop/start affect you?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, it didn't help for sure. It was the same for her. She was in a much better rhythm throughout the whole match than I was. Definitely those interruptions don't help. But that's it.

Question Was there any stage during the match when the rain interrupted and you got fed up?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No, no, no, not really. No, no.

Question What does it feel like to have lost your Wimbledon title?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't really think about that right now. I'm just disappointed about losing this match, especially the way I played or I wasn't able to play today.
This is even more frustrating, I think.

Question Will you conclude that the best player won today?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, she definitely played better than me today. That's for sure.

Question Were nerves a factor at all for you?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Just the level of play that I didn't have for the last few months. Sometimes, you know, it works. Sometimes it shows that it's a lack of confidence and lack of practice, yeah. That's about it.

Question You had a large number of double-faults. How much of that was about you? How much of it was sort of a reaction to the way she was returning?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, as I was saying at the beginning, I think I didn't serve well and I made a lot of double-faults throughout my first three matches. When you play a match 6-1, 6-2 and you have six or seven double-faults, that's a lot.
Obviously when you're going to play a longer match, you're going to have even more. I don't know how many I had today, but definitely too many.
Well, I just thought -- I don't know if it was her or me or whatever, but definitely not good.

Question An appendectomy is a pretty significant operation. Do you feel like you asked too much of your body to come back so quickly and to play Grand Slam tennis?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. I don't ask myself that question. I just want to come back to the level I had quickly, as quickly as I can. I'm trying to.
It shows not only today but throughout the last few weeks and few months that I had that it's tough. Yeah, it's definitely a struggle for me right now.

Question Do you think Nicole can go very far in this tournament?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, she's serving pretty well. Yeah, I don't know what the draw is yet. I guess so.

Question What was racing through your mind at the very end of the match?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: That it was a shitty match, really shitty third set even.

Question Wasn't a very big crowd today. A lot of empty seats on Centre Court. Does that make a difference to how you play?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No.

Question Given how you said you played, do you feel, had you gotten through this match, you would have been good enough to maybe beat the Sharapovas and Williamses of this world?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: You never know how you're going to improve, how you're going to get the confidence back. It's always very little things. Maybe you struggle in these kind of match, you don't play well, but you're still capable of winning the first set, then go past that match, then maybe it gets better.
It's always very few details, few shots here and there, then the confidence can get back. But unfortunately it was not the case. Yeah, you know, sometimes it can go quickly. It's not happening to me right now.

Question What happened at the start of the second set where the umpire seemed a bit confused after the tiebreak?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Oh, he was wrong on the side we were supposed to start the second set.

Question Was he asking the ball boy for advice?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know.

Question You play Fed Cup next weekend?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, we go to Italy.

Question You say it's difficult to get the confidence back. Do you feel you've made progress this week or do you feel you've gone backwards?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: After this match it's tough to say I made some progress. But the overall grass -- the week of Eastbourne and here was a little bit better than the clay, that's for sure. But considering today's match, it's tough to stay on the positive side.

Question Aside from the specifics of this tournament's draw, does Vaidisova seem like a player ready to win a Grand Slam to you, or capable of winning Wimbledon?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I think she's got some maturity on the court. She's showing that she can go for shots at the right times. I don't know about grass.
But I think maybe -- well, yeah, she's been close already. She's been in a couple semis. She's probably going to make it one day.

Question Are you very disappointed or just disappointed?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: What do you think?

Question From your face I see disappointed, not very disappointed.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I'm a good actress then.

Question So are you, yes or no?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think I answered that.

Question Who do you think is going to win the championship now?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't care right now.

Question You must be very disappointed not to care. How hard is it to come into a press conference like this after a day like that?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, it's not the easiest thing to do definitely. You are already frustrated. I am frustrated by the way I played and disappointed by the ending of the tournament for me. So, yeah, definitely not easy and not something you're happy to come to do.

Question Will you watch any more of the tournament on TV or live or do you just want to forget about it?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Oh, probably, yeah.

Question Do you think you can come back and win next year?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It's a bit too early to talk about that. I have other things in between this Wimbledon and the one from next year to work on.

Question How long do you think it will take you to get back into tip-top condition?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know.

Question Last year you were disappointed because you won Wimbledon but everybody was talking about the World Championships.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: You say that. You said I was disappointed.

Question Last year there wasn't enough media coverage because they were talking about the World Cup in soccer.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Don't start your sentence by, "I was disappointed to win Wimbledon." That doesn't sound right to me.

Question Last year you didn't seem to be too happy about the media coverage during your win because I read on L'Equipe that they were talking so much about soccer that you had less exposure than you would have deserved winning Wimbledon.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, that's a fact.

Question Today you lost and there are maybe no other matches. Many people will talk about this match. A double disappointment or not?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No, no. Doesn't make a big difference, I'm telling you. But that was interesting.

Question Whether you're disappointed or not disappointed, do you take some consolation from being the only French woman other than Lenglen to win this championship?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Not now.

Question Later I hope.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Maybe, for sure.