AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Date: 2007-01-14

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 14, 2007

Amelie Mauresmo
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
The Moderator First question for Amélie.

Question After last year with two Grand Slams, what are your expectations this year? Are they high?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, they are very high. They are about the same that I had before coming here last year.
I think once you've tasted what it is to win the big ones, you really want to feel that again and you really want more. And that's how I feel right now in this beginning of 2007.
You know, maybe I will have the opportunity to live some great moments again. And I want to make sure I try my best to be able to go through these great moments.
Yeah, the big ones, the Grand Slams, are obviously the main things for me.

Question Is there any disappointment that Justine isn't here this year for a potential rematch?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No. I think we had plenty of rematch throughout the 2006 season. I'm really focusing on me and really what I have to do. It would already be great to go to the end and play that last match.
You know, I just don't really think about who could be in front of me for every match. I just really think about what I have to do.

Question Are you surprised you're not the No. 1 seed here in Melbourne?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No, because Maria has a better ranking than me. I mean, that's the way it has been for years, that the seeding system is following the ranking. I'm not surprised.

Question Are you surprised with the No. 1 ranking that you won two Grand Slams.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: You're talking about finishing No. 1 last year?

Question Yes.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I would have loved to finish No. 1, of course. But I think, honestly, looking at Justine's season, really playing the four final, winning one, winning the Masters, the championship at the end, was quite extraordinary, so I think she deserved it.

Question How much do you enjoy the atmosphere of the Australian Open?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I've always loved coming here, not only in Melbourne, but also in Sydney, coming here in Australia. I love the country. I think the people are great. I come here for more than 10 years now.
You know, it's also in the middle of the winter in Europe. You have different atmosphere. You know, I like it. I feel always pretty good coming here. You know, hopefully this year will be another great one.

Question Do you think it's a problem people one of the problems with Amélie is maybe she wants a Grand Slam too much. And now 12 months later, what happened? Maybe she doesn't want it enough?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: What was funny, during last year, was when I arrived at the US Open everybody was talking to me about maybe having the 'Mini Slam', having three out of four. A few months earlier, a lot of people were saying, Yeah, she might never going to get it. She's sometimes nervous in the key moments and everything.
I'm just really not paying attention any more because we know really anything can happen. People don't know how hungry I am still for winning a Grand Slam. They can always talk, but they don't know.

Question Your first time as a defending Grand Slam champion. Is the mindset very different?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: For the moment, it feels like the same, except that I'm really enjoying maybe even more coming back here and having these great memories from last year.
For the moment, I'm going through this really in a very relaxed way.

Question You look like Super Woman in that suit.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Oh, yeah, really? That's good. I hope I'll be Super Woman in the next two weeks (smiling).

Question Five of the past seven champions have been Americans here, but there's no Americans seeded in this Open. Why do you think they're struggling so bad? Do you think it's the end of their glory days?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think you were very, very lucky to have all the great champions that you had in the last 20 or 30 years in the U.S. Suddenly this little moment where everything is not going so right for the women's tennis in the States, you know, makes you a little bit disappointing. But really, I mean, it's going to come back.
No, I mean, it's always in cycle. I really think that -- I don't see why America wouldn't get back to the highest level in the women's tennis. There is absolutely no reason for that.