SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 2006-11-12

SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 12, 2006

Amelie Mauresmo
MADRID, SPAIN
Question Amelie, late aggressor, what about -- and today it was opposite. What was -- maybe mental or physical?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I don't know what to say. First of all, I think it's tough every day to produce the same kind of tennis we played yesterday. That's the first thing.
And today I just thought she simply played better than me. Opportunities where she had them, and on myself I felt I didn't serve so good and maybe wasn't so effective on the forehand side basically when I was going to the net. Made a few errors there.
But that's just the way it is. And, you know, I didn't -- as I was saying throughout the week: I wasn't expecting to be here today and maybe the energy I gave every match, maybe today was not enough. But just no excuses. She just played, basically, better than me today. That's it.

Question Can you talk a little bit about your season overall, just it's hard to put it all in perspective right now but --
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's tough, because the disappointment is here right after the match. But I'm sure, you know, later on, a couple days, I will look back on my season thinking I would have signed for it any time if somebody would have told me, you know, before January that I was going to get two Grand Slam titles and being in the finals here again after last year.
So it's really, it feels great. I mean all the goals I had I've achieved and it also gives you even more appetite for next year. What I'm looking forward now first of all is to try to rest a little bit and get ready for '07. Because once you've tasted these emotions, these big moments, you just want to have more. And that's why you play tennis, and it's really amazing.
So I'm really looking forward to recover and get ready and get well for next year.

Question Was your strategy going into this match much different than the other day because it seemed more an up and down match?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yes, much more up and down, maybe the energy I left throughout the week. But I think she played also a little bit differently than Friday. And again I wasn't so effective when I was coming in and going to the net.
She played well. I mean it's really nothing really much to say.

Question You obviously expected to beat somebody ranked 30 or 40. But when you're playing someone like Justine or Maria, I assume it's a fifty/fifty match. How many players are there who you think you will struggle to beat even if you're playing your best if they're also playing their best?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, probably all the players that were probably here this week. I think between six and eight, maybe, I think, let's say top 10. You know, if we're both playing our best, I think it's -- it's probably six, seven players, yes. That's good. It used to be differently in women's tennis. And I think it's really starting, the gap is starting to close, which is good for everybody, I think.

Question You've been a professional for nine years. You had a couple of injuries this year, in a way you're at your best now. How many years do you think you can go on at this level?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I don't know. I'm just going to try -- going to give myself, you know, every opportunity that I can to try to be at my best physically, especially physically, because I'm talking about the gap that is closing.
It asks you from your body, from your mental, even more each match. When you're used to maybe before playing at 100 percent in the semis and finals. So now it's right from the beginning that you have to be ready.
So I'll see. I really don't know what the future is going to give me. I really don't know how long my body is going to give me, and I really don't know how long my mind will want to be focused and I will want to make the sacrifices and have the intensity in everything I do.
But I definitely -- my envy -- my will is here 100 percent right now and I'm sure it's going to be here for a few more years.

Question Amelie, in any case this year you had an appointment with Justine in Australia. You won. Wimbledon is a dream for any player. Now you lost but you are going to have more meetings (inaudible) and another place --
AMELIE MAURESMO: I hope. Definitely. If we both definitely keep playing, keep being consistent at the highest level, of course, I guess we're going to have more meetings and, you know, it's -- I personally definitely want to be in the other Grand Slam finals and compete against the best players. I think that's, as I say, that's why you play tennis, and to have these big moments, these big matches, even sometimes you lose, it's not easy to handle. But it makes you stronger also, I think.

Question Amelie, without you and Justine, basically everybody would be playing on the baseline all the time. You have variety. How important do you think that is for the women's game to have that variety at the top of the game, and do you think it's a coincidence that you two, up at the top but you have the variety?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Maybe it's not a coincidence. I think it's a big weapon to be able to, of course, sometimes stay in the back because I don't think now in women's tennis you can do only serve and volley and only return and volley. So have a basic type of game from the baseline but also being capable of coming in, go to the net and finish off the points at the net.
I think it gives you the choice and depending on the player you're going to play, depending on their type of game, I think it's really an edge to be able to do that.

Question Would you say Portugal (inaudible) Mauresmo, Portugal is you?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Good.