SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 2006-11-07

SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 7, 2006

Amelie Mauresmo
MADRID, SPAIN
MODERATOR: Questions for Amelie.

Question Start of your title offense, how much has your shoulder and lack of play been a factor?
AMELIE MAURESMO: My shoulder didn't hurt me tonight. But obviously the lack of play was a big thing for me tonight. So nothing really special to say about the match. Obviously couldn't be worse in the next couple of matches and some more to do tomorrow and hopefully enough to get better for Thursday and Friday.

Question Did you not have any rhythm out there?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yes, typical of kind of match that I can play when I miss competition.

Question What about her play, can you make comments on that?
AMELIE MAURESMO: She played a good match. She didn't play a great match, but it was really enough for today, enough for what I gave her in return. So, yeah, it's even more frustrating to play against a player who hasn't played a great match and just a normal match, you would say.

Question Madrid has similar altitude as Paris. Do you think it's a problem that the balls fly too high?
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's a little bit different, but I really don't take this as an excuse for the way I played tonight.

Question This is a round-robin, and sometimes you can lose a match and still win the tournament, no?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I hope.

Question There's no danger of you playing out because of the shoulder, going to play second and third matches?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yes.

Question Do you confirm you are not going to retreat because of your shoulder?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yes, I confirm.

Question What did you make of the atmosphere out there?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Not too many people at the beginning, and we could feel they were getting ready maybe to get into the match at the end, sorry, once you start to miss a little bit and put the ball into the courts. So maybe they were going to start to get into the match, which I didn't give them the opportunity for.

Question Was it reminiscent of some of the earlier rounds in LA in recent years, the empty seats?
AMELIE MAURESMO: The atmosphere? No, I think it's the first day, first match and people have to get into the rhythm, just like me.