WIMBLEDON
Date: 2006-07-04

WIMBLEDON

July 4, 2006

Amelie Mauresmo
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Good afternoon, Amélie Mauresmo.

Question Do you think that's the sort of test that will stand you in good stead for the semifinal?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, yeah, I think I made it myself a little test because I was feeling very comfortable in the first set, and then struggled a little bit to find back my rhythm in that second and beginning of third set.
But, yeah, I mean, as I said yesterday, you know, tournament is getting tougher and tougher as you go through rounds. That's what happened today. That's what's gonna happen again on Thursday.
But really looking forward for this one. It's obviously why you play tennis, you know, to play these big matches and to be able to walk out on these big courts in such big occasions.
So, you know, three loss in the semifinal for me here. Looking forward maybe next time to go through this one and try to reach the final.

Question Have you been watching anything of Maria up till now?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I've been watching a little bit of yesterday and today's match. To be honest, not so closely. But she seemed to be very confident out there today and really confident on her service game especially.
But yesterday, we could see she was struggling a little bit more. So, you know, we'll see. It's gonna be different day. You know, it's a tough match anyway, I think. But when you get in semifinal of a Grand Slam, it has to be.

Question Do you need to reduce the number of unforced errors you've made out there?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Especially after today's match. I think I was playing very, very well in that first set, and then started to make, you know, way too many unforced errors. Probably I wanted to do even more, you know. Sometimes you just have to stay on what you do and do it well, and that's probably what I should have done.
But, you know, it's a good lesson also to learn, and I'm trying to learn after every match. Today was some great tennis, at some points some not-so-good tennis. We'll see how it goes on Thursday.

Question Were nerves to blame for the poor quality of your tennis?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, after that, I think it's -- when you start to make so many unforced errors, the nerves get involved into that, especially in that second set. But then was really able in that third set to make it look a little bit better.

Question Do you feel stronger this year from your experiences?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I hope. As I said, you learn from your experiences. Is it gonna be enough? Is it not gonna be enough? We'll see. Answer on Thursday.
But hopefully I'm, you know, ready for the match and, again, we'll see how it goes.

Question Having won in Australia, you said after winning there that you won a Grand Slam, everything else can be a bonus now. Do you feel more relaxed here this year?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I feel more relaxed even though today I got a little bit tense probably in that second set.
But I do feel that things are really different now and that I'm doing things differently on the court and off the court also. So, you know, this also might be a good help for the semifinal.

Question What are you doing differently?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think I'm much more relaxed, much more open to people, to things, not getting frustrated as the way I was before in practice or in, you know, different occasions.
So, yeah, I'm growing up.

Question Have you changed any routines off court, anything that you did?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Not really, no. I think I'm pretty -- I'm doing pretty much the same.

Question Did you feel you could have lost that today in the third set?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, if I was keep playing like I played in the second set, yeah, was not gonna be my day. But, again, I was able to focus back first of all on my service games and then was able to break her in that third set. I knew I was probably gonna have occasions on her serve, and that's what happened on her third service game, I think.
So, yeah, was pretty happy.

Question Do you have any plans for your birthday?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No, no. I am gonna watch the soccer. So, yeah, we'll see how it goes then (smiling).

Question If you win the first set as comfortably as you did today, do you subconsciously relax and let her back into the game?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: No, I think what I did, I want to do even more and when I didn't need to do more in anything, and then so started to make unforced errors, and especially on the return of serves and everything.
So probably step down after a little bit, and then find my rhythm back a little bit more in that third set. But, yeah.

Question The serve-and-volley tactic seemed to work quite well for you.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, yeah, I still think on grass, even though the grass is pretty slow because also of the weather, it has been unbelievable weather for one week now. But I still think that that's the way I'm playing best on grass. That's what I'm doing.

Question Do you intend to try a bit more in the future rounds?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Try more? I don't know if I can try it more. Let's see how much of a -- I'm almost 80% of the time after my first serve at the net. So that's quite a lot already.

Question You come here as the No. 1 in the world. Do you feel you've still something to show the British public?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't think I have anything to prove to myself, first of all, or to anybody. I just want more. That's probably the key thing for me to -- for everybody, for every player to be out there, is we want more. I also want more. I want to be able to have some more great matches with great emotions, try to get some titles, and that's why I'm playing.
But, yeah, nothing much or more to prove to myself or to anybody else.

Question How will you relax tomorrow?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I'm probably gonna come hit a little bit during the day. I don't know if it's gonna be in the morning or in the afternoon. And then, you know, probably watch a little bit of the men's. And then have, you know, massage and everything, watch the soccer at night. That's about it.

Question You mentioned the football. Does it help to have the World Cup on during a time like this? Is it a welcome distraction?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know if it helps. I don't know if we can say it helps. But it's nice. It's nice. I mean, I like to follow these kind of events, big events in sports.

Question This is probably a really stupid question but I'll ask it anyway. Would you rather win here at Wimbledon or France win the World Cup?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It is a stupid question (smiling).

Question Do you feel the courts are any slower of anything but the weather?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think the weather plays a big part, but I think we've seen for few years already the courts are getting slower and slower. And probably comparing from four years ago, I think it's even slower now. But the weather plays a big part in that, I think.

Question Where do you rank the rivalry between Kim and Justine? They're playing in the other semifinal. This will be the 22nd match.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: How do I rank...?

Question Their rivalry.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: They're probably the same age or maybe one year difference or whatever.

Question They've played so many times.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, they've dominated, both of them, the game a lot. Like Kim last year, Justine couple years before. She's on and off since then.
But it just proves that both of them are, you know, great champions. They obviously won big titles. They have to play at some time in the semis or final of big events.
But 22 is a lot, yeah, I have to say.

Question But never here.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Oh, that's interesting.

Question Just restructuring that World Cup question, who do you think has the best chance of winning a final at the weekend, Les Bleus or Amélie?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, we both have to get to the final first, so we'll talk about it on Thursday.

Question As a professional tennis player, is it worse losing a semifinal or a final?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. We don't want any of that to happen actually.
Well, the further you go, probably the better you feel. But, honestly, I'm not thinking about that at all.

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