WIMBLEDON
Date: 2006-06-28

WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2006

Amelie Mauresmo
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Questions in English, please.

Question Very impressive performance. You feel this is the best you've played in a buildup to this Championships?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, yeah, it's one of the great match that I've played here. I don't know if also the fact that my opponent was not so good made it easy for me. It's maybe tough to judge a little bit after just one match, you know, how I feel and how my game is although I was very satisfied about the way I played today. Not letting anything, you know, any point down or whatever.
So, yeah, that's good. And also not to spend too much time on the court is another satisfaction for me, yeah.

Question Does it feel different this year to the last three years? Do you have the feeling maybe you can go farther?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It feels about the same. I mean, every time I come here, I step on the courts at Aorangi or the main site, it's really different atmosphere. It's really something special. It feels great. You know, the courts are just perfect. Yeah, it's a great feeling.

Question Justine was saying after her first-round match that she feels it's wide open this year.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It is pretty open, I think, yeah. I think so. Maybe more than last year or couple years ago. I think you've seen Justine adjusting very well last week in Eastbourne. Venus, I think, is a very tough one on that surface still because she's serving so well and playing really well. Yeah, looking also on Kim's side and check on maybe Kuznetsova and a few players. So wide open.

Question Second round, you are going to play Samantha Stosur or Michaella Krajicek. Who do you prefer?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I don't know. I don't prefer anybody or whatever. It's going to be interesting to see how they do for their first match. I'm going to maybe try to have a look at it.
They have pretty different games, I think. I know a little bit more Stosur than Krajicek. Yeah, I think Loic is going to go and see probably.

Question You played Krajicek in Australia.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I played her there just one set and then she had to retire. It's difficult to see with just one set.

Question What do you think of her now that she's won her third tournament already at 17 years of age?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It's great. I was not doing it at her age. It's good. She's definitely one of the next, you know, great player in the game. She's proved already a lot. She seemed to be playing well on grass also.
Expecting a tough one.

Question Not too bothered by being on Court No. 2, the graveyard of champions?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: It was not the graveyard for me today, so that was a good point. Yeah, you want to play on the biggest courts, so that's definitely for sure. You know, I thought, Okay, I'll play on Court 2 today and then I will have to again prove myself to go on the bigger ones.

Question Did that maybe surprise you, as the world No. 1, top seed?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: To be honest, it surprised me a little bit last night when I lightly heard about the schedule. It's just the way it is.

Question But with the rain and everything...
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Exactly, yeah. That's the way it is.

Question With Andre retiring, a lot of people have been reflecting on his career. Would you comment on what he's meant to tennis. Do you have a moment of his in particular that you remember more than any other?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I think was for me when he won in '99 Roland Garros, the French Open, because not only the way he came back into that match because, I mean, after two sets everybody was expecting for him to go down and miss this great opportunity he had to be -- to win the first Grand Slam.
But then he was able to come back. And the emotion he showed after, that was for me, yeah, the moment that comes to my mind when I first think about him.
But there are so many. I mean, he's achieved so much in his career. He's done so much on the court but also off the court for tennis, for kids, for all these, I mean, charities he has and everything.
So it's a little bit sad to see him, you know, leave tennis, but it's also I'm sure great for him to, you know, probably do something else. Even though I'm sure it was a tough decision for him to take.
But he's, what, 35, 36 now? So, yeah, it's about time, I guess, to leave the court. I'm sure physically also he was feeling it was tougher and tougher to be prepared, to be ready, you know, to be free of injuries, I'm sure.

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