PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
Date: 2005-03-11

PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 11, 2005

Amelie Mauresmo
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA
The Moderator Questions for Amelie.

Question You have to be pleased to get through this match so easily.
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah. No, you know, I felt pretty good on the court. It's nice not to stay too long with the heat on the court. You know, again, nothing really specific to say about that match. Just happy about the way I played.

Question Was everything clicking for you today?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I think so. I think so. Serve was good. You know, the consistency, the intensity that I put into the ball, I didn't let her get into her rhythm and get into that match. So that's what I wanted actually before the match. I was able to do it today. So it was good.

Question Were you restless to get out there today?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Restless?

Question Ready to go.
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yes. As I said a few days ago, I was really looking forward to get into the competition. You practice, but you really want to get it going. That's what I did today. It was good.

Question How will you spend the rest of the day?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I'll have physical training this afternoon.

Question Golf or anything else?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Oh, no, no, no. Just recuperation and stretching, all this stuff. You know, I'm not playing golf, so...

Question Are you coming here off an injury? Have you been injured?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No, not in the last few weeks.

Question You had something in Australia at the start of the year.
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah. And then, you know, in Europe was much better. I'm physically fit and ready.

Question What was it you had in Australia?
AMELIE MAURESMO: The adductors.

Question Tell us about working with Yannick, how that's going?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, we haven't started yet.

Question When does it begin?
AMELIE MAURESMO: In April. He's not here so we're going to see each other in April, next month.

Question Here or in Europe?
AMELIE MAURESMO: In Europe, after Miami.

Question What is the arrangement with him?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No arrangement so far. We just going to talk to each other, see what we can do, how we can work it out and see what he can -- how he can help me in different areas: the game, the physical, the mental, the psychological part. We'll see. But, yeah, it's going to be interesting.

Question What are you hoping Yannick can help you with?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, he has a lot of experience. He's capable, as I said, you know, to bring out the best of every person. That's what he's done with the Davis Cup team, with the Fed Cup team, with some soccer team in France also. He's now working with Cameroon team in soccer. It's going to be a good experience. I'm looking forward for this to start.

Question How long had you been thinking about this?
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's been a year and a half that we're talking about it. Never really happened. But this time it's going to happen.

Question When you look at your game, you look at the game of other French players.
AMELIE MAURESMO: Pretty different, huh?

Question Yes. They seem to bring a certain style, see the court differently. I'm wondering, is it something you learn when you're coming up in the French development? Is it a certain mentality from being French? Where do you think this comes from?
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's funny because we all come from different -- you know, I'm a pure Federation product, let's say. Marion Bartoli is working with her dad since the beginning. Emilie Loit went out of the Federation pretty early. Fabrice has been working with his father also. It's a little bit like, you know, we don't have like one kind of game or one kind of thinking just because we don't follow the same road, I think. But on the psychological part, I think it's the same actually. You grow up differently, if it's your dad or mom that is taking care of you than if it's other people.

Question Why do you think it seems that the French, they use angles that other players don't use, they use spins that other place don't use?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I have my weapons. I'm not capable of hitting the ball as hard, let's say, as Serena or Lindsay. But I have other weapons that I have to put on the court. Fabrice is not so powerful, as well, as the big hitters. So we try to do something different. Why? I don't know if there is. I don't have the answer. I don't know if there is any specific reason for this.

Question Is it the food, the water?
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's the wine maybe (smiling).

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