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Jelena
Dokic Interview - Day 7
Monday, July 2, 2001
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L. DAVENPORT/J. Dokic
7-5, 6-4
Q. Do you think that was an opportunity missed today?
JELENA DOKIC: Definitely. You know, I don't think -- you know, it was 5
and 4, but I don't think -- it was a lot closer than that. I think, you
know, a few opportunities there would have changed the whole match. You
know, I think I was just unlucky on the big points, and I didn't play
the big points well. And that's where I lost the match.
Q. Do you think that perhaps the serve was the big difference between
the two of you, her serve stood up better?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, you know, in the two previous matches we played, I
think I served a lot better than I did in either of them. I hoped my
service game was a little better this time. But I did, especially on the
big points, I really had trouble with the serve. You know, when I did
have breakpoints, she hit really, you know, big serves. You know, like
30-Alls and deuces. So that made a bit of a difference. You know, I had
some breakpoints that I, you know, should have converted a lot more of.
Q. Do you see yourself ever trying a few volleys? Obviously that's what
a lot of people look for in their game is a volley, you didn't try one
today. Do you think there will come a time when you will try to bring
that into your game?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. It's a little hard against Lindsay, when she hits
the ball so hard. It's hard to come in when 90% of the time you're at
the back of the court. So it's very hard to do that. You know, I've done
it in my previous matches, but it's very difficult when you play her,
especially when I'm returning because I'm never in, you know -- I'm
never controlling the point really.
Q. Do you think that you moved Lindsay around the court as much as you
would have liked to today? She's not the most mobile opponent.
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, again that comes to something like -- it was one of
my plans. And as soon as I did move her around, I had a lot more, you
know, opportunities to win the points. But, again, it's very hard
because she was dictating so much, especially on her serve. You know,
when she -- she gets a lot of free points on her serves and a lot of
short replies. That's where she hurts you. That's what she's good at.
Q. Do you feel that that was the best Jelena out there today?
JELENA DOKIC: Probably not. I think I would have liked to have played a
bit better, especially I had some, you know, unforced errors there that
I could have cut out. But also, you know, it didn't come down, I don't
think, to who played better; I think it was who played better on the
bigger points. You know, I had a break in that first set, and I didn't
hold my serve. I just rushed. I think that was a big mistakes right
there. That's probably where I lost the match, too.
Q. You rushed, you say?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah.
Q. I guess Wimbledon is always a special place for you, having knocked
out Hingis in the first round. Have you changed your mind about
Wimbledon this year?
JELENA DOKIC: No, definitely not. You know, I got to the fourth round
again. You know, I got to the last 16. Again, I'm, you know -- again,
I'm up there. And I think out of any of the matches -- I had a pretty
tough draw, to play Lindsay in the fourth round. There were some very,
you know, open sections of the draw. More than half the matches, you
know, where they didn't have to face someone like Lindsay or Venus. And
that's just unlucky. You know, I think if I would have played a lot of
the other fourth rounds, if I was anywhere in there, I would have had
probably a little bit more of a chance. I think Lindsay's always hard to
play against on grass, and she's done very well here, every time she
plays. Again, it just comes down to, you know, a tough section of the
draw there.
Q. Martina Hingis's form has dropped away substantially in the last year
and a half since players like Venus and Serena and Lindsay Davenport -
who are huge girls really compared to some of the other players . Do you
sometimes feel it's always going to be very tough for people of your
size to beat people of their size?
JELENA DOKIC: Not necessarily. I think Martina was beating them all
while she was in form. You know, she has dropped off a little bit. You
know, I'm sure that she'll bounce back.
But, you know, they always have an advantage over you. I think it's very
hard to play someone, especially on the serve. You know, they're just
overpowering. Especially if they're in form, it's very hard to beat
someone like that.
Q. Do you find that the pressures, off-court distractions, are greater
at Wimbledon for yourself than anywhere else?
JELENA DOKIC: Not really, no. I think, you know, I've always done well
here. I don't put any pressure on myself. I always feel confident when I
get on the court, especially here. I've always done well. You know,
every year that I've lost, I've lost to someone that's gone far in the
tournament, and someone that's been playing well in the tournament.
Q. Who do you expect to go on and win now?
JELENA DOKIC: You know, I think the top half's very open. I don't know.
I think probably the favourites, they're up there. I mean, it's very
hard to say who is going to win between Serena and Jennifer. But the
bottom half, you know, I think Lindsay's playing very well right now. I
would expect her to get to the semis. But you never know. And then she
might have to face Venus. Again, that's very tough. And you'd probably
want those two players to be in separate halves. It's very hard to say.
I think everyone's in form right now. You know, I think it's just a
matter of what happens on the day.
Q. Was your transport okay this morning?
JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, it was fine.
Q. You weren't sort of waiting?
JELENA DOKIC: No.
Q. You had a nice mixed doubles come-from-behind win yesterday. Seemed
like you were having a lot of fun. In any way is it fun to play with a
partner who has also, like yourself and your family, gone up against the
establishment?
JELENA DOKIC: You know, I don't think we look at it that way. I think
it's the first time that we've played together. You know, he's very fun
to play with, and very enjoyable. You know, we don't think about that.
We don't talk about that. It's something that players definitely don't
discuss. It's something that's not on our minds. I think especially when
it comes to mixed doubles, you just go out there. It's just something
to, you know, try out different things and just go out there and have
fun. It's a lot more enjoyable than singles.
Q. You looked upset about some possible long serves, crucial points. You
said that she got away with big serving on crucial breakpoints, but you
looked as if you thought they were out. Some of us thought they looked
long.
JELENA DOKIC: I mean, you're never sure about that. It's not clay, so
it's very hard to see. I mean, I would have liked to see the replays.
But, you know, she argued a few, and so did I. Maybe they were long,
maybe they weren't. I felt like they were at the time. I don't know.
Maybe they were. I don't know. It's very hard to say on grass. I felt
like they were. And, you know, she did get away with some of them. But,
you know...
Q. Do you think it's possible that that particular lines person is weary
of calling a ball out without the beep going if it's near the zone, a
bit of inhibition?
JELENA DOKIC: I think he's always going to go with the Cyclops. I think
that's what it's there for. I don't think he's ever going to overrule a
close call, he's just going to go to the machine. It's just a matter of,
you know, the call that he makes at the time, whatever he feels
comfortable.
I'm sure the chair umpire won't overrule either on a surface like this.
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