2001 AUSTRALIAN OPEN at MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA on January 23, 2001
Lindsay Davenport defeated Anna Kournikova, 6-4, 6-2

An Interview With ANNA KOURNIKOVA

MODERATOR: Questions for Anna.

Q. How pleased are you with your run at the Australian Open this year?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I'm definitely very happy to be in the quarterfinals. I think, you know, I played well. I was fighting, even though maybe I didn't play too perfect in the beginning of the tournament. Just happy that I got to the quarterfinals.

Q. Does it set a good scene for the rest of the year for you?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, it definitely sets a good scene for the beginning of the year. You know, I'm going to take it a step at a time, tournament by tournament, just try to do my best at every tournament.

Q. What do you think you learned from the match today?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I think that the match today, I played good, and Lindsay was playing smarter than me. Obviously, she has much more experience playing these big matches than me. I think it just gave me a lot of experience playing in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Q. Were you nervous out there today?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No.

Q. What do you think you have to do now to move your game up another level?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I think that I have to play the same as I was playing today against Lindsay, but I have to play more consistent.

Q. You have the fundamentals, you have the tools, but you need more consistency, that's what you're missing at the moment?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: That's what I think, yeah.

Q. You see a lot of the players like Martina are trying to add to their games, come to the net more often. Do you feel any need to do that sort of thing, as well?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, my game is in some way coming to the net. My game, I like to play aggressive. It includes coming to the net. I think that I just need to work on consistency and get experience in big, big matches like this today.

Q. Is finding a coach a priority?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Why change something if everything is going good?

Q. Is it going so good? A few years ago people were talking about you as somebody who would win Grand Slams.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I will.

Q. Do you feel it's far away?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, like I always say, you can never predict anything. You can never say it's going to happen tomorrow, in one year or in five years. I mean, I just have to keep working hard. I know that I'm a good player. If I will work, continue to work, continue to improve the way I've been improving, eventually my game will come together and everything will be fine.

Q. I'm not sure if the quote was accurate. But your former coach was quoted as saying that you lacked discipline basically, that was your fundamental problem. What do you say to that?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I would like to say that maybe you should go out and watch me practice, then you'll probably see if I have discipline or not.