An Interview With Anna Kournikova

Q: Anna, what do you think the first question is going to be?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: You have to ask the questions.

Q: Well, here's the first question. It's two words. What happened?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It sounds like the favorite question of everybody. Conchita played really well and she didn't make any mistakes. She made me, you know, work, and I made a little bit too many mistakes in the beginning, you know, and she got more confident probably during the match. So she played well.

Q: Anna, would you say she really beat you or you didn't play that well?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, she won, so I guess she beat me.

Q: No. That I understand, but did she beat you or you didn't play well? Did she play well?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. She played really well and I didn't play my best game. It was her day today.

Q: Did you feel that the inactivity, all the time out maybe finally caught up with you today more than the other days?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah. I think it's the first tournament for me for after eight weeks, so I think, you know, I had a good tournament so far, won two matches, and you know, I'm happy with the first tournament.

Q: Do you play next week?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes.

Q: In terms of your mental preparation, the fact that you were delayed last night, then postponed, did that perhaps have an effect on today's result?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really. We're used to waiting a lot, and it was last night I left here at 10:30. So you know, we're used to waiting all the time.

Q: Anna, you have yet to win a tournament. How far do you think you're away from making that breakthrough?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I think that, you know, I have to play many more matches and concentrate on each match, and you know, be more confident knowing that I can beat some of the best players.

Q: At one time when the spectators seemed to be jeering your opponent, and you seemed to be upset by the treatment of her when she was serving. I think you turned around and told them to stop it. Did you --

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Nothing like that. I don't recall anything.

Q: Are you going to be sticking around for the weekend or are you out of here?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I'm playing next week, so I have to get there somehow.

Q: So there's no time for a quick little Montreal vacation in other words?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We'll see. Maybe.

Q: What do you think separates -- you talked about you played some more of the established players and winning a tournament. What do you think separates you right now from that level, you know, where you can win a tournament? Just experience or?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah. Like I said, I need to play many more
matches and be more confident that I can beat the best players.

Q: Do you feel like you and Hingis were the young players left in the draw and that now you're out so it's more veterans left in? Do you think about that?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, not at all. All players are the same. They're all players and I don't think about the age at all.

Q: Anna, the crowd surrounding you this weekend at centre court or court No. 1 have been huge. You have an instant huge following here in Montreal. Perhaps a message to the fans who are disappointed you didn't go any further in the tournament.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I'd just like to thank them for coming and I hope they enjoyed watching and I was playing for them.

Q: You were looking often towards your friend Sergi in the front row. Were you looking for reassurance? You many times during the match looked towards him. Can you explain what that was about?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. My coach was sitting there and I was just --

Q: Your coach was sitting there? How upset are you by this loss? Is it something you forget quickly or is it going to stick with you for a while?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I have to go on. I'm going to think about next week, and obviously it's not one of the greatest matches I've played, but like I said, Conchita played really well and I'm happy with the performance I gave after eight weeks of not playing.

Q: Conchita looks stronger than you. Do you think you are physically strong enough to beat the big players?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I can't -- I guess I can't grow anymore, be bigger than her. I feel physically in shape, and like I said, it's only my third match after not playing, so I'm sore a little bit everywhere. So but physically I feel perfectly fine.