Anna Kournikova defeated Natasha Zvereva, 6-1, 6-4
An Interview With Anna Kournikova
Q. Nick recently said that he felt the strength of your game was your net play. If he were to advise you, he suggests that you come to net even 90% of the time. Do you have any thoughts about that? Could you comment about that strategy in your game?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think my game is basically attacking, but it doesn't mean I have to go every point to the net. I have good groundstrokes. I prefer to play out the point, then finish them at the net if I have a chance. But if I'm playing on surfaces like grass, of course I'll come to the net.
Q. But if you had to pick out one or two of the strong points of your game, what would that be?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think it's the aggressiveness of my game, whether it's groundstrokes or something else. But, you know, groundstrokes are the basics of tennis.
Q. One or two things you'd like to work on?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Just being more consistent.
Q. In many ways you're very well-known, but people still, I sense, don't understand who the real Anna is. If you could tell the readers of our publications the one thing about Anna that they don't understand, you think they don't get, what would that be?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, always nobody will get the real Anna, the way I am at home. You know, I am the way I am, I am the way I am on the court. Everything off the court should be, you know, mine; nobody else's. That's it.
Q. Is there anything about your person, your personality, that you could share with people?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think they know a lot. I think they know everything; more than they need to know.
Q. Tell me, what makes you tick as a person? What is your prime thing that makes you tick as a person?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I think that I communicate with people well. I'm a friendly person. I'm very open with my friends.
Q. What is the best part of being a celebrity?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I'm a tennis player. Everything else comes with that, the celebrity and everything comes after that.
Q. When you look back, what is the thing in your tennis game you have to work on the most to reach your potential?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I said, I have to work on consistency.
Q. Off the ground primarily?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: What do you mean "off the ground"?
Q. Your groundies groundstrokes.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Whole game.
Q. Including the mental aspect, as well?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We're talking about my tennis game. We weren't talking about mental.
Q. I meant the mental part of tennis.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think I'm pretty strong there.
Q. What aspect of America do you like the best?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, if I live in Florida, of course it's Florida.
Q. The sunshine, the good weather?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Uh-huh.
Q. Have you followed the election in Russia at all?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes.
Q. Is there such a thing as an absentee ballot in Russia? Can you vote if you're a citizen overseas?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Of course. I have a Russian passport.
Q. Have you voted?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes - no.
Anna Kournikova pages at quickfound.net:- Anna Kournikova Interviews Archive
- News and Links (Kournikova Home)
- Anna Kournikova News Archive
- Anna Kournikova 2002 Record
- Anna Kournikova 2002 Australian Open Photos
- Anna Kournikova 2001 Record
- Anna Kournikova Misc. Photos and Posters (4 pages)
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