Jana Novotna defeated Anna Kournikova, 6(2)-7, 6-3, 6-3
Anna's rank: 13th Anna's seed: 13th
An Interview With Anna Kournikova
Q: How did you feel this morning just before going back to finish your
match?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I felt good. But, you know, it was a new experience for me
because I've never been -- I've never played the match overnight before. So it
felt kind of strange. But, you know, Jana played very well. So she did a very
good job.
Q: Did you forget everything that happened yesterday evening?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: What
happened yesterday evening? What happened? You mean the match or what?
Q: You didn't look so happy yesterday. So you could just put it behind this
morning?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, yesterday was yesterday. Today was today. You know, I had
to get ready for it. It was difficult.
Q: When the match was called off last night, you seemed surprised. Earlier
you had asked for it to be called off. Did you think maybe after the second set
it could have been called off?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, you know, the match with Majoli and
Martinez was called off when it was split sets. I think it was a half hour
before our match finished. I think our match was the longest ever played. We
finished like at 9:28. It was, I mean, pretty dark. Probably should have been
called off. But, you know, it's difficult to say. They said it was darker over
there (laughter), a hundred yards away.
Q: Were you confused actually by the reaction that you got, first of all,
when you asked about the light, and could the match be called off; then you
wanted to go to the bathroom, and you couldn't go to the bathroom? Was it all a
very confusing experience?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I had a very difficult time understanding why I
couldn't go to the bathroom. In the rule book it said I can go anytime, even
during a point, I can take a bathroom break, two bathroom breaks. That was my
first one, I think. The WTA refused me to go to the bathroom. I can't understand
still why. Maybe you can help me find that out.
Q: I think they were they seemed to be concerned about it being an even
number of games played.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: But to go to the bathroom, you can go during a
point. So it was something very new for me. I mean, we played an hour and 40
minutes, 40-something minutes. First time ever in my life I decide to go to a
bathroom break, go to the bathroom, and they said no.
Q: Did you really have to go to the bathroom or were you just looking to
stall for a few more minutes until I got a little darker?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Like I said,
it was first time ever I had to go to the bathroom. I think I have a right to go
to the bathroom. It doesn't matter what I was doing. In the rule book, you can
open the rule book and see that a player has a right to take a bathroom break
twice. Doesn't matter if it's in the middle of the point, the warm-up, at the
end. Even when you come on the court, you start warming up, you can go to the
bathroom. Doesn't matter, one minute, two hours.
Q: So why didn't you just go?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, they told me that I couldn't.
Q: Did they say why?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I mean, I asked the referee twice to go to
the bathroom. They refused. They said I have to continue play. I had to
continue. What should I have done? Just walked through.
Q: Was it correct that you were crying? Which was the reason?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No.
Something was in my eyes because I couldn't see well. Something was bothering
me.
Q: Did you know the Martinez-Majoli match had been called when you were out
there playing?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I haven't. That's why I was really -- I asked earlier
for the match to be stopped.
Q. After two sets, did you want it stopped?
A. No, I didn't.
Q: Why not?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I didn't ask.
Q: Why not?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Like I say, I always play by the referee. I always do, you
know, what the referee, the umpire say. So I was continuing, you know.
Q: But you know you could have asked.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I know. But, like I say, I always
go by the referee's decision. I didn't want to argue with him.
Q: She had just won the second set.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think it would be smart for me to
ask, but I think it would be a good tactic, but I never use that as a tactic. So
I didn't ask.
Q: Did you ask for a reason why you couldn't go to the bathroom? What did
they say? Did they give you an explanation, or they said you couldn't go??
ANNA KOURNIKOVA:
On the court, they said I can't go. He said it. The referee that came on the
court, he just said that, "You have to continue playing." That's it. You know, I
couldn't beg him in front of 20,000 people and the camera to go to the bathroom.
I really don't understand the WTA's decision for not letting me go to the
bathroom.
Q: Even today nobody explained it to you, to your coach, agent,
anything?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No.
Q: Did you went to the bathroom after the match?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I was holding it
until today (laughter). It sounds funny. Now, every time I go to the bathroom, I
should ask WTA, "Can I go to the bathroom, please?"
Q: Anna, you said you didn't ask for the match to be stopped at the end of
the second set. When exactly did you ask for it to be stopped?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: 4-1. I
asked if we were going to continue playing, on the changeover.
Q: That was before you asked for the toilet break?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Before.
Q: Yesterday the crowd got very involved. How did you feel when all the
people cheering?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Obviously, it was a great match. People, I think, enjoyed
it very much because Jana and I -- I feel it was a great match, you know. I
think that they got just very excited about it. They probably wanted us to play.
I don't know. But it felt good being on the court with that kind of
atmosphere.
Q: But the crowd got involved, when you got to the referee, then Jana got to
the referee. You just played with the crowd?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, played with the crowd
means what?
Q: You wanted to involve the crowd?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I mean, I don't necessarily -- how?
I don't understand what I could do to get them involved.
Q: How was your night? Did you feel nervous?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Actually, I came back
to the hotel at 12:00 yesterday. I had to wake up early today. I was sleeping
like a baby.
Q: It was a new experience, today's match?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes. Like I said, I never
played like this before. This morning I kind of felt weird. You know, it's a new
match or it's the same match, 4-2. It's very difficult. But I think still
yesterday, we played a great match.
Q: Martina was in here the other day, asked if she thought the rivalries have
now been joined, you and she, the Williams and she. She said no, that she's
three thousand points ahead on the computer, she didn't think there were any
rivalries yet. Could you respond to that?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: On the computer, she's right, of
course. But we all, except Serena, have beaten her. It shows something. But, you
know, I think she's the most experienced, of course, out of all of us. She has
the right to say that because she's 300 -- 3000 points ahead of us.
Q: What are you expecting now in the double tournaments?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: In the
doubles?
Q: Yes.
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, you know, expecting to play good. I hope I'm going to
play good. I'm going to try to use my bathroom break in doubles (laughter), and
mixed.
Q: In the past, Novotna seemed to get tight to close out a match. Were you
thinking about this during this match, that she might float balls, get a little
nervous?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really. She never had -- I never played against her when she
had any trouble. Like I said, she played just great tennis yesterday, didn't
make any unforced errors, or even today I think she was playing well. I mean, I
was not playing that bad, so we had a very difficult match. It was very tight,
very close.
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