An Interview With Anna Kournikova

Q. What's happened today?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: What happened?

Q. Yes.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I played a match.

Q. What do you think about Novotna now, today?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: What do you mean today? Before the match, after the match?

Q. Today. How to play against Novotna, it's hard?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's hard to play against anybody who is in Top 10. Basically she played really well. I think I could have done better, but I was a little bit tired, made quite a few mistakes.

Q. Was it your game plan to mix it as much as possible, to not get her into a rhythm?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, yeah, probably.

Q. I would like to hear in your opinion once more, because I wasn't in the first press conference, about you being limited to ten tournaments a year, this year.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, it's a little bit hard for me because I can only play ten tournaments, so it means I only have ten chances a year. I have a lot of more pressure on me with that rule because I have to win every match. If I don't, I don't have any other opportunity to play. Also if I get a seed, it's hard to play against a seed, I lose, I have to wait for another tournament another two months. I don't think I'm getting enough experience. I think I can be able to get more experience and learn how to win and lose if I could be playing more.

Q. At the age of 13, if you said, "I want to be professional," you wouldn't be limited by now, like Hingis did. What sense makes this rule?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I wasn't in a hurry to turn pro.

Q. You think it's unfair that others in your same age are not limited by now?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not the same age.

Q. Martina Hingis is one year older.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I don't know. What's the question?

Q. Whether you see that there is a sense in having you limited down to ten tournaments.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yes, it's unfair.