An Interview With Anna Kournikova

Q. Anna, was that a frustrating game for you today? You seemed to be hitting the ball cleanly for much of the game, but just maybe too many errors?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, well, I think it was much better than last week, first of all, but, yeah, it was very close and I just I think that I made a bit too many mistakes, like you said, and just had to be a bit more patient, but I was happy the way I was hitting the ball.

Q. Especially the first set, so many break points, on those break points, you lost your patience or --

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think she just served well at those break points. When it was 3-2 and 40-0 for me on her serve, the second serve I tried to go after it and I missed and then afterwards she just served too good, all those first serves, so it was very difficult. She was putting a lot of pressure on with her serve.

Q. What do you have to improve to beat the real top players now because every time in the fourth round you meet number 1 or number 2, so how do you get past them in the future?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, just going to have to go back and work and start to play a bit more consistent and, you know, play good important points and play smart against them.

Q. Who is the toughest of like Lindsay, Martina and the Williams sisters? Who do you find the toughest, just in terms of being out on the court with

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's always tough to play everybody. I mean, it's not like, you know, just one name or something. It's always tough to play any top 10 player or - you know, I mean, as a matter of fact, right now, probably top 50, because a lot of the players, you know, lost their ranking, but they're still playing good, you know, and looking to win matches also. Everybody wants to win, so it's very hard to play --

Q. Out of those four, who would be the most difficult for you?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Out of the four of what?

Q. The Williams sisters, Lindsay and Martina, who would be the toughest for you to play against? Who do you find the most difficult?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I've never played against Serena. Other than that, I mean, they have different games, so it's tough to play all of them, but they have different games. Martina plays smart, Lindsay plays hard and smart, and Venus and Serena, they hit also very hard. So it's different.

Q. You mentioned Lindsay's serve. Where is your serve at as far as you're concerned? Only the one double fault today right at the death there. Is it a case of bringing back the confidence in your serve to perhaps get to the point where you've winning more easy points off your first serve?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think that my serve was good and it's been good so far. Of course I have to, you know, continue working on it, improving the placement and starting to hit, yeah, better first serves. But I think so far it's been good.

Q. There's big game on centre court at the moment between Agassi and Philippoussis. Who do you think is going to win that one?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't know. It's hard to say.

Q. You're hoping for anyone special?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Not really. I don't know.

Q. What will you be doing now in Melbourne now that you've finished?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Play tennis.

Q. You're finished your singles?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I'm playing next match on.

Q. But, I mean, in your leisure time, what will you be doing? What do you hope to be doing?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I'm still in two events, so I have to practice and get ready for that.

Q. You're still very young. Are you happy or pleased with your progress? When you first started the tour, you've just developed to a certain stage, a certain level?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah. I mean, you know, it was a bit hard in the beginning for me with the restrictions and that I could only play so many tournaments, but afterwards, you know, I got better and I started to play more. But, you know, I just - everybody is different and it takes time. I'm taking it step at a time. It's better if I get, you know, closer to the top slower and stay there longer instead of get there and, you know, not staying there. So just - I'm at my own pace and I'm happy with that.

Q. If there's one thing you could borrow from some of your opponents' games, what might it be, do you think, that might take you to that top four, top three? Is there somebody's shot you would like? Is there one element in your game that you would like to add?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I think if we do that, we could make a perfect player that nobody could ever beat. But everybody is human. You know, you have to use what you've got. So it's hard.

Q. Do you feel that your serve is not as good as before that thumb injury?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, not at all, not at all.

Q. Not as powerful maybe?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, I don't think that. Maybe it was harder before, but it wasn't as consistent as it is now. But I don't think it's big difference before or after the injury.