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Transcript - Lindsay Davenport
and James Blake (USA) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Blake) Very much so. You know, I would have liked to pull that one out today…made it a bit easier to take the pressure off the mixed. But, I have…pretty…whole lot of confidence in Lindsay playing mixed with me so I was very happy about that. You know, it just shows that there’s still a whole lot of things that I can work on, but, my fitness feels great…been working a little bit more on my forehand, but everything else feels good. I’m confident going into the next week and hopefully into the Australian Open. Lindsay, after such a long break to come back and win four matches must be great. (Davenport) Yeah, it was great. Didn’t…I mean, honestly didn’t really expect that much this week. You know, indoors typically I do do my best but just two players in the top eight or nine and being able to win everything in straight sets and physically hold up with all the doubles too…I mean, it was great, I mean, it was fantastic to be a part of it this year. Lindsay, you’ve been here previously…how much has the event sort of grown? (Davenport) Yeah, I mean, I think they do a great job here…I mean, the first year I was here it was single elimination, so I wasn’t here very long…’99 it was still round-robin and the crowds are incredible and just…always done a great job. And it’s exciting to see a lot of the players that come, they get a good field…and I mean, it’s packed almost every match. You’d come back next year; James you’ve indicated you would. (Blake) Yeah, I mean they keep giving me partners like Lindsay and Serena (Williams)…I’m going to be back if, obviously…no it’s fun for me to play this every year. I think it’s a perfect start to the year – you’re guaranteed of getting three matches against top players because they always get such a good field. I mean, you really don’t get a chance to hang out with some of the female players as much, and I’ve been very fortunate to have Serena and Lindsay – two of the nicest girls on tour – as my partners and they happen to also never lose….so it’s a no-brainer for me to come back here…. (Davenport) It happens… James, do you see yourself as a real contender in Melbourne? (Blake) I would like to think so. Especially with the way I’ve been playing this week. I definitely feel like I’m fit enough to do it…I always try to make that a priority so if I am playing well, I can go deep without fitness coming into effect…being fatigued, you know, late in the tournament. So, I’m as fit as I’ve ever been and I know my game is kind of hit and miss at times, so I feel like if I’m playing well, I don’t see any reason why I can’t beat anyone whether it’s in the first round or in the quarter finals. It’s just one man on the other side of the net, so I definitely feel like each match I go into I have a really good chance of winning…and on these courts I think It’s pretty good for me with my kick serve and my forehand, I think, still goes to the court pretty well. So, I definitely feel like I have a chance. I’m sure the odds makers aren’t picking me as anywhere close to the favourite, but in my mind, obviously it’s a little biased, but I think I’ve got a chance. Where are you next week James? (Blake) Sydney. How did you see Karol Kucera’s game? (Blake) Uhh, too much of him. He was all over the court, getting everything and playing just an incredible match. I wish him the best for the next two weeks – I wish him on the other side of the draw as me…and, you know, I think he’s a great player that just has such a classic game with…I mean, hitting the ball…keeping the ball low; real flat, moving well and he did all the right things today. He moved, he moved in when he was supposed to, he played defence when he was supposed and he did everything well. Just like my coach said, I can’t be upset when you play well and lose. If a guy’s on…if any guy on tour, just about…if they’re playing their best they’re probably going to win. If I’m playing my best I feel like I’m going to win. Just a couple of shots here and there I missed, and I’ll get over it and hopefully make the adjustments for next week and the week after. Do you play left-handed often James? (Blake) Uh, never. In fact, if you watch me play lefty I’m horrible. I’ve tried playing, you know, with my coach and screw around just because I have a one-handed backhand my left arm is pretty much useless. It can toss a ball and that’s it. The guy on TV said it was the rally of the century; that’s a big call… (Davenport) Play of the day on CNN. (Blake) Yeah, she told me I wasn’t the “CNN Play of the Day” yesterday with the dive, so I figure…I’ve got to put in a better effort to make it today. Do you consider that match ‘match of the tournament’? (Blake) I don’t know…that match with Novak and Safin was pretty darn good – I watched most of that. I think Novak served 81 per cent and still lost…that’s incredible – in this day and age to serve that well and still lose. I didn’t see all the others but I think there were a lot of great matches. My match with Safin was pretty good. I think this one had a ton of drama, and the fact that it’s in the finals and the drama was heightened a little bit with that…I think that hopefully made for a pretty memorable event this year. James, just going back to the hair…you’re going to auction that during the Australian Open did you say; how are they going to do that? (Blake) It’s going to be on Ebay, actually there’s a special section in my website about it where you can go to on Ebay. I’m not sure exactly how that works – I’m not good with computers, but…it’s going to be auctioned off on Ebay…there’s going to two, like, special packages….like, one with the locks and a bag…one of my Nike bags, one of my Dunlop bags….and I think a racquet as well. So we’re going to auction those two off and a note from me as well. Auction those off and then the rest we’ll set like a set price for each lock of hair. What’s the charity? (Blake) It’s for a friend of mine back home who coaches a girl’s basketball team…an inner-city that doesn’t have the money to travel to play in any of the tournaments they’d like to. They’re apparently a very talented team and they just need a little bit of support to travel and they can’t really raise money on their own based on the kind of situation they’re in…so I’m doing what I can to help out. I hear there’s going to be a load of James Blake luggage on Ebay as well… (Blake) (laughs) It finally got here… Did it turn up in the end? (Blake) It did, it turned
up on Thursday…so just four days after I got here. Apparently LA
was too much fun for it so it stayed there. But, it’s here
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