Interview with Eleni Daniilidou
from  Nasdaq-100 Open 2004  

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You hit that beautiful backhand cross-court winner to win that first game in the first set. Did that sort of relax you or...?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Yeah, I didn't start so well today. I mean, I didn't move so good in the beginning. But this shot for sure give me confidence.

I mean, was very  -- from both sides, Serena and me in the beginning , let's say in the first set, we did a lot of mistakes. It was very tough with the wind today. It was changing also, the side with the wind. It was pretty tough to really focus and really concentrate and really hit in the middle of the racquet the ball.

We had some frames, some easy mistakes. It was pretty tough. It was very close, the first set.

The second was one bad call from the umpire, but, I mean, it's hard court. You cannot do anything. After is win 5-2, I came back pumped again, 5-4. She played just too good.

Q. You were very successful on breakpoints against her. That's not easy to do.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: She serves unbelievable. I mean, today I think it was also the key that she won the match. She was serving unbelievable. I couldn't really even see where she was serving. Was pretty tough from one side, she did four aces. And, I mean, she took two, three games just because of the serve. It was pretty tough really to hit the return, especially from this side that was with here the wind. When she serves pretty hard, with the wind, it's just too tough.

Q. Once you got past the slow start, are you pleased with how you played from there on?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I mean, I tried really to move more. In the second set we played better tennis, this was clear. Less unforced errors from both sides.

But I'm pretty happy here in Miami, I mean, to play. Honest, I'm really looking forward to coming back next year.

Q. I don't know if you were asked about your whole tournament. How do you feel about it?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: It was a great tournament. Honest, I had a great time here in Miami. I really tried to enjoy also today the match. I did. I mean, I was smiling, I was just try really to fight and every point to give 100 percent.

Serena today, she was just serving too good. I was really, since the first ball after her serve, under pressure. I mean, was really tough the second and during the point really to come into the court. I was not so much into the court. But it's normal because she was hitting pretty hard.

Q. Were you nervous in the beginning of the match?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: No, no, not at all. I mean, is not the first time that we play each other. But as I said yesterday also in the interview I really respect her. She's a great athlete, and I will just try to do my best today.

Q. You talked about her being a great athlete. Is she, do you think, the best athlete in the women's game?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I mean, as she was No. 1 in the world. It's normal now with the injuries, pretty tough to come back on that level again. I mean, as I said before, she's really great athlete.

Q. What do you think about the level  - besides her serve, which she pulled off big serves at the right times  - but the rest of her game? When you played her before, the scores have not been as close as they were today. Do you think that's because she's not where she is, or you improved your game?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I improve my game. I'm moving better. I'm more positive in the court, more aggressive.

But from her side, it's normal that she's doing some easy mistakes. Because this is coming with the confidence, first of all, plus with a few matches. She didn't play so, so many matches.

I think is really come back in the same rhythm that she was, it's very tough again to be there.

Q. You broke her twice when she was serving for the set in both sets.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Normally, I return good, but honest, today was pretty hard with the wind. I couldn't  -- I hit a lot of frames also, and not really in the middle of the racquet the ball.

But I had fun, and I really  -- I gave my best.

Q. What kind of reaction are you getting in Greece from your performance in this tournament, back home?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Honest, I don't have so much contact because I was just really focus. I think everyone, they're really happy there, of course. The thing is I'm not going home now, I go to Amelia and Charleston. I'm just waiting to see all my family and all my friends when I go back.

Q. Which will be in...?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: After Charleston. We have the Fed Cup in Greece. Our (category?) Is in Greece. It's unbelievable. It's great to play there before the Olympics especially.

Q. A warm-up, a test for the Olympics?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: It's more or less like a test event. But I'm very exciting to play there for Fed Cup, first of all, and after to play the Olympics.

Q. Have you hit at the facility before?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: No, no.

Q. First time?

ELENI DANIILIDOU: First time. I heard is great facilities.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: For the Serena match, I will try my best. She's a top player again. I will try my best and try to enjoy. This is very important for me.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: We played two, three times. Three times, I think. I lost always.

But this is a new match completely. As I said before, I feel very good. I'm really gonna have fun and I go for it.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: No, actually there is not so much time to think that. When you go on the court, the most important is not to be nervous. I will try to be relaxed, and really try to enjoy the match.

I hope the result is going to be positive. But I know that is very tough. The only thing that I have to do is just really to try.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Yeah, she's very strong player. I mean, she's kind of similar like today. She hits very hard also, Serena. I really respect her as a person, as a player. I have nothing to say, actually, just really try my best.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: No. If I am like this, it's almost lose the match before to play.

I just have to go for it and just to believe to myself.

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I'm very happy, first of all. I mean, it was excellent game from my side. I was fighting. I was very, very focus. I was playing very aggressive. I mean, I did a really good job compare for what I was working with my coach. And the key was that I was really aggressive and I was two steps into the court. I played very good, and with my forehand, I put very much pressure to Jennifer.

I think she is not -- she didn't play her best tennis. I mean, everyone knows it's very tough to come back after a big injury. But it's still sometimes more tougher for me , I mean for us, to play focus and concentrated because I know that she was not in the best, for sure, performance.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I was moving very well, yeah. I was moving very good. My serve still can be better, but it was a key also that I put a lot of first serves in.

With the second ball, I was more aggressive. I was starting a lot from my forehand. I put a lot of pressure and tried also to move her right, left, right, left. When I had the chance, I went to the net. Her ball is very, very heavy. Sometimes it's very tough to control the point or let's say the game.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I think now I don't have pressure for the Olympics maybe because I'm not so often there. I'm not really -- for since November, last November, I was there one week only because I have a German coach and I am practicing in Germany. I was traveling, I play a lot of tournaments until now. I'm not so much in Greece.

Until now, I am still quiet inside for myself, and I'm really looking forward to play because it's really something special for all of us, let's say, the Greek team and the Greek athletes. For sure I'm very focus also for the Olympics. I hope to be without injuries until there and really to feel good and give everything.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: It's for sure now everywhere is dangerous. Honest, I'm start to scare a little bit to travel with all this, what happening.

But, I mean, they really spend -- I heard also that they spend also three times more money than Sydney for the security part. It's a little dangerous situation because it's a big event and everyone is all around the world are going there.

But, I mean, I think and I hope, first of all, everything to be done and really to enjoy the time and really to be quiet there.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: For sure it's a pity situation that the top names pull out. But, honest, is for me it was normal that now, I mean, since the new year a lot of injuries are coming. It's very tough to make a schedule and very tough to play every week.

I mean, I think it's impossible. It's normal that some players can pull out, even in the future. It's very early in the year to see this situation, but a lot of - eight, ten - people pull out, especially the tops.

But it's part of our let's say -- it's very tough to play every week. For myself, I was very confidence really to go through. I was looking very comfortable for Jennifer's match because, honest, I really like her game and also her ball. Always I have fun to play against her. I really enjoy today the match and I give everything.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: No, not so much (laughing). We have people to play, but actually 15, 16 years old, everyone stopped because the system was also with a school doesn't really help. I mean, you cannot really travel. I was in the same situation, 15, 16 - 16 years old, I was thinking what to do, "Should I continue to study," or I wanted also to study medicine. And it was very tough decision but, honest, I love tennis and I really went positive to play tennis.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: We don't have coaches. We don't have indoor. I mean, for me, it's very tough. Okay, now the last five years I never had Greek coach. We don't have indoors court. It's very bad because, I mean, the special -- the two years now, the weather is very bad. We don't have indoors.

I just choose to have German coach, and I feel very good with her. We work now two years. It's very tough because I'm never in Greece, and I really miss my family and my friends.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Not so much. Not so much.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Yeah (smiling). More or less, yeah.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Yeah, yeah, they are interesting. Always when they know that I am back to Greece, they ask me, "What's going on?" They are really, honest, back still, but I hope and really I am positive that the last minute it's gonna be a good Olympic Games.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I just say for sure is gonna be big event and, I mean, we have to enjoy the time. First of all, is the most important to enjoy the time. It's special for me that is with the history and all the people that are gonna be around. I heard that the courts will be full also. They're gonna be nice courts, especially also tennis, I mean, the tennis center. We have to enjoy the moment and really something special for me.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: Maybe. It's the first step. After -- already they start to do some test events. They have some small tournaments now, men's and women's. They really try to do everything, how it gonna be in Olympics with ceremony, with umpires, with ball boys, everything. They start already to have many test events.

I hope this gonna help, because it's a pity because we have good weather, we have courts, but we don't have players.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: I was shocked when I came. I was shocked. Athens especially is getting very beautiful. It's very good because it was really a mess before. Now is -- they rebuilt a lot of things and they built new stuff. It's getting very beautiful.

ELENI DANIILIDOU: You can find, yeah. You can find (smiling).

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