AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2006

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Justine.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, that's very good. I was a little bit concerned about my recovery this weekend after the hard match I had in Sydney. But that was good. I think at the beginning of the match, I was a little bit tired. It was pretty hard for me to move well. But after a few games, I was feeling very comfortable on the court. I have been very consistent, very professional match. I'm very happy the way I deal with the situation.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I think I've been a little bit surprised with the quality of my game last week, especially against Kuznetsova. I think for my first tournament back, I wasn't sure I could play this tennis, maybe the best of my career. I only played a few matches as well as that. That was very positive. I keep saying that I need matches, I need confidence, I need just to take the rhythm of the competition again. Especially in Grand Slam, it's very different. It's different kind of atmosphere. A lot of pressure and everything. I'm very happy that I'm healthy. That's the most important thing for me right now. I really enjoyed my game on court in Sydney. Maybe the first time in my life that I was so happy on the tennis court.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, it wasn't the first time I was happy on the tennis court, but I've been very relaxed. That was probably the first time in my career that the result wasn't very important for myself, it was just the fact that I was healthy. When I beat Hingis my first round, the fact that it was my first match with no pain in eight months, it was like my biggest victory. It's very important for an athlete when you're injured, when you cannot play, you're very frustrating. That was my biggest victory, to be healthy, that I could move very well on the court.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: 2004, no, when I won you mean?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, it's very different situation. At that point when I arrived here in 2004, I was No. 1. I dominated the tour the second part of 2003. I won two Grand Slams. It was a very different kind of situation. Now I had many problems in my last two years. I need matches. I need to have my confidence back and everything. But I just try to enjoy my game, be focused on every moment, not thinking about the future, just try to enjoy that.