AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2004

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: Justine, can you tell us about today's match, please.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, I'm not feeling well since two or three days, and I was feeling a little bit tired and out of energy. So maybe that's one of the reasons that in the second set I wasn't feeling great on the court. Then I lost a little bit my concentration. But I'm just happy, you know, to come through and win this match in two sets. And I need some rest, for sure. I think that other players have been sick a little bit and don't feel really well. So I hope I'll be better in 48 hours.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, no, my stomach. Maybe a virus. I don't know yet. But I was -- I got it two days ago. I was feeling a little bit better. A little bit with the stress and everything, it's coming back. But I'm sure that, you know, in 24 hours, in two days, I'll be better.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yes. I was up 2-Love, then lost a little bit my concentration, did really bad mistakes at this point, and she started to come back in the match. But anyway, you know, at 3-4 when I felt a little bit under pressure, I played the game I have to play. I can agree that I didn't play my best tennis today. But that's this kind of match that you have to win, even if you're not playing great. It's hard to play against her. She has a different style of game. It's not easy. You never know what to expect. And she took her chances. No, but I'm in the third round. That's the most important thing right now.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I'm sure I'll be better, you know. It's just that I needed a little bit of time.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't know. We didn't see a lot of marriage in the women's tennis in the last few years, and then, I don't know, a lot of marriage last year, maybe soon. I don't know. I mean, that's good for me. It helped me a lot, you know, give me a lot of confidence, a lot of security, and I feel much better since I'm married. So I hope that it's going to be the same for the other players.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Any advice, you know? You have to take the right decision. I'm sure she's taking the good one.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I'll never be in this case, so it's very hard to tell you (laughter). No, I'm happy to be married with somebody who is not involved in tennis because I think what we live is a lot of pressure. But the thing for Kim and Lleyton is they can understand each other pretty well because they're doing the same thing. But, you know, for myself, I'm very happy in my couple. We talk a lot, Pierre-Yves and myself, but never on tennis.