AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2001

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: First question in English, please.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I play so well, I don't have any problems in my head. I just want to play. I just want to win, and I think I'm on the good way, I won 13 matches in three weeks now. I think I worked hard to continue, but I'm so happy with that. I have nothing to lose, nothing to prove, and I think I am so happy with that.

JUSTINE HENIN: Maybe the weather, no. I think that we like the courts. I think Belgian players usually play well in Australia. I don't know why. I think we enjoy the game here, we enjoy the country, we enjoy to be in the Open, I think. I don't know, but it's good.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I will try to win the next match, but it will be, you know, a tough and difficult match for me. I think I will just try to enjoy this game because I am so happy to be in the fourth round now and I have nothing to lose so I will try to continue and to just to enjoy to be on the court.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think Monica is a great player. For sure it will be a difficult match if it's her. I think in Las Vegas, when I lost against her, I did a lot of mistakes in the five first games and I didn't begin the match so well. So after that, I played better and it was good, and I think that I could play a good match against her. But, you know, she's, I don't know her ranking, but she's in the Top 10. I will be the outsider. I just try to do my best. I'll just try to continue, I mean confidence. So I think I can win this match, but I know that it will be difficult.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think the best important is that I looked a lot in the last weeks and after the Fed Cup I practiced hard and I think now, you know, otherwise it's come. And I think I'm so happy with that. I worked physically very hard and I think now we can see the progress that I did because in the last months I had many injuries and I had to work a lot to come back and now to have this ranking, I had to do this. I think I learned a lot about the match against Monica Seles, and I will try to do better in the next match.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it was. Yeah. I think it's normal, many players have this problem here, you know, with the heat. So I think it's normal, and I will -- I hope that it will be okay for the next match. But I won; that's the best important. When you win, you don't feel anything. But I couldn't play like this.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think every match in a Grand Slam is difficult and I'm happy that I won in two sets because if I was in the third set, it -- I think it should be difficult for me to finish this match today because last year it was there and it was difficult to play like this. But after this, I saw the trainer and I'm not worried. It will be okay for the next match.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it's great motivation for each other. I think Kim did a lot of great results and for me it was a great motivation to do the same. And I think we are close friends, and it's good to have two young Belgian players in the top 20. I think together, we can try to continue our career. But she's 17, I am 18, so we have the same age. And I think it's so good. Kim is a nice girl and we like to spend time together. So in the next maybe ten years, we will be together. So it's nice.

JUSTINE HENIN: Sorry?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think I played Kim three times in my young career.

JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, the first was at nine I think, when we were nine age. And after that I play last time it was two years ago.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, for sure, they were models I think. They had a great career both, and I think it was a good motivation for us to try to do the same. I think they are great players and we'll just try to continue the way that they opened to us.

JUSTINE HENIN: It's difficult with the school in Belgium, you know, I didn't finish school because it's difficult when you want to be a top player and I think Sabine and Dominique finished there.

JUSTINE HENIN: I don't understand.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I was in tennis school.

JUSTINE HENIN: It was important because I didn't have many hours at school but I had to stop because it was too difficult to arrive in the top 20 with school, you know. You have to do a choice.

JUSTINE HENIN: In Mons, yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think I was on the tennis court when I was only 14 because before that I was too young to go there. I met my actual coach, Carlos Rodriguez, I think at this time I knew I could do a good career with him because he's so good coach. And I love to go to school, and I was a good student. But I think I had to take a choice, and I decided to stop school. And now, you know, I am happy with that because in my professional life, everything is okay.

JUSTINE HENIN: It's difficult question, you know. I was in this situation, I stop and I'm happy with that. But I don't know, it depends.

JUSTINE HENIN: For sure I think I am tired. It's normal when you play 13 matches. But it's not for that that I will stop to continue this way. I think physically I am okay, because I lost only one set in 13 matches. So physically I am okay, but mentally it's difficult to keep the concentration always in one match. I think it's difficult. I'm tired, but I am so happy to be here. So now what can I ask more? But, I just try to continue.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think it's so good that there are young players on the Tour. There is more conquest, more fight between the players. I think Lindsay is not so old. No, I think when we are 18, it's good age to come on the Tour. I think we have a long way to go to -- maybe in the Top 10 or to beat players like Martina or Lindsay or Monica. I think we wait so long to go there and we learn a lot on the Tour, now. We are so young and we have all the time to go there. So there's no pressure now and we'll try just -- maybe if it's in two years or three years, I think it's not the best important. The best important is that we arrive there.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I'm happy to play her because, you know, I lost the last time against her, and I think -- I hope that it will be her because I am so happy to play against her. We just see what's gonna happen. I will do my best. I will give everything that I have. And if I win, it's good. But if I lose, you know, I won 13 matches. I have nothing to lose now. So I just try to enjoy the match.