AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2001

Justine Henin

Q. Lindsay Davenport identified you as a strong contender down here. Referred to you as the young Belgian girl. How does that feel to you to have the top players...

JUSTINE HENIN: I think it so good to hear that, but I think it is a long way to go in the top and to play against these kind of player. I think I am in confidence. I play well. I won two tournaments before this, but I think, you know, next match will be a difficult. I am happy to hear that, but I know that there is a long way to do this, so I am happy, but I will try only to continue.

JUSTINE HENIN: 12.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I am in confidence but I am also a little bit tired because mentally it is difficult when you won two tournaments and after that you have to play more matches. I want to win all matches. But it is difficult. Sometimes I lose a little bit my concentration because mentally I am a little bit tired. But I think today it was better than in the first match. I hope that in the next match it will be better also. I think I am on the good way. I played not so bad today. So I think now I can continue and physically I am okay. That is the most important.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think last year I didn't have -- I didn't play during six months, so after that I played well and especially in the U.S. open, so I think in December I worked a lot. I worked hard and especially physically I think I did a good work and when I arrived in Australia I wasn't confident. I knew that I could play well and I did it. So I think that is only the practice and mentally I think I am not afraid to lose now. I am not so nervous that last year and I think I can play without problems in my head. I had injuries. I had personal problems last year and now it is in the past and I can do my best on the court.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I didn't play a lot on clay. Last year I did my best results on hard court in the U.S. open. But I think I will play well also on clay court because it is my best surface. But on hard court I did my best results. I play well here and I think I am fast on the court. So it is not a problem for me to play on hard, but I prefer clay court.

JUSTINE HENIN: I am not a strong player. I think I play with everything in my game, with my slice, with my head. I think I like to go to the net. I don't like to do a lot of rallies on my best. It is not my game, and I think when I am aggressive when I go to the net, I think it is the best part of my game. So I am not a strong player like them. But I think Martina is not so strong girl also and she is number one in the world. So I think we play with our possibilities.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, nothing.

JUSTINE HENIN: Just family, personal problems. I don't want to talk about that.

JUSTINE HENIN: No. He doesn't travel with me.

JUSTINE HENIN: I am here with my coach and my fiancee, yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think nothing. Sabine and Domonique were models for us, for Kim and me and I think it is good and we try to continue the way they were. So I think it is a good thing because it was a great motivation to have the same career that Dominique and Sabine but no pressure.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think in -- for a little country like Belgium it is always good to have two players like Kim and me and after that we have some other good players (inaudible). We are a lot on the circuit. I think for a little country like Belgium it is so good to have these kind of players on the tour. I think everybody knows us now.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah. They were models because I think Dominique was No. 9 in the world. If I can have the same career like her, I sign now.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think she plays without any pressure. She is relaxed. She is here just to play. She enjoys her game. So I think she can do a good result because she is cool on the court.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, because I know Kim from many years ago. I think we played in juniors under 14 together, so, yeah, we are friends, I think Kim is a nice girl and in tournaments we are always together.

JUSTINE HENIN: You know when we were on the court we are -- when you play against her, okay, the best player will win, but when we are outside, I think we can be friends. So I don't think about that.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think the federation made a good work and I think also we have a good mentality in Belgium to work. Before when maybe when we won a tournament we were happy and we didn't practice after that, but now we work hard and maybe ten years ago, I don't know.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, for sure, but when I was 12 and after that, the federation helped me a lot. It continues to help me. So the federation is my best, you know, my best help.

JUSTINE HENIN: Married?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think in the next two years.