US OPEN

August 30, 2002

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

JUSTINE HENIN: It's always hard to play someone that you never heard anything about her, and I didn't know anything about her. So I knew that what happened in the first set could happen because she had nothing to lose and she's serving very well. So, yeah, I'm little bit surprised that she's so far in the ranking. She has a good game. She's talented. She has great serve. Nothing to lose. So she did -- she played good tennis in the first set, and I was little bit nervous. When you don't know the person you gonna play, it's always hard. I knew I could be surprised today, and I played seriously - I had to win.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I just said to myself, "Okay, try to forget the situation, rankings, everything. You in front of a player and she's playing well. So you don't have to be frustrated about what happens and just play point after point." That's what I did. I served well in this game at 5-All and then won my serve game, then broke after. So, yeah, this point of the match, I think it turned a little bit.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it's always funny to play this kind of match. I enjoy this moment in the center court, for sure. But like I said, when I woke up this morning, I knew that it's gonna be little bit difficult for me, more difficult for me than for her. But it's okay, 7-5, 6-1. Is always good two sets when I win. Physically it's good also.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, not at all.

JUSTINE HENIN: It was short interruption. So, I mean, yeah, at 1-0, Love-15, it was during ten minutes. And after that, we stop ten minutes. It wasn't an important key of the match. But, yeah, it's hard. You going to warm up - I hate that - you going to warm up, you ready to play and you have to go back in the locker room. So, yeah, it's tough. But after that the weather was fine. Conditions a little bit difficult because it was cold today and windy, too. But it's okay.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I wasn't focus enough on my serve, what I had to do. On important points I served very well, but when it was Love-30, in many games I served well at this point. So I'll have to keep my attention in this for the next match.

JUSTINE HENIN: After the last point (laughter). It's always... No, I mean, in tennis, everything can happen. But when I won the first set, I knew that the match was not over because it's never over. But I thought at this time, "Okay, I'm gonna play my game now." That's what I did. So I was free of pressure at this time and it was easier for me to play my game in the second set.

JUSTINE HENIN: It was little bit hard. When I woke up this morning, I was little bit tired. No, when you don't know the person you gonna play, it's always hard. You never watch her playing, you don't know anything about her. Okay, you just a little bit nervous, even if I am the Top 10. So I have to prove my ranking, too, today. So I just knew when I woke up, "Okay," I was a little bit more nervous than I was in the first and second one.