US OPEN

August 29, 2001

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think that was -- I play well until 5-2 in the first set. I was aggressive. After that, maybe I say, "Okay it's 5-2, 40-30," and I slept a little bit at this time. She came in the court and I think she organized her game and she tried to play high in my backhand, so it was difficult for me to be aggressive. So, yeah, this time she was in the court and I was running. After that I tried to change the game, and the second set it was better.

JUSTINE HENIN: You know, I give her a lot of time at the end of the first set. She could play like she loves to play, and like I don't like to play. So after that, I said in my head, "Okay, you lost the first set but you were 5-2 up so be cool and just try to be more aggressive to go to the net and to do the game." So after that I played better and I didn't lose any more my serve after the first set because at the end of the first set I lost three times in a row. So it was little bit too much. After that, I served a lot better.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah. Maybe I had -- it was a little bit difficult on this side. But I think that the return wasn't the problem. You know, when you're aggressive, you can serve well, you can return well, everything is in your head.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think it's a nice win. I think it's better to win like this sometimes for your confidence and everything, and I had to fight a lot today. So I think I'm happy because, you know, it was 7-6 and it was physically very hard. The weather wasn't very easy to play today. So, yeah, mentally I think I was stronger at the end of the match. I was 15-40 on my serve in the last game and I served pretty well at this time. So I think mentally I played well at the end of the match.

JUSTINE HENIN: I like to play on each court. I think that it's little bit more difficult because the court is faster I think than everywhere. I think that, for example, in New Haven it was little bit slower and, you know, it's difficult in the first two or three matches to find your game. But I like to play on this court. I like to play on each surface. I don't mind about that.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I had a good reaction. You know, I took a break and I was far from everything. So I took maybe three or four weeks' break - and I needed it. So after that, I came back on the tour and I played well in Toronto and New Haven, and now I'm in the third round of the US Open. And I think that I lifted very, very well.

JUSTINE HENIN: A lot change in my life. I think that people are waiting for me and everybody knows me now. But I think that I stayed the same person. Maybe I change like the player, because I have more confidence now and I'm going on the court like favorite now, and in a lot of matches. So I think, yeah, a lot of things change but I stayed the same.

JUSTINE HENIN: For sure I will have to play a little bit better if I want to go far in this tournament. But I think that today I had in front of me a very good player and Patty's playing all the time very well against a top player. She had nothing to lose. And when I let her the time that she needed, she played very well. So I think it's a good win for my confidence for the next round, and we will see what's gonna happen. But I am happy with this reaction after Wimbledon, that I won already here in the States I think six matches. And I play well at this time.

JUSTINE HENIN: I never thought about that. I think I just try to keep focus on each match, and I just try to be concentrate on my next round, and I don't think about, yeah, for sure I would like to win a Grand Slam, but I don't think on hard, on clay, on grass. I think I'm going to tournaments with the same idea: I want to win all the matches. But for sure it's difficult to play on hardcourt against players like Lindsay or Venus or strong players. But I think that I proved that I have many things in my game to win also on hardcourts, so that's not problem for me.

JUSTINE HENIN: I'm not afraid to do.

JUSTINE HENIN: I don't think so. I was very close with her last week in New Haven and I had the possibility to win match on hardcourt. I've been the only player that took her a set last week. I played a good match for sure. Maybe I could win this match, but she was a little bit stronger at the end of the match, and it's okay.

JUSTINE HENIN: I never played Serena, and we don't talk about an eventual match against her today because I have a match in two days. So I just try to keep focus on my next match.