WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2003

Justine Henin

MODERATOR: Can we have questions for Justine Henin -Hardenne.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think, you know, I had really bad start in the match. I started the match on the wrong way. But Serena played good match. I mean, she was very solid. She served well. She returned well, too. She was really aggressive in the point. Much better than me. So she was just too good today, and I didn't play my best tennis for sure. I was getting nervous little bit at the beginning of the match, and she just deserved it.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, I think that, you know, playing Serena here, it's harder than playing her on clay court because, for sure, when she's serving like that, it's very hard to break. But I didn't serve as good as I did in the -- at the beginning of the tournament, and in the last matches. So, I mean, it's hard when you're not 100 percents to beat Serena - especially here at Wimbledon.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I had to. Yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Uh-hmm, yeah. I mean, I had to, but it was tough. You know, when I get in three games of the first four games I got game points and couldn't finish this game, so it's very hard after to compete then because she was in confidence and she was playing really well. For sure I couldn't be in the court like I wanted to be. I did, yeah, unforced errors in the important moments, and she just tried to play point after point, stay in the match, and it worked good for her.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Sorry?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think, you know, everybody can win this tournament now. But it's gonna be a tough mission for the other player, for sure. Because she wants so much to stay No. 1 in the world, I think, and she want to win this tournament. I think that she'll give everything for it, so it's gonna be a hard match - but for both of the players.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Why are you coming back all the time with what happened in Paris? We are here at Wimbledon. You know, when I talk with my coach, it's nothing to do with that. We didn't talk about this problem. So, I mean, I don't understand your question, really.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Someone is wrong.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I mean, it's -- lot of things happen in the first six months of the year, especially in the last few weeks. So, I mean, next week, it's gonna be a week off for myself, no tennis. I'll work physically, but no tennis racquets. I think it's gonna be a good break. For sure I need it, because I played a lot in the last weeks and I didn't have the time to get a break after the French Open because I had to prepare for Wimbledon. So I think it's gonna be good for me next week.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I mean, yeah, sometimes she's playing like this and sometimes she's doing a lot of mistakes. It depends. It was a good day for her today and I was sometimes coming to the net really good and she had some great passing shots. I didn't do enough, and especially at the beginning of the match. Maybe she saw I was a little bit nervous, too, and she didn't miss a lot of things, you know. All she tried was in the court and she served so good. So it's true that it's a bit frustrating, because, you know, when you cannot do anything, it's hard.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think that, you know, we just two players and we all want the same thing, is winning a lot of matches. But, I mean, we don't have any problem between each other. And, you know, the past is the past, and we never live with that. So, I mean, I think that we both very professional and, you know, we'll have to play a lot of time against each other and it's good if we can get a good relationship, and it's like this right now.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, because, you know, it's hard sometimes when you won a Grand Slam. Everybody's talking about what happened at one point of the tournament. Sometimes it's hard to accept that because you know what I did was great and I played so good tennis at the French Open. And everybody -- maybe everybody forget this and just talk about what happened at 4-2 in the third set against Serena. I think it's wrong, and I think it's good to remember that it was great match. And I think that Serena and me, we know that. It's good for women's tennis.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No regrets at all.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You know, you like to make the controversy; we don't like it. But, okay, I understand sometimes it's your job and I totally agree with that. But I'm not the player -- I'm not a person who like to live with that kind of things because I think it's really stupid. There are many things that are more important in life than one point in a match. And I know that because I live very hard things in my life. So, you know, it doesn't matter and I don't mind about that right now.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I didn't know if I could play this tournament, and, you know, after the French Open, I get again in the semifinal here. So the matches I had to win, I won them. But, yeah, I'm sad a little bit that I lost today. It's normal because I think that I wasn't able to compete 100 percents because maybe I was a little bit nervous and because she played so well, I have to say that. But, you know, when you're in the semifinal of a Grand Slam and you always want to go until the end of the tournament. But it's good result for sure.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think today that she had a high level of tennis, for sure. I think she wanted so much to win this match, and she probably will try to do her best to win the tournament. But I think she just proved that she's No. 1 in the world. And especially on the fast surfaces, she's very tough to beat. So we'll see.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Uh-hmm.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You said to be -- I mean, I don't want to talk anymore about what happened in Paris, because, you know, it's very far from now. I think that you making great things about nothing. And it's really stupid. And I mean, I think it's enough for myself right now.