WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2003

Justine Henin

MODERATOR: Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. Justine Henin-Hardenne.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think I played much, much better than I did in the last matches. It was already better yesterday against Mary. But today I knew that I had to be focused because it could be a dangerous match for myself. I played really good, very aggressive, served well, tried to be aggressive on the return, and I think I played tactically perfectly. So it's good for myself.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think, yeah, almost 100 percents for sure. When I am playing, I am getting used to the tape. I try to forget this. It's just still a little bit sore when I'm not playing, but not during the game.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think, you know, it's true that I'm playing good on grass. I was in the final two years ago, in the semis last year, semis again this year again. So for sure it's a surface I like to play on because it's very specific. You know, I think that my game is good for the grass. But I agree, too, that maybe clay is better for myself because I have more time to organize my game, to have good defense. But when I play tactically good, I think that the grass is maybe my best surface.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think she's a young player, but she's coming very strong on the tour. I think that we'll talk about her in the next years because she has a high level of tennis, she's very complete, and she's nice person, too. So I think she's gonna improve for sure in the next months. And she's still very young, she's only 18. So I think that we'll see her in the top very, very soon.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I just try to build match after match, you know. Probably my next match is gonna be, you know, a hard match. I knew that I have to build this a little bit in my preview matches. So today I just try to be very aggressive, to be in the court, and just try to go a little bit more often to the net. I couldn't because she did so many mistakes, you know, on important points. But I think it's true, I was thinking maybe about the semifinal and say, "Okay, if you want to be aggressive against a player like Serena, you'll have to be aggressive against a player like Kuznetsova."

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You know, it's gonna be another match, another semifinal. I just want to say I'm really happy to be again in the semifinal, especially after the French Open because the break was very, very short. And I think that mentally and physically, I proved that I'm good right now. And, you know, I was so motivated today. Just because I know that from the first point until the end, I have to be aggressive, I want to be focus, and I'll try to have the same attitude in the next match.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I think is gonna be a different match, for sure. Because she likes the grass. I like it, too. But, you know, her power is very hard for myself on grass, on the fast surfaces. So probably is gonna be more difficult for myself than in the Roland Garros or in Charleston or in Berlin for sure. I agree with that. The only problem is that I'll have to be in the court, I'll have to play my game and try to be aggressive and to go to the net. The serve and the return will be so important. So, you know, I just try to be focus on that, and I think that Serena is gonna play good match for sure, because she's gonna be very, very motivated, and I know that. But I'm pretty excited about that. It's gonna be, I hope, a great semifinal.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I think it's going up also. I mean, when you have the chance to play semifinal in Grand Slam and here at Wimbledon, you're very lucky, I mean. And you work so hard for this, so you have to enjoy it, and you have to be motivated. And all the players are. All the players want to win this kind of tournament. So I'm very happy because after the French Open, I keep my motivation 100 percents, and I think it was a good test for myself coming back here. So, you know, on Thursday I'll go on the court and try to win this match, even if I know that it's gonna be a very difficult mission.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's hard to say. I think that Venus is serving pretty well, too, especially on grass court. But I think they have, both of them, the best serves on the women's tennis, yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think we're professional enough to do this. You know, there is no problem between each other. I think half an hour ago we just talked for a minute in the locker room, not about tennis, but if they want to play doubles tomorrow. I don't know. I mean, we just professional, we colleagues, and I think it's better like this. I mean, we probably are gonna have a long career together. It's better if we can have this kind of relationship.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Not at all, not at all.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think it has to be great. I'd like to feel it one day. It's just amazing, you know. I had the chance to feel this at the French Open, and it's a great feeling. So, I mean, players who win the French and then Wimbledon, like Serena did last year, it has to be great. Because two weeks after, being 100 percents and beat all these top players, I think it's very hard, and she did it. And I hope one day I will do it, too. It has to be great.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Everybody now has their chances to go to the final and win a tournament. I think for Kim and for me it's gonna be difficult for sure. I think that Venus is serving well and you know Kim had some problems in the first set today, but played well after. So I think that she's gonna be all right on Thursday. And for sure it's gonna be hard, like my match, but we'll try to give 100 percents and we will see what's gonna happen.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, I think they're pretty similar, you know. It's fun playing on grass, you know. It's only three or four weeks in the year. I will enjoy it. And here, the tournament is great and I think the courts are pretty good this year.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think they have good mentalities, they're great fighters, they're very young. They won a lot of victories. I think they're really nice. It's great for Russia to have all these players.