WIMBLEDON

June 26, 2003

Justine Henin

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Justine Henin-Hardenne. Questions in English first of all.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I mean, sometimes it's good, you know, the second round you have these kind of matches. But I had my chances, especially at 3-1 and 5-4, and I let them go a little bit. I wasn't focused a hundred percent on every point. Maybe that's the only bad thing in this match. But then I played a good tiebreak, good second set. She was playing well. She had a high level of tennis in the first set. You know, I'm just happy to be in the third round.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I'm very focused here in Wimbledon. Roland Garros is very far to me right now because Wimbledon is very special for myself. You know, being on the Centre Court was very nice today, and I enjoyed it a hundred percent. But, you know, it's just at the beginning of a Grand Slam, it's always hard to play these kind of matches. And that's okay. I'll have to see the positive way.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think that, yeah, people, they look at me differently than before the French Open, for sure. It's normal. I can feel it. But it's a great feeling. I mean, usually here the crowd is so respectful for the players, and I could see last year, two years ago. I mean, for all players. It's a great crowd. I really enjoyed it.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think the quality of women's tennis is so high right now. It's a high level. We can see great matches in the women's tennis, and that's why it's so popular. I'm pretty happy with this campaign. I hope it will help a little bit more.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You know, I think the tennis change a lot in 10 years for sure. But, you know, I think the level is very high right now. But we can see a very nice tennis with nice women on the court, and I think that's the most important thing. And, you know, I just try to enjoy it hundred percent. I think it's great like it is right now. But I agree, it change a lot in the last 10 years.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, I'm not surprised at all. I think she has the game to be in the third round of a Grand Slam and it's going to be a dangerous match for myself because she's serving pretty well. And I think that grass court is maybe her best surface. So I think I'll have to play a good match. I'll have to play a solid game if I want to go to the fourth round.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's good for me, you know, playing these kind of players. I mean, in the Grand Slam you have to beat very tough players, and everybody's playing well in the third round. Especially here at Wimbledon, anything happen. So we'll see.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think that Wimbledon came very quickly after the French Open, so it's not in two weeks that you can recover a hundred percent and be ready. And I think that I deal with it pretty good right now. You know, I'm in the third round. Everybody's waiting for me. I just had a few days off at home before going in Holland to prepare Wimbledon. So it's very short. And in another way it's good, it's positive that two weeks after I'm in another Grand Slam, I can be focused, and I'm very happy to be back at the competition.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't think I'm really tired physically. I think that, you know, I didn't have really hard matches. In the semifinal at the French Open, it was long match. But I think physically I'm really ready to play a lot of tournaments and a lot of matches. I think I'll need a break after Wimbledon. But right now I don't want to think too much about this. I'm here in Wimbledon and I just want to give my best to do a good result.