adidas International

January 15, 2004

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: Justine, do you want to tell us about today's match.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah. I think it was a good match, very good match. It's great to have these kind of opportunities before the Grand Slam next week. I think that's great to have these kind of matches where they were, I mean, everything - high level of tennis, a lot of tension sometimes. I'm very happy, you know, to play a match in three sets. I have, for myself, two accomplishments on this match, is that when I lost my aggressivity a little bit in the second set, it was very hard for me to come back in the match and to win the second set. And then second point is that I've been very nervous a few times during the match before the conclusion finally at the end of the third set. But I think that's pretty normal, you know, at the beginning of the season. But I'm very happy because I could see that I improved my game a lot in these last few weeks, especially on my serve and my forehand. I think that when I take my responsibilities, it's much, much better; I'm a much better player. So that gives me a lot of confidence, because Chanda played a great match today - you know, very, very good forehand, and she was putting on me a lot of pressure. She was coming a lot to the net. So that wasn't easy. But I finally came through. I'm very happy. It gives me a lot of confidence, like I said, before the Australian Open and to have a couple of matches. So that's very good. I'm very happy.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You know what, my ankle is all right. I sprained my ankle a little bit, but it looks good. It was sore during two games and then it was coming down. I hope tomorrow it's gonna be fine. But the other problem, the medical time-out I asked for because I have a lot of blister, you know. And especially with this heat I have a lot of problems on my right foot. But, I mean, I'm used to it. In a lot of tournaments I have many problems with it, especially with these kind of courts. So I had to change and to adjust my tape.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, I'll go to the treatment a little bit later this afternoon, yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I was a little bit nervous, like I said, because I knew that Chanda is a great player. I knew that she was gonna come on court and put on me a lot of pressure and attacking a lot. But I'm very happy because when I had to take my responsibilities, I did. Like at the end of the match, maybe I could win the match a little bit earlier. I've been nervous a little bit. But it's the second match of the season. But it's good to feel that before a Grand Slam and beat a player like Chanda the week before. I think that's pretty good. She always played great matches against me, especially on the hard court. So it wasn't easy. But generally, you know - there are a few points that I have to work on for sure - but generally I think it's much better. I got a little bit of trouble on my backhand today. The reason is that when I don't go in it, when I not aggressive enough, I don't have the backhand that everybody knows. We could see that my forehand now is my best shot, and I have to play a little bit more with it.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, it was in the second.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, and I'm doing a good job at the net for sure. I think that -- I worked on this part of my game in Florida in the last few weeks. I worked on attacking a lot, you know, being at the net, try to cover the court as much as I can. And I think that we could see that I really improved my volley, I really improved my covering of the court. So that's -- yeah, my coach and me, we are very, very happy about that. But I still have to come a little bit more. I proved that when I do this, I'm very good, very good player. But when I stay on my baseline and doing nothing with the ball, I'm not so, so good. Like I said, I need to take my responsibilities, being brave and going on every shot and not thinking about the issues of the match, but just giving my best.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: On my ankle, no, no, it was the first time today that I sprained it during the match. But it looks fine, it looks okay.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I'm sure she's gonna be in great shape. I'm sure that she's gonna come back very strong. And we'll have to be careful about that because, you know, anybody's talking about her because she's off for a few months. But she has enough experience after so many titles, so many years already on the tour, she has a lot of experience and a lot of motivation, too, so... Which is good for all the players. Yeah, that's good for everybody. We very excited about that.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: To be honest, you know, I don't know what's her problem is, and I'm sure that she needs some time. If she's not coming back, it's because she needs more time, you know, to be ready. I think that Serena and Venus are these kind of players who want to be 100 percents and totally ready for coming back, which I understand perfectly. So it's better to ask her the question.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's very hard to say, you know. For myself, what happened last year is from the past already. It gives me a lot of confidence because it's something I did. Never somebody is gonna take it to me. I mean, I did it, that's great, but it's over now. You have to start again every day, you know, try to be at your best level, because you have other players who want to be No. 1 and to win a lot of tournaments, too. I don't think too much about that. I think the pressure is there every day for all the players. I don't feel more pressure because I am No. 1. I don't feel it; probably there is. But I just try to come on the court and do the best I can. That's all I have to say about that.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's a great preparation, for sure. I mean, I always like to play a tournament before a Grand Slam, especially at the beginning of the season, because I need some rhythm, I need some matches where we have tension like we had today. That's pretty good. And I could say that physically I was feeling great on the court from the first ball until the matchpoint. I was feeling 100 percents on every shot. So that's pretty good. I think that there's a good evolution in my game, and that's the most important thing.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I think that -- I feel that my game right now is good, you know, even if I -- I'm happy to go to the semis and play one more match - I hope two. But, yeah, I need some matches like this and to be ready for the Australian Open. But I feel that my game is good right now, even if I still have to go little bit more to the net and work on this. But, you know, it's tough conditions also, but I'm feeling good. Like I said, the main goal is gonna be the Australian Open for sure. But that's great to have a few matches before. I don't think too much about this right now because I have a semifinal to play tomorrow, and I like this tournament so fine. I really enjoy to be here in Sydney. So we'll think about that a little bit later when this tournament is gonna be over.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's gonna be a good test. I think that Lindsay is playing good right now. You know, she came back after surgery, I think, at a very good level. She proved in the Hopman Cup and here that she's feeling good on court. Last time I played her, it was our thriller match last year at the Australian Open. So, yeah, we'll see. She's a great champion, a great player. Always hard to beat her. I'll come on the court, believe in my chances, and try to take it.