PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 11, 2002

Justine Henin

MODERATOR: Questions for Justine.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, for sure. I mean, I didn't play good match. She played so well. I was I think too nervous at the beginning of the match. She was strong. I couldn't develop my game because I was too nervous. I practiced her some days ago, I could feel she was playing well. Maybe I was a little bit afraid of this match. But, I mean, I'm a little bit frustrated because I couldn't play my game and I couldn't play. So that's a little bit sad.

JUSTINE HENIN: That's the problem. I mean, for sure. But I'm young also. I still have many things to learn. I mean, everybody can beat everybody on tour, for sure. I don't have the experience of the Williams or Davenport or Capriati or Hingis, for sure in the Top 10. I just tried to do my best. Today it didn't work. She's a young player. She has nothing to lose. She was the outsider, like I was last year. So, I mean, that's the difference.

JUSTINE HENIN: I don't think about this now.

JUSTINE HENIN: I will talk generally. I couldn't play my game. That's it. For sure when it's like this, I can't serve very well. I think it's for everybody the same. When you're not ready emotionally, I mean, it's hard to develop your game. So, I mean, my serve for sure sometimes was good and sometimes I did some double-faults. I mean, that was the match.

JUSTINE HENIN: I change the movement because, I mean, I wasn't regular enough. I said that, I worked very hard on. I said that it's going to take maybe some more tournaments, maybe some months to fix it definitely. For sure, I still have to work on. I think when I'm well in my head and when I'm playing well, my serve is fine. So that's not the problem.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, not at all.

JUSTINE HENIN: For more power maybe, but to be more regular, for sure, also. Physically, I think it's easier for me to serve like this. But, I mean, I lost a lot of matches with my serve last year, so we decided to change it. In a lot of matches, it's going a lot better. But, I mean, today was a little bit worst.

JUSTINE HENIN: I played her my first match of the year at Gold Coast.

JUSTINE HENIN: I played in Gold Coast. Today it was hard for me to play. I mean, I lost the first set there already, but I did difference after because I stayed calm and I wanted the victory. I fighted a lot. She didn't play so well like she did today. She's in confidence I think also. That's the difference.

JUSTINE HENIN: I mean, I don't think that she's asking in her head a lot of questions. She just goes, try to hit on everything. She can be strong. I mean, for sure, she's a young player. Like I said, for me it was different last year also because I was an outsider, and now I'm in the Top 10. It's a different situation. But she's serving very well also, and she's an aggressive player. So, I mean, probably in the next year, she will be in the top.

JUSTINE HENIN: No. It's just a time to have an adaptation. Sometimes it takes some months, no, to accept this situation. I did well in Australia and Belgium, in the last tournament. I can accept this situation. But sometimes for sure it's a lot of pressure. I have to work on and to live with it.

JUSTINE HENIN: Everybody can beat the Top 5, Top 10. All the players in the Top 10 lost against a player like Hantuchova. She will be for sure in the top in the next year. It's not the big problem.