SANEX CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 2, 2001

Justine Henin

MODERATOR: Questions for Justine.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, for sure, I had my opportunities a lot in the second set. She played well in the first. I think she had a good tennis, she played well. It was hard for me to stay in the match in the first set. It's only one break. After that, I started to serve better. But, you know, in the tiebreak I do two double-faults. Maybe it's because she puts on me a lot of pressure. Against this kind of player, maybe I serve a little bit worse than against the other. So, yeah, I'm a little bit sad.

JUSTINE HENIN: I think that I can play a lot better than I did today. For sure, in the US Open, when I lost the first set, the match was over. I was really sad that I couldn't fight like I do all the time. So today I try to come back in the match. I wasn't aggressive enough. I think she was simply better today. But I think my tennis wasn't a hundred percent today.

JUSTINE HENIN: She's a strong player. She has big, big shots. So I think it's hard to play against this kind of player. But I think it's more in my head. Then I was a little bit too far from the baseline. I couldn't play my aggressive game. I couldn't go to the net a lot. I think she was more aggressive than me.

JUSTINE HENIN: I still have one more week in Fed Cup. I will try to keep focused on that. After that, I will take for sure a break. I need it. Season for sure was long. But one more week, and after that I will prepare for the next season. I will begin in Gold Coast.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, for sure, it was an unbelievable season for me, especially in the Grand Slams. I had one semifinal, one final. I played well. I was 50 in the world at this time last year, so I can be happy that I was in The Championships this year. But I have to go far away and continue to work a lot, continue in the ranking.

JUSTINE HENIN: It's not all that easy every time you play against such a strong player. Sometimes I am aggressive enough, but then again sometimes I am not. I mean, I knew that I didn't stabilize enough. It wasn't too bad in the first set. I tried to have a run, but she played very strong winners. Then, of course, you get under pressure. You withdraw a little bit. You go behind the baseline. You don't dare come to the net if there is so much power on the other side, and you move quite differently. This is something I'll have to improve on. I'll have to learn for next year.

JUSTINE HENIN: That is hard to say. On the whole, I think I made her suffer a bit with my first serve. But when it didn't come, I hit my second, I knew it was going to be a bit too short, maybe not go in. This is a form of pressure that you feel. So necessarily, whenever you get under pressure, it's the big points in the match, then of course the serve isn't regular enough. This is when I produce double-faults. Somewhere in my head, in my mind, this is a hard blow for me. I experience this as being such. Of course, you have to carry on. For the match point she had a string broken. I tried to have a run, but I didn't have a lot of good luck at that specific moment.

JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, she makes mistakes at any moment sometimes. Sometimes she plays very irregular tennis. But then she can play winners from anywhere on the court and will impress you. Having her on the other side, it's a major power that you feel. My play wasn't too bad. I had a run and so on. Still she played strong winners. I am not very used to that, those winners, hard shots coming from the other side. What impresses me most is her way to hit winners anyplace on the court, with a lot of physical power. It's very, very hard to know where she's going to serve. She plays with a lot of precision.

JUSTINE HENIN: No. I myself am a powerful player. I know I can do that in technical terms. When I can keep the rally going two or three shots, then of course I'm getting stronger into the rally. With her, you must play differently, not just with balls not bouncing. You have to be powerful, fast. This is what I have to do to play such a type of player. Of course, now many players are very tall, and you have to be perfect if you want to win.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, I didn't say it's hard to beat her mentally. I only say she is a difficult player to play. I could have won today. It wasn't totally impossible, I have to say. I have to stay realistic and say if I carry on my progress, if I work and improve my game, this is going to go a bit. Twice I beat Venus in three sets so I know I can beat her. I knew I had my chances against Serena. It's not easy, but it's not impossible. Nothing is impossible in this game.

JUSTINE HENIN: I was fresh physically. I wasn't exhausted at all. I wasn't even close to exhaustion. Why shouldn't I have won the third? That's right. Unfortunately, the tiebreaker went this way because at 4-2, I knew I had an opportunity. Then two double-faults. That is really a shame because if it would have gone to a third set, I would have gotten better into the match.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah. After the US Open, I didn't really fight. I wasn't really satisfied. I didn't find the resources I needed to win the match. Today, I was a lot better. I could have won the second 7-6. It was a totally different match, you can't compare this. A defeat is a defeat is a defeat, as they say. Of course, I'm disappointed. But I'm disappointed in a different way. I was really frustrated after the US Open that I didn't even have the means to fight decently.

JUSTINE HENIN: I'm not convinced. Of course, I'm going to carry on working, adding some power to my game. Physically I'm going to practice, to do some fitness during these six weeks of playing break. But I'm not going to be another Serena Williams one day. I have my strengths. This is why I went from 50 to 6 in the world rankings. But adding power a little bit, of course, but not changing entirely.

JUSTINE HENIN: I'm going to try to leave early to Madrid. I have to practice on clay. Maybe I leave tonight, maybe tomorrow, maybe first to Belgium, maybe not. To have a day at home wouldn't be too bad, then I go to Madrid. I think we play Wednesday. We'll have to have some practice on clay.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, we're not talking about this at all. This is not a topic at all. Carlos and myself, we're really trusting each other. This is sort of a beautiful connection. It works very, very well after five years. How could I think about changing anything? I can't say after a number of years a coach isn't able to add anything to your game. Everything is splendid between Carlos and myself. He's led me where I am; he's going to lead me further.

JUSTINE HENIN: No, that is the 14th of November. There are other things before. I can't think of that now.