AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2006

Martina Hingis

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Martina, please.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, what do you think? Well, you know, under all circumstances, I lost only 6-4 in the third against the No. 1 player starting from Monday, so I don't think it's that bad after all. Just one step further I have to start believing against players like that to be able to make another step.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I do so. Although losing against Kim today, it just still gives me so much, you know, to look forward to because it was a tight match at the end after all. I mean, the beginning stages, I was like, "Okay, hopefully I gain one point after another, game after another," and I started, you know, taking charge in the second set. You know, some unfortunate things early in the third. But I still stick in there and fight through it. But, you know, she has still the edge over me, and she had it today. You can't just -- three years pass by, you can't just think you're going to step out there and win everything. Considering I only wanted to play doubles at all these events, it didn't turn out that badly.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, it's been three and a half weeks -- no, four and a half weeks now. I'm also going to Tokyo, so it's a long trip. I've always done that in the past, and I was looking forward to it very much. But I'm relieved, I'm happy. I'm looking forward to Tokyo. I'm just -- couple weeks I can train and gain some new energy and fill up the batteries.

MARTINA HINGIS: No, I would want it even more. I want to have it more faster. No, it's just I think I can be proud about myself, of myself, to be here and be playing and playing tennis as I showed today, that I can still mix up. It was great proof to myself. Now I just have to work harder and see what happens in the upcoming weeks.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, "gap." I mean, she showed some great abilities in the beginning. I was able to, you know, sustain them. That's the great thing that I have to start doing. You know, like not going on court and thinking, "Okay, hopefully I get a point and hopefully I make a game." But you can win the match. That's another, you know -- I always used to have this mental edge over other players, but that's, you know, three years don't just erase like that.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, for sure. She's been out there playing. Also, you know, physically she didn't make any errors in the beginning. And that was like, you know, sometimes you get some free points. But that's the difference, top 5 players and the ones I've played so far. You can always hope for a mistake or, you know, a gift here and there, but not off Kim.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I was happy winning my first game there, yeah. It was kind of similar when I played Justine. You always feel like you're on court, you have 40-Love at times or, you know, 30-Love. You have advantage, deuce, but you know you don't have that extra point sometimes. You know you have to take a higher risk sometimes against other players I've played right now. You just have to do something special, you know, something to surprise them. But that's, you know -- against the top players, no matter what, I know that's the difference. You have to be able to just not miss but still take a high risk. You can't just push the ball.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, sometimes, you know, serve and volley, that's in stages. You try to surprise players and, you know, see what happens, how they react to it. But was it serve --

MARTINA HINGIS: I got lucky. It would have been over at 6-3. It was a let. I mean, I saw the ball passing me by already, then I got lucky. But, you know, she served it out well.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I made the last eight, and all the other players are either former No. 1s or top 8 players or top 10 players. I'm one of them who was in the draw. You know, if you make the final eight, you definitely have the belief. I think I can believe that.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, what do you think (smiling)?

MARTINA HINGIS: You think I'm just going to give up right now when I'm playing 6-4 against Kim Clijsters, or what?

MARTINA HINGIS: "Back on the treadmill," yeah. I might have a steam tonight instead, but... No, yeah, I mean, we said like from the beginning that I see how things turn out with this trip to Australia and Tokyo. Now I definitely have something to aim for and some goals, see which tournaments I will play next.

MARTINA HINGIS: Speed is important.

MARTINA HINGIS: It's nice the welcome I've always had here in Australia because playing well here, yeah. Somehow they asked me the other night, you know, playing Sam, another Aussie, I don't feel any less Aussie than Kim right now.

MARTINA HINGIS: I would believe so, yes.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, just continue the things I've been doing. Really, do you have any suggestions (laughing)?

MARTINA HINGIS: For sure. There's definitely some things in my game I have to work on. Now it's to maybe get some more free points or some advantages. But, you know, I only had a short period of time to get ready, so I try to spend a lot of time on the court. It will be definitely important also to do -- find a balance and do on and off court together. But you can't ever train as hard as when you play a match sometimes. So there is not so much off time, but you have to try to squeeze in as much as you can, yep.

MARTINA HINGIS: Of the match?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I was kind of steady, I mean, the whole match. I didn't feel like I had many ups and downs. It's just she started off very well. I tried -- I changed the momentum. In the end, it was just like unlucky, you know. Somehow I wish I had a lead in the beginning of the third set. Somehow it just kind of slipped away. Twice I had it in my hands, and instead of being up 2-0, I was down 2-0 again and limping behind. That would have been nice if I had a lead. But, you know, 3-All I had another chance, 30-All, things like that. Just like that's the difference, what it takes to win these matches.

MARTINA HINGIS: I don't know. Still the same people in this room (laughing). It was good to see familiar faces, you know.

MARTINA HINGIS: Sometimes I miss home. That's the only thing which in the past I always look forward to leaving for tournaments. And sometimes now, I don't know, even speaking to my mom just now quickly, she's like, "Hmm, you were (indiscernible) you head and you were sometimes somewhere else." It's like, yeah, because home is so nice now for me. Yeah, I know I have to go to Tokyo and all that, but sometimes I wish I could just quick just relax. There was never really a relaxing time because either I play singles or I play mixed, you have to do this and that and practice. Last three years I didn't have this routine anymore. So now in a way it's relieving that you get a few days off until next tournament, just, you know, get ready for the next one, just really keep your head up at the moment. But I miss not being on the tour, so I really enjoyed this trip. I've been having the greatest time, you know. Just making the quarterfinals. I really didn't know where I'm at and how far am I gonna go. This is what I wanted.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, before was different kind of stress. You had to prove yourself to, you know, become where I've gotten, then you try to just maintain the level you are at. Now this approach, I think I have just a different one because I don't have to prove anything anymore. Yeah, just to myself. There were expectations. But, I mean, I'm not doing it for money. I'm not doing it for anything else. Just because I love the game. It's not no one's pushing me. It's just like I have the support system behind me, but it's me who wants it and no one else, you know. Before, you could always say, "Well, your mom," and this and that, but now it's me who's in charge.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, yes and no. I mean, I was happy to make it three sets and a good fight. Definitely I was disappointed. I mean, who wouldn't be if you have the chances and you smell it. But I knew she wasn't a hundred percent physically as well, but who is? Making quarterfinals, no one's gonna be like hundred percent physically still, hundred percent shape. But it's, yeah, I mean, I just go on now. You beat me, now just win the whole thing now.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, you're the writers. It's you the ones who have been watching the whole time. I mean, I'm just a player. I feel it maybe playing, but I don't know. I mean, it's too short a time to tell really. But like I've been saying that the whole time. It's getting more relentless, physical. But the rest of the game, I don't know if really -- you know, you've been watching. What do you think? I still play the same? Am I better? I want to hear from you. What do you think?

MARTINA HINGIS: You think so? Yeah. Well, thanks (smiling).

MARTINA HINGIS: More power?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, maybe the technology of the racquets. I always tell Yonex, "Come on, I need more power."

MARTINA HINGIS: It's hard. Oh, you always wish the player who beat you is gonna win the whole thing. Makes just yourself feel better. But there is, you know, Amelie had a good win, good match. She's still got to be fit for tomorrow. Probably, you know, that's gonna be a tough one. Justine had a good win against Lindsay, steamrolling. Since she's come back, she hasn't lost a match. But just all four girls, you know, they're the top four in the world, so.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, because it's ongoing. Tennis is not -- there is no really off-season where you can really say, "Okay, I'm going to lean back, have like four weeks off, then I can start on my physical preparation." You don't ever have that. It's like ice hockey, you know, basketball, baseball is maybe also pretty tough. But it's physically and mentally very demanding because you're also so much away from home, always on the road. So that's like when you watch American sports, football, they travel, they go back home. They have always their comfort zone. Tournaments, you always have to find for that week the comfort zone in the hotel room and at the courts. It's different environment. But, I mean, you know what to expect, so you know what you're doing and how to make it so you feel home.

But I don't know. Just physically it's probably -- I don't know. It's always moving on. I mean, sport in general is always getting tougher and tougher.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, looking at the draw in the beginning, I knew really like Vera is gonna be a tough one, but not impossible. And then I, you know, saw Mary there. She had a great last season. So with one eye I was looking at a possible match against Mary, and then I wasn't quite sure how that would turn out. But since she lost, I felt like, "Okay, this is my chance. Now I can take it to the quarterfinals. Then whoever's going to wait me there, will be another test." But quarterfinals, I didn't think it was impossible, but long way to go.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think the best quote I ever got was from Bud playing, you know, those exhibitions and playing Team Tennis, I asked him, "So what do you think?" He told me, "If you really want it, you go ahead." So that's probably one thing I've realized. It's not only telling you, "Oh, you're great. You're perfect. You're playing so well." I played Martina there. If they want it, they can go a long way.

MARTINA HINGIS: Thanks (smiling).