AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2006

Martina Hingis

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think there's plenty of people, yeah (laughing). Well, it's coming down to the last 16, right?

MARTINA HINGIS: It does. Winning always feels good.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's not the easiest when you train in Switzerland necessary. Minus 20 degrees. But, no, I mean, just I came early to Australia. Played Gold Coast. I arrived there probably almost a week before. I think that was the best preparation I could get. Also playing some matches in the humidity. I didn't mind today. I mean, it was also eleven, so it wasn't as cruel, brutal as probably at the moment. But towards the end of the second set you could feel the heat, but thank God she felt it more than I did.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, is probably the difference -- like having a child's body and, you know, growing into a woman (smiling). I don't know. I think you just always struggle with that sometimes in between. With the way that's always been something I had to fight with, now I just have to see how important it is for you, yourself, to play tennis and try to do best possible so you get to the fittest as you can, you know. I know I still have ways to go. But, you know, I did the best possible as I can see right now to get myself where I'm at.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's just really underestimated because I was down 3-1 today, down a break. Thankfully, I broke right back. You know, kind of wore her out. I mean, that felt really good. I don't think I played my best tennis today. But, you know, as long as you win, it's always good, you know. Always room to improve for the next match.

MARTINA HINGIS: Like five weeks. But to make this decision, I mean, it was kind of in my head probably since I played Team Tennis and those exhibitions, you know, thinking about it. But the decision, yeah, came kind of late November.

MARTINA HINGIS: No, no, not at that point.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, playing the Team Tennis, it gave me confidence because I was winning against girls who were 70, 80 in the world. So that gave me some kind of confidence, you know. 5-1, 5-2, I was winning. Thosse were girls around hundred. It's not -- I mean, probably for that, I trained for two weeks, you know. So I thought, "Well, if I can cope with that, maybe if I really train harder and if my body allows me to, I can go further."

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I kind of had this question over and over for the last three weeks. The difference is, as I've been saying, it's more relentless. It's just all these girls. You see Benesova beating Mary, you know. You sometimes had that in the past but not necessarily at Grand Slams. Now you have to be ready every round. Just really everyone is in much better shape as when I left the game. I mean, you could already tell the difference that it was coming, but it has arrived now.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, because right now I'd say it's really important to me in my life. I mean, it's really the priority. I try to do anything I can to survive that. You know, sometimes when you're probably 17, 18, and winning, I mean, you see that there is other things outside the tennis world. You know, then you probably -- then some of the injuries come and appear and you think, "Okay, I just want to go and do something else," I mean, because everything is not going your way. With the injury, I had time off, try to come back and, you know, experience the outside of the world. You know, just really nothing satisfied me as much as being back on court.

MARTINA HINGIS: I'm watching, yeah, because it's now -- it's like I'm eager to see anything I can, you know. I miss it for three years. But maybe in the past I was like, "Okay, another game, another match, another tournament." But right now I'm like kind of sucking it up, you know. So I'm like watching, you know, every bit of it when I get back to my room. Turn on the TV, watching tennis. But it's just my preparation, I have to focus on myself and the next opponent. That's all I can do.

MARTINA HINGIS: I still do that.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I still do that. Probably not as much as I used to, not as often. When I'm home, yeah, I have my two horses which I ride.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, well, it's a long trip to come with the rollerblades again down here. But I'll probably take them to some other events, yeah. I mean, in Florida I always did that, you know. It's like certain tournaments you can do that better than others. But horse riding, I don't know. I probably leave that aside (smiling).

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, the first week is almost over now, so right now I just really feel like relaxing. Maybe, you know, go downtown a little bit, have a massage for sure, and just enjoy the rest of the day. Relax.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it always depends on the preparation pretty much. I mean, really I didn't expect anything. I don't know. Just tried to get as much out of it as I could. I mean, I knew that maybe I could have played Mary in today's match. But, I mean, Williams sisters, they were far away from my side so I, you know -- you just watch it but you don't really think about it.

MARTINA HINGIS: I just saw it just like because it already finished. What was the score?

MARTINA HINGIS: 6-2. She also had a shoulder problem. I saw her with heat exhaustion. I don't know.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's just really important to be in good shape. I think that's all that counts. Because under these circumstances, to play with this heat, only the fit survive really because you see so many ankle rollovers and like those things, only when the players get tired, like Sromova against Justine, last night Serena. I think it's always when you're really at the edge of your game and your physical preparation.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think I won Tokyo next week, so I was fine (smiling).

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, that was the big doubts I had about my game. I wasn't sure if it was enough. But I'm feeling better with every match going out there. I didn't feel that great, to be honest, after Gold Coast. But took me like three days to recover. And now I'm feeling a lot better. I feel like my recovery is improving, and just going on with -- I mean, my body is fine.

MARTINA HINGIS: Not quite sure about that, but I have really great respect for Andre. I mean, it's really amazing what he has accomplished. Just great survivor and champion. I mean, really, there is no other words, I mean, to describe that.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I said I don't -- at this moment I'm not thinking this far ahead.

MARTINA HINGIS: Probably the first couple, three months, yeah, I started studying. I kept busy with my horses. Just kind of was doing other things. But never really completely. I love the game too much to just kind of cut off completely. I'll never do that. I always hit a little bit with my mom's tennis school. I hit with the kids. Now I don't understand how sometimes players just don't touch their racquets at all anymore. I've never done that. Just really enjoy the time out there.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, coming into this tournament, I was like, "Okay, tough first round, you know, see if I survive that one first." But one by one. I'm just really happy and pleased being in the fourth round and having another opportunity at an event like this, a great tournament. Expectations just definitely grow. I mean, with every match I'm getting more confidence.

MARTINA HINGIS: Sorry?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, both girls, I mean, they're such survivors. I'm sure, you know, no one would have thought that Venus gonna win another Grand Slam last year, and she came out there and won Wimbledon. The same, Serena last year winning here. I'm sure they're gonna bounce back. You know, it depends on them, how much they really want it. I don't think they're just gonna walk away like that, no.

MARTINA HINGIS: What?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, there's probably some girls. I mean, you see the importance is -- I don't know, you always can tell in the player. I'm sure Justine is really hungry. So is Amelie. So is Lindsay. I mean, there is definitely probably 10, 15 girls who really want it bad. Not to mention Maria. She's like (indiscernible) every point.