AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2001

Martina Hingis

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Martina, please.

MARTINA HINGIS: In singles or doubles?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think we had a very tough draw from the first time, actually, we played together. And so far we didn't even have that much time, you know, warm-up time. So it was like, okay, we were thrown straight into it and you know, go out there and play and show what you can. I think we definitely proved ourselves, that we can play well. We play together as a team. But sometimes you just need little things, you know, to adjust to the other player and we definitely didn't have that much time yet to practice and just really work on the doubles game. We both, a little bit, play like our singles out there. But I mean so far we're winning, but we definitely have to find some time. I think we didn't play our best today; that's for sure. But I mean there's always things you can improve on, and we get better hopefully as we go on. But we will be the best three teams out there today, so far we played.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, it's new energy. It's such a freshness into that, so much enthusiasm still, you know. When sometimes you play with a partner for a while or for a year, you get used to, you know, his things, his weaknesses and his strengths. But sometimes, you know, it just goes down. Then someone who's so professional like Monica is is always a thrill to go out there because, you know, she's such a fighter. She never gives up. She always gives 100 percent, you know, even more than that. So that's great to have a partner on your side like that.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, against Serena, I think I played, you know, a solid match. It definitely was not the best of my game. But I also was tired coming from that night match we played in the doubles and also against Clijsters and just so many, you know, tough matches right away, and didn't have that much time to rest. I'm so happy now, after Sydney I had a couple of days off. I took my time, got my routine back, got the practice down. That's why I play so much better now again I think, also in the singles. Well, plus I had different opponents. You know, being 40 minutes only out there, that's pretty nice. Well, I think just, you know, being more hungry, wanting it more. I think I'm in still better shape that I can last longer, that I don't get down on myself too much and still somehow to pull it out.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I hope so, yeah. That's the part of my game I was working on, and I definitely feel much more comfortable, you know, going up front and play some volleys. Obviously everyone knew that I can hit the volley, but, you know, coming in, I feel like so -- there's so much space around me. But now I feel like I get the sense of the court better, where, you know, I might play the first volley. So in doubles, you got just the cross-court, the down-the-line and it's so much easy, you're already there, you're standing there, just put the racquet right or left. In singles, it's just the court feels a little bit bigger. But I think I'm getting there. I'm going in the right direction, yes.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, yeah. Definitely I took not enough time, that's why I didn't play so well in the beginning. I also didn't eat since breakfast, so that doesn't help me either. I definitely should take a little bit more time in the future, because we played the No. 1 seeds. I was kind of, you know, the people, the fans were waiting. They were like, "Okay, the court's been empty for a half an hour, they're waiting for you." I was like okay, okay. I definitely was too much in a hurry. I shouldn't have gone out so quickly. They were serving 6-5, serving for the set. I was like hello, we should have won 6-3, 6-2 the first and see how it goes. But I think it was tough conditions, as well. So -- but I'm happy, it's behind me, you know, the first round of doubles.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, actually it was funny because today I knew the doubles might be tougher than the singles. So I was like, "Okay," I played very well in the singles. Obviously I was focused and just want to get it, you know, done. I never played her before. But I feel much more confident now going out there. It's the second round already, you played on the center. But I hear there is a tough match waiting for me still. So it was a little bit difficult yeah, today, to keep going, keep yourself motivated. As I said with Monica, you just go out there and you just think about your game, yeah.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's scheduling as well. It's so difficult, last week in Sydney, you play a night match 7:30 and you have to go out there and play Clijsters the next day. You're like, "Wow, this is not a easy singles to play a youngster who's so much into it, who wants to beat you and who's playing well." So it's just, you know, maybe -- otherwise if I wouldn't play with Anna or some partner I know already, I wouldn't have played doubles in Sydney. But because we never played, so you want to get like one match or two matches down before a Grand Slam. We just happened to be -- we had to play the Williamses, then Davenport and Morariu, it definitely was too much. I think the idea of having that third-set tiebreaker is so good. I think in the future there might be a good idea to run into the real tournaments to start with playing only the best of two and the third-set tiebreaker. I played it in the Hopman Cup, and I think that will be a great thing to get the players to play more doubles or just keep playing them, you know.

MARTINA HINGIS: Women's definitely. I don't know how the guys feel about it, but I think that's the only way, if you shorten up the doubles, that's the only way it will keep, you know, people are still able to play both, yeah.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, I could have been out there for two hours, too, but I just did it. You saw last night's Agassi's match, he played awesome. So it's like, okay, he's kind of like the player who plays similar to what I do, and it's just such a thrill to watch him. I only saw a few points or a few games and, yeah, the way he played out there is -- it's amazing. And I tried the same thing today and it worked, so... Pete is a player who doesn't play that many tournaments, and I think he's more difficult for him to get going until, you know, he warms himself up. But he's still -- he's a champion, so I don't know. I think we deserve it equal prize money right now because women's tennis definitely is not every single round, but you have the round like Dokic and Davenport first round, which is not so easy. There are a few more, so...

MARTINA HINGIS: No, because I still think I played very well at some of the Grand Slams. I just wasn't able to go all the way. But I don't think it's too bad having a Finals, two semis and a quarters last year. Also the year before I won here. Now I'm hoping for another one this year for sure. If it will be here, that's great. If not, there's three more to go.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it was motivation. I mean that shows that, you know, so many girls, you know, are playing so well right now. And Lindsay was -- had a great run a year ago, and Venus, the second half of the year. But I think I still won nine tournaments, which, you know, I think I won the other big ones which come maybe after the Grand Slam. But it shows that maybe the Grand Slams are not as important as they used to be.