adidas International

January 13, 2001

Martina Hingis

THE MODERATOR: First question for Martina, please.

MARTINA HINGIS: Thank you.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I knew I still had the chance to, you know, fight myself back into the game. It was only a break, and I won it back right away so I felt a little bit better afterwards. But I was up a set at 4-2 and then at 4-3, serving. I just kept thinking of that Indian Wells match. I don't know why, but it was just the same score, the same opportunities, and I just - I don't know - I just got too frustrated about myself because I felt like, "Okay, it might slip away again." And I just didn't want that to happen. That's why I just got frustrated. Not again.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, this one breaks quite often, I have to be quite honest. But not like that. I didn't even hit it that hard. I felt like, Okay, I hit it maybe the perfect spot, you know. But it -- I never broke a racquet like this way, that it was totally crushed. (Laughing.)

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, or Marat Safin. He breaks like 48 racquets a year, so... Not quite at that level yet.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, for sure it is. I just -- I felt, you know, I was playing a very solid game and my tennis was kind of -- I was playing better and better each match, and also the heat didn't affect me at all. I just actually like it, the weather conditions like this, because I feel like physically I'm quite, you know, consistent and I can manage it better than maybe some other players like the bigger girls which have to carry more weight around. So I still prefer that, the wind and everything.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I knew it was coming. (Laughter.)

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think everyone's got its own line. I definitely chose mine, and I think you have to be very balanced. It's not easy for tennis players, especially for females, to travel all the time, change everything, plus keeping the, you know, the physical routine. It's just impossible. We also play a lot more doubles. And if you have to wait around all the time and play singles and doubles, you just -- it's so much easier, you know, to be steady like an athlete. We don't have to be athletes or sprinters on the tennis court. We have to have our consistency and just play week in and out. It's not like you have the perfect timing, you know exactly when you have your race or when you have this. So as a tennis player, you never know. So it's always like up and down. You know, I think slowly I'm finding the balance in my life and also the training routine is just -- I think it was a ridiculous comment. I just don't accept that, no. I mean, definitely there are some players which are in much better shape than maybe I might look, but what does it help them if they can't play tennis or if they're always injured?

MARTINA HINGIS: Sorry?

MARTINA HINGIS: I feel very good, very confident. I beat the top players out there. This week it was the best field ever here at this tournament, so I'm very happy about going to the Aussie Open.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, in a way what has he -- you know, he was Wimbledon champion, he was a finalist here and at the US Open. But, I mean, if he had been No. 1 for four, five years, I'd respect him definitely as a player and as a legend and just as a consistent. But so many times he was injured because I think he just couldn't keep up with the physical level. I mean, it's just so hard to travel, as I said, and just keep the balance. You get hurt so easily if you do too much. I mean, I could see myself, when I get a little bit more physical training -- like I just got too heavy, I couldn't move on the court anymore. I just don't want that to happen. For me, it's much more important to be light and speedy out there. So... I just look at it, it doesn't, you know, affect me, that comment. Just try to ignore it.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I have even a little bit more respect for Lindsay when I play her. I mean, you could see in today's game, otherwise I'd have won maybe 6-3 the second set already as I usually do when I'm ahead against other players. But because, you know, I was waiting for her to, you know, hit a great shot at a crucial time, which she did every now and then coming out, and she's not going to let down, and she doesn't get -- she maybe used to get a little bit more frustrated on her shots. But today she just always kind of came out and pulled it off a little bit. And, you know, she was No. 1 a few times, so she definitely earns that respect.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, you can't really compare them. They're different players. I mean, the Williamses, you never know how good they're going to play. At certain times Venus or Serena, they're almost unbeatable. Then like the other match I played her, she just didn't play very well. I mean, so you never know what they're going to come up with if they don't play for a while.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think Monica has played very solid tennis also, and it just -- she told me a few times that we had very tough doubles matches so she's not quite used to playing that much because she hasn't played all year last year almost a doubles match. So it's been a little bit more difficult, when she can focus only on her singles. But Mauresmo is quite tough on this surface if she stays healthy. Or also the little Belgium girl, Henin, she won two tournaments. Actually, she played today. I think she could be quite a good player on this surface especially in the upcoming youngster.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm happy that I won the tournament and I won also Hopman Cup. But I think I played better there. But it's different playing outside, again, with the weather conditions, the sun. But I think I can still play a lot better if I don't get so frustrated with myself. I just think I got much more consistent in my game, but there's still a few things I think, you know, just if I would keep it up the entire match it could just be so much more easier, yeah.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, since US Open I only lost one match, which was the finals of Philadelphia against Lindsay.