TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN

April 1, 2000

Martina Hingis

WTA: Questions for Martina.

MARTINA HINGIS: It feels great, finally winning a big tournament again, so many times in the finals in the past. I was never able to win lately, only like Tokyo. But Lindsay wasn't there. It's not the same when you're seeded No. 1. I had some great wins, especially this tournament. It really feels great because here is the first time I became No. 1. It's always a special feeling coming back here. Second title, it's very nice.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I like this weather, tough conditions, that players like Lindsay or Monica or Mary or the Williams sisters can't just simply overpower me with, you know, their serve or groundies. I have more chances because I'm more -- not such a marathon runner, but it's more like my game that I run and get as many balls back as I can, then try to do something. Here she just can't go for big shots because it's too dangerous.

MARTINA HINGIS: Wind, yeah. Wind, sun, you have to be in good shape, everything, patience.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's nice, you know, finally winning against her because, as everybody knows, I've had five losses against her. Just kind of for the first time beating her after a while again, it feels very good, especially in the finals. I was watching the match against Sandrine - not really watching, but heard about it, because it was so late. You know, I wanted Lindsay to win because I wanted to get another chance to play her, especially here at this tournament.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, well (laughter).

MARTINA HINGIS: I was still up 5-3, and my serve. I was up 40-Love in that game. But I felt like I was on top of the game at that moment, especially because I was up 4-All, then all of a sudden it was 4-3, then I broke her again. That was very important for my confidence. Even I think if it would be only 5-4, I still think like I was going -- I had a chance to break her again. But that call, I was already moving over to the chair. I'm like, "No way." It was like a foot wide for sure. I don't know about the replay, if you saw it.

MARTINA HINGIS: Bad, bad call. I mean, it happens in tennis. You saw it before; it's going to happen again. It's just unfortunate situation when it's a set point. But, you know, I won the set anyway, so.

MARTINA HINGIS: I said like, "It was at least a foot wide." That's what I thought it was.

MARTINA HINGIS: Don't remember. Something, she couldn't see the call, whatever, I don't know. I won that set, so I didn't even realize.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's not that easy to, you know, play five weeks in a row, three straight tournaments. She came off of a tough win against Sandrine. It's just long, you know. That's why we both I think can agree on that, it was a great move not to play doubles here, it's too much. Always so many people, so many questions, so many things going on. I mean, even things are going well, everything, you play great, it's still very tiring, it takes a lot out of you. Every time you go out there, you have to motivate yourself, push yourself one more day, one more time. It's just today was a great day. Now I'm so happy everything being over for a while.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, it's just great. This streak of tournaments was just very nice. Even the first tournament, we got rained out, then I lost in the finals two weeks ago. I felt like I had a chance to beat her there; didn't make it. I'm very happy about here finally doing it.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I don't hit it clean all the time. Sometimes I had a few miss-hits there. I'm like, "What's going on?" It's just you have to be patient. I think it's very important to believe in yourself that you can do that shot, in practice do it over and over until it's almost like a hundred percent. It's not ever going to be a hundred percent; you're always going to miss one out of ten. Get in as many as you can. If you can rely on that shot, you're going to hit it always cross-court or always down the line, if you miss one, doesn't matter, go for it again - but spin more, a lot of topspin is very helpful.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, sometimes it's like you're waiting for the balls. You always have to move with the ball. Well, it's getting very much technical now. I would have to almost show it to you, I don't know (laughter). Sometimes you're like waiting. The easy shots you get, like on the service lines, you're not allowed to miss them, not against players like Monica or Lindsay or somebody like that. Sometimes I feel with the players, because they're nervous or something playing me, that they have to hit the lines or go for a big shot, go for a winner because they're too intimidated. I was getting to a lot of balls this time. They always think I pressured them. The pressure from the other opponent, like when I played Amanda, the first three games it was so tough because I couldn't hit a winner. You can't just go for too much.

MARTINA HINGIS: The Williamses are not playing. Venus is not playing at all. I didn't play Serena. I beat Mary, though. I beat Monica two times. And Lindsay, we're even now. This season so far, she's got a much better record than me. Hopefully I think I'm on the right way back, playing well again. I'm thinking more on court, you know, taking making the right decisions at the right time.

MARTINA HINGIS: In the second set?

MARTINA HINGIS: I was thinking, but it felt different this time. I broke her many more times. She was not serving that well. When we got into the rallies today, I just felt like we were even. She didn't get that many free points off her serve. That was very important today. She didn't serve that well.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, yeah. I said it on court, I can say it again. So far this season, you know, she's played very well. But it's different being No. 1 and No. 2. It's different pressure. Now I'm the hunter again (laughter). I don't know by how many points. Tomorrow we'll know.

MARTINA HINGIS: This guy is obviously a little strange. I saw him before. He was in Zurich. He's maybe a little crazy, I don't know. He's like in love with me, I don't know. Actually, in the beginning I tried to tell him, I've got a friend, I'm happy (laughter). He just I guess likes the attention.

MARTINA HINGIS: No. Well, not at a tournament, because they got a great security. I mean, he was here. I said I don't feel great having him around me or too close, don't feel that good. Also when I'm going to go back home, I feel like at first that was on my mind, you know, he's going to be allowed to go there. But, no. As long as I got guys like Pavel, as you say, around me. Anyway, I try not to go anywhere by myself.

MARTINA HINGIS: I haven't decided yet about the Fed Cup or whatever I'm going to do. We still have to talk about it. But I'm going to play Hamburg, Berlin, Rome, Paris.

MARTINA HINGIS: Sometimes your body changes, you think you have so much power, so much energy, you try to hit shots which are impossible for my stature. Now I'm using my body a little bit better, my mind, of course, also a little more.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, if the game changes a little bit. You always got these players like Lindsay and Monica, like hard to get in. Either they hit a winner or they miss it. It's like you don't even get a chance to get in. But I was coming in a little bit more, especially against Amanda, and also yesterday I was playing much better at the net. When I got in, I had good wins.

MARTINA HINGIS: As soon as I get back home. We got also red clay in Tampa. Yeah, I'm going to probably play on the green one. I don't know how well they look right now. Plus, I don't want to be too lonely. They're in the back with the grass courts. But I take a few days off. I don't want to take too long because I feel so good right now. I feel physically very good. I think things are going very well right now.

MARTINA HINGIS: Like every tournament I got better, I think. Even I lost two weeks ago, I think I played very good tennis. It just wasn't good enough there against Lindsay because maybe believing in it, I wasn't as -- mentally, I wasn't there yet. But this time I was. But tennis-wise, I think I was already playing very well.