COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

September 29, 1998

Martina Hingis

Q. How satisfied are you with your last match as somebody underage?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I was asked the same during the TV interview, that was my last match as a 17 year old girl. Tomorrow I'm one day older. That won't change too much. I've been getting ready and waiting for this moment for two years, and I'm looking forward to it. I think Opel is going to organize something big. I'm looking forward to it. Now I can finally really drive the car.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I played her last week; I won 6-4, 6-4. I think the surface is fair for everybody. You can also play from the baseline and attack the net. I didn't actually look at her match very well, but I think with all the four Grand Slams we have, we have found an average for that surface. I felt very well as a 17 year old for the last time. It was a good match until 5-2 in the second set. Then she hit exactly the corner. I thought that was over, that's it. It somehow caught me off balance. But finally I did make it and won it. I'm glad.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's not very far for me. It's only three hours' drive from home. I would be stupid not to play her. I have been playing well in Germany. I feel well in Germany; I speak German. After six weeks in the United States, it's really a relaxed feeling to be here, near home. It's a great tournament. For the first time ladies can play as well. Only the top eight in the world are present. It's like a Grand Slam, like starting in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. So it's really a great tournament, I would say. As you can see, all of the top eight players of the ladies definitely did come. There's also the money, which you must not forget either. Of course, there are no points to win, so you can really have fun playing. That's quite a pleasant feeling. I hope I will be able to play all these three matches. It is not like another tournament where you have to play four or five matches. Here you have a maximum of three. Of course, there's always the money, which isn't bad for three matches, isn't it.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm not an Internet freak. I don't really surf around there. I sometimes seen some pages of mine. It's huge. If I would have to go through all of them, it's going to last forever. It's nice getting the support from people. You know, I just can say hi back.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I did have these famous Bavarian weisswurst, and that tasted quite well. Maybe on Thursday, I will have the opportunity to have a quick look at the Oktoberfest. Tomorrow, there's also the soccer match. I'd like to go there. I saw the two finals of the World Championship and the European championship. Tomorrow with Bavaria Munich playing, I will definitely be there.

MARTINA HINGIS: I mean, whoever competes at this tournament is tough to beat. You've got all four Grand Slam winners of this year here at this tournament. I think especially Lindsay has been very tough in the last two, three months. She was very consistent. I just try to go to the next round. We'll see whoever is going to await me there. You know, I feel good, and we'll see.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, that's the last tournament. We'll have another Grand Slam. Only the top players are here. Certainly this is the right time to get ready for the indoor tournaments. Nevertheless, if you play only three matches, then you would like to have the better end of it. If you enter the court, you don't want to lose there, so you try to be the best.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, Opel is doing something special with an Opel Tigra. I don't know what else is coming up. It might be a big media hype. I want to see the soccer match tomorrow night against Manchester United. Turning 18 is a new stage. I've been waiting for it. I won Filderstadt before where I got a Porsche. It's staying at home in the garage. I can't drive it. Now if you turn 18, I'm able to drive those cars. I don't need anybody else from my family to drive me. I'm able to move more freely. Apart from that, I will continue going to the tournaments with my mom to coach me. I think certainly you get more independent. You can take your decisions on your own. But nevertheless, I'm not going to believe that now I'm 18 and I can decide everything without asking or consulting my mother and my team.

MARTINA HINGIS: All my decisions were made together with others, but before my mother had to sign when I was asked to sign something. Now I can sign on my own.