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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 10, 2006

Martina Hingis

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Martina, please.
Q. Did you work a sweat up out there?
MARTINA HINGIS: The first three games it was a little chilly out, but, you know, after that it got a little better, warmer, and once you're in the match you just play. I mean, you know...
Q. So how did you feel to play your first WTA event in the States, over three and a half years since the Open?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, it's great. I mean, it was a nice crowd today, and even like the first I got here already, Sunday, so I've been practicing a few days.
Wherever I go there's -- people are very welcoming and very friendly, "It's great to have you back," and all that. So even before I play the match, you feel -- I feel very comfortable going out there.
Q. So what memories came back, because you've played some fairly big matches here, wins, a few losses, mostly wins. So what came into your mind when you were out there?
MARTINA HINGIS: It's a nice stadium.
Q. Good.
MARTINA HINGIS: It's great to be back out there. I don't know. It's just like, you know, when you hearing applause, people are there wanting to see you, you know. It's great, and I played some good points early on, and then you just get going.
And Cami, I've never played her before, but I was very comfortable with playing her and just trying to get through that match. And just in general, I'm very happy to be back in the States and playing. You know, sometimes I think, well, when I've finished a match and got back to my chair, I thought, well, I wasn't thinking that it could ever happen again, you know, at some point.
Q. Do you get the feeling with some of the new generations, they're not comfortable defending dropshots or when you go to come to net or some of the angles you create, they've never seen that before or certainly not very often. Does that go through your head?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, yeah, maybe. The variety really helps me to get through those matches. But, I mean, she didn't give any free points. I mean, you had to really work your points out there, and I was maybe a little surprised. But on the other hand, I knew she's not going to overpower me.
I've seen her a little bit in the past playing some matches and I knew what to expect, but somehow in the windy conditions, even today you have to be very careful not to, you know, overdo it, and you have to work your points out there, and she certainly did that.
I mean, she kind of didn't fall on, you know, me drop-shotting or even if I came to the net. I mean she had some pretty good passing shots and I was like, okay, I really have to do something out there.
Q. You went early though to the dropshot and?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, it was just something that didn't really work. It worked on the breakpoint, but the first one was pretty good, and then I tried it on the forehand court and that didn't work.
Q. The third just missed, the third was almost really --
MARTINA HINGIS: I mean, you just try to do certain things. I really felt comfortable with my game, you know, the last few practice sessions. So I just try to do some extra things, some fancy shots, which is sometimes probably don't do against someone like Justine or Kim or like early stage, but if you feel comfortable, you can try.
Q. Martina, what got you back -- welcome back by the way.
MARTINA HINGIS: Thanks.
Q. What got you back and when did you decide to come back?
MARTINA HINGIS: I got the question on the court, what was your motivation? I'm like, well, playing in front of a crowd like tonight, and hopefully, you know, there will be even bigger ones as further I get in the tournament hopefully, and maybe I was just really -- the passion for the game and just try another -- one more time, give myself this opportunity and chance, if I can survive against, you know, the top players and really just be challenged.
Q. Is that a long time in coming, was that an overnight sort of process?
MARTINA HINGIS: No, it was a progress. It was definitely a progress of different thoughts and playing exhibitions, the Team Tennis in the U.S., yeah.
Q. Martina, when you were training this fall, what were the areas you were thinking? Okay, I need to come back in January and these are a couple things I really need to improve if I'm going to play top level tennis again?
MARTINA HINGIS: Mainly it's fitness, you know, know whether or not I'm going to last the match and, you know, how my feet are going to cope with everything. I mean, you can practice as much as you want, really, but you can never simulate a match and all the nerves which I have when I play my first event. There you just have to keep going, be patient, hopefully, you just mentally just take it easier and it was nice that it happened.
Q. Serving, forehand, were those areas of concentration because even before you retired, those were a couple areas you were trying to improve?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, but I --
Q. It looks like even on the first serve you are getting a little more speed on it.
MARTINA HINGIS: Like tonight, I mean, there's windy conditions, so you just try to put, you know, more first serves in which is -- try to have a little higher percentage. She's not going to kill me off the first serve or anything, even on the second.
But I feel very comfortable with my forehand today. Those are things which come with confidence. I mean, if I had matches in the past which were, you know, playing the Williams sisters, you just weren't able to break down on those things. If it happened, you lost. And if it didn't happen, you would win. I mean those were always things I try to work on, but I mean, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
Q. Does it feel like fans are embracing you even more than before?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, maybe I have this little underdog thing right now, just like not being out there for three years and the comeback. I mean, you've seen that in the past with other athletes. It's nice to, you know, feel the same way.
Q. Does that feel good, the first time in a while to be the underdog?
MARTINA HINGIS: I have nothing to lose, yeah. I mean, at least I can take advantage of the crowds on my side.
Q. But you were never unpopular. You were never the kind of champion people were really against.
MARTINA HINGIS: No, no. But still it feels -- now you can really feel it. I mean even when I play Australia or the other events, Tokyo, you know, people always like me there. But also playing well and coming back, you know...
Q. But it's got to be, Martina, radically different. You've been on the other side. You played Monica during your comeback in Roland Garros when every single fan was in love with her and her comeback.
MARTINA HINGIS: Right.
Q. Now, it's almost like an automatic, you come back, you're the champion, you're completely on the other side, people are just completely embracing you, right?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah. It's nice, I mean, to be on the other side for once. Especially maybe the one match against Steffi that was even more, because people felt like, okay, she's -- that's probably her last chance to win a Grand Slam, or, you know, you could really see the edge coming up.
But, yeah, so, I mean, I was only 19 back then, 18, 19, so...

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