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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 17, 2006

Justine Henin

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: First question for Justine.
Q. You look like you came back, lost it, came back, lost it. It was an up-and-down match. Is that typical for you against her?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, no. I think I was dominating the match. I was up 6-2, 5-2, then I lost my concentration a little bit at that point. That cost me the second set.
I really help her to come back in the match. I was playing pretty good in the first set then till 5-2. I don't know, maybe I thought too early that the match was over. Just for one game I lost my concentration. Then she took the opportunities and the match turned completely.
I just kept fighting as much as I could, and that was a good third set. There was always the same rhythm. I couldn't do what I do in the first set any more, change to down the line, be a little bit more in the court. There were very long rallies, and usually I was losing them.
When you play like that, she's very consistent. She didn't make a lot of mistakes. At the end, she deserved to win the match.
Q. Did the tape limit you at all in your movement?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, it did help. That gave me a lot of support on my knee. My knee is bothering me for a couple of weeks. I know that it's probably the fact that I'm playing on hard court. My knees are going to be happy when I play on clay again. I have a few problems on my right knee, but I hope it's going to be better soon.
Q. Where you may have lost concentration because of what you were doing, Elena is notorious about being a slow starter. She thinks it's a disadvantage. How important is it for her opponents to watch out for that and not to get this false sense of security at 6-2, 5-2?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I know that Elena is a great fighter, and it's never over with her. Just in that game at 5-2, yeah, she played consistent, and I did a few mistakes. I haven't been very lucky at 5-3, 30-All with the let, a few lines. But that's tennis. I think in the third set I probably had my chances again. But she was dominating the rallies at that point. She's a real fighter. The game is never over. I didn't think it was over, but I knew I had two breaks and I was feeling comfortable, then it changed.
Sometimes you win when you're down 6-2, 5-2, and sometimes you lose these kind of match. That hurts a little bit. But that finally doesn't matter. Some things are more important than that.
Q. How much discomfort are you in right now? Is it a tendonitis issue?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I have no idea. I had some problem with my kneecap, with the tendon, with a few different things. Just probably the surface. It's hard on the back and on the knees. It's a lot of injuries.
So, yeah, I don't know. I'll have to see the doctor and know and just decide what I'm going to do next few weeks because this knee is bothering me a little bit for now a couple of weeks. It's going away, then it's coming back, then it's going away. There are matches that I feel it and matches that I'm fine.
But it's no excuse for me that I lost today. I never thought about leaving the court because the tape really helped me to give me a lot of support in the third set.
Q. Would Miami be an uncertainty right now?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I don't know exactly about Miami. I'll have to wait a few days and see how I'm recovering, how my knee's doing in the next few days.
Q. Other players have given you credit as being the toughest competitor mentally. I don't think you're going to have to argue that. Where would you rank Elena? Is she pretty close to second toughest up there with you?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Oh, I don't consider myself as the toughest player mentally on the tour. I just try to give my best all the time. All the players try to do that. The match is never over. If you didn't play the match point, it's not done.
Elena, she played a lot of three-set matches. She's a real fighter. I think she proved that again today. So it's good for her.
Q. What are your emotions right now after the loss?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's for sure disappointing to lose this kind of match. Then my knee hurts. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do next few days and for Miami.
Yeah, it's not the best moment of the week. But, you know, there are things much more important than tennis in life, and I'm sure tomorrow it's going to be better already.
Q. I understand there were reports that due to the medications you were taking, you had an ulcer problem, is that correct?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yes, that's correct. So I cannot take antiinflammatories for anything now because I wouldn't support that. Yeah, that's the problem I had. I still have to deal with that. It's not gone hundred percent, so I'm still on the medication probably still for a couple weeks.
Q. Was that pretty painful?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, it was, very painful.
Q. You talked about mental toughness. If had you to single out one or two players on tour, who would you say?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You know, it's very hard to answer these questions because a lot of players are tough, and I have a lot of respect for everyone. Everybody can beat everybody. It depends of the situation. It depends how you feeling that day. So it's very hard.
I mean, you have very consistent players, but everything can happen. That's why the tour is very exciting now. There is a lot of concurrence, so that is good.
But I don't like to say names about that.
Q. Sharapova thinks you're mentally toughest. Do you think the same for her?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: She's a real fighter, too, yeah. She has a lot of motivation when she's on the court, like Elena, like a lot of other players. No, that's good. Everybody wants to win, for sure. It's very interesting this year that there is no one player that is dominating the other ones, so that's very good.
Q. You seem undecided about Miami because of the knee. Will your decision be swayed either way when you consider the new rules with the women's tour regarding the mandatory entry for an event like Miami? From what I understand, there would be penalties even if there was a medical certificate.
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, but I'm not going to think about that. I'm going to think about my knee and my health concerns. I think that I have to think about myself. I don't agree with the fines, that's for sure. When you're injured, I mean, when you cannot play, it's not normal that you have to pay. But I also understand they make Miami a mandatory event because it's a great event and they put a lot of money. So I understand that.
But I understand you never have to pay when you're injured. I have been in this situation in the past, and I think it's not normal.
Q. Do you know what the fine would be?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, I don't know. I'm not thinking about that. If I can't play Miami, I won't play Miami. Doesn't matter of what the fine is.
Q. Serena pulled out of Miami. You spoke about the strength of the women's tour. Do you think the tour misses Serena?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: She's someone -- she's a champion. She did a lot for the tour. She did a lot for the game. People, they like to see Serena playing. So probably a lot of people miss her.
But, I mean, that's tennis. I really don't have an opinion about that.
Q. What are your thoughts about tomorrow's final?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't know. I think it's going to be a tough match, a good fight, and the best will win.

End of FastScripts...

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