US OPEN

September 8, 2006

Justine Henin

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. At 4 2 in the second set, did you raise your game or did she self destruct or perhaps a little of both?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: A little of both, I think. I was pretty nervous the beginning of the match. I wasn't in the good rhythm. She was playing terrific at that time. She was just on fire. She played an unbelievable tournament.
I knew it was going to be a tough match, but I was too far from my baseline. Yeah, I wasn't playing very well at that time. Then, yeah, nothing to lose. I saved some points to go to 5 2, and then some points to go to 5 3, 5 4. So it's been important points.
Then I felt much better after this. I was feeling free. I was playing my game. In the third set, I played really well.
So, yeah, it's been I came back a little bit from nowhere, but it's the kind of match that I probably would have lost in the past. I'm very happy to be in my fourth Grand Slam final this year.

Q. Did you have any injuries in your back?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Yeah, it's been pretty painful last few days. Couldn't serve a lot during my practice. Something pretty painful.
So, yeah, I just have to keep fighting. It's not easy to play with the pain. But then I was a bit tired also at the end of the second set. Then couldn't think any more about this injury and just play and let's try what you have to do. It worked pretty well.
But I think every athlete has to deal with a little bit of pain at the end of a Grand Slam. It's tough, but I have to deal with it.

Q. Were those double faults mental or physical?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Probably a little bit of both. But, no, I wouldn't find any excuse for that. I think I was very nervous beginning of the match. I wasn't in a good rhythm. In the third set I served much better, not as many double faults as I did in the first two sets.
So it's great to win a match when you know that you're not at your best level. That's what I did today against someone who played very good tennis. I had some opportunities, but I couldn't take them in the first set and also beginning of the second.
Then third set finally we found again the same Justine as we had on the court in the last few days, and I'm very happy about that.

Q. Did you get the sense that her level dropped after that seventh game of the second set?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: I think I did push her to play a little bit not as good as she did in the first set. She played unbelievable, but I gave her a lot of time to play. My balls weren't very deep at that time. I was playing too short. I couldn't go to the net. So she had a lot of opportunities to take her chances, and that's what she did perfectly.
So she played really well, and then I push her a little bit more. That changed, totally changed the match.

Q. Can you say how much she's improved since you played her once before?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: It's been already a tough match. She's the kind of player who, when she's in confidence, can play great tennis. She's an excellent tennis player. Now you need to do it, you know, tournament after tournament, and find some consistency. She had unbelievable tournament. She beat Vaidisova, Kuznetsova, Dementieva. You have to play well to beat these kind of players. She did improve a lot and she was in confidence this week.
So we've seen the future. She's very talented, we can see it. So she doesn't give a lot of points. In the first set, she didn't give a lot of points.

Q. In regards to Martina Navratilova and her retiring, what would you say her legacy is and what has she meant to the sport and women's tennis? Has she had any personal influence on you?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: I think that, yeah, I was very young when she was at her best level. But what she did for the game is unbelievable. She has a lot of records. She's still a great professional. So it's pretty amazing, I mean, how many titles she get. No one will do it again anymore in the future.
She did a lot for women's tennis. She keeps fighting. It's sad for everyone to see her going away now, but it's probably time for her to do something else.

Q. In the finals, if you're facing Sharapova, what can we expect?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Well, she didn't win yet. We'll see what's gonna happen. But both situations is going to be a tough match. I'm happy it's going to be tomorrow night. It gives me more time to recover. Sharapova, she's still looking for her second Grand Slam title. She will have a lot of motivation.
Mauresmo, she took a lot of confidence, a lot of experience, and she's a much better player now than she was a year ago. It's gonna be a tough one, and I will have to play my best tennis if I want to win this title.

Q. How is your back feeling going into tomorrow?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Well, I have no choice. It has to get better till tomorrow. So we'll see. I'm sure it's gonna be fine.
THE MODERATOR: Justine, by getting to the US Open final, joins a list of just seven women in professional tennis history to get to all four Grand Slam finals in one year. The others are Graf, Seles, Hingis, Navratilova, Court and Evert. A very select list.
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Not bad (smiling).

Q. How does that feel?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: It's a great feeling. It's an amazing season for me. It's almost a dream this year. I wish I would have more than a Grand Slam title now, but in 2006. It's been unbelievable. I think that. I've been very consistent. I played well during the whole season. I've been healthy. And being with all these names, it's just unbelievable.
I always remember, as a little girl, dreams of becoming a professional tennis player, and now here I am. I enjoy to be on the tour and to do what I love so much. It's a great feeling.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports...