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SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 9, 2006

Martina Hingis

MADRID, SPAIN

Q. What happened, Martina, on your last match?
MARTINA HINGIS: What happened? Well, I guess after three days playing the top players in the world, that's what happened.
I mean I'm only a human being at the end of the day. And I was somehow, after the first set I almost couldn't believe myself, the way I felt waking up in the morning after the last couple of days. I was like, wow, how did I get that set.
But, no, I just still played, I mean I feel right now after these three days I played my best tennis. I mean I was a little bit late, which is normal, compared to yesterday.
I mean that was truly one of my best matches. I haven't played like this all season.
And I mean these matches, you know, these are the reasons why I came back.

Q. So now your participation in the rest of the tournament depends on tomorrow's match. What will you be doing during the match?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, we'll have practice around 4 clock. So we'll probably stick around a little bit to watch, definitely on TV. Maybe live, I don't know yet. We'll see. I usually don't like relying upon other people. I just normally like to get there myself.
But, hey, it's still a chance to get there. And with me winning at least a set today, definitely gives myself a better chance to make it.

Q. If this is the end, if Mauresmo does win tomorrow, how do you look back on the week and in fact the year?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I can only be proud of myself. The last three days have been probably even like more than I expected. I don't know. I can look back and say, hey, it was definitely worth it and I don't regret a second to be out here and have come back.
I mean if you heard the crowd today, I mean it's not much more you can ask for.

Q. Just a little about Amelie. Do you think she's really a very different player than she used to be seven or eight years ago?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, she definitely evolved. She could, you know, she's always been more of a physical player than the rest of her game.
But she got more confidence, especially last year when she won the championships, and since then she will cover Grand Slams (phonetic) and I think for her it's a lot of confidence. What she's now is totally two different players.

Q. Maybe it's too early, but what do you want to improve next year in your game?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I wish I could start off as I ended the season. I think, you know, I've shown the last three matches that I'm capable of playing with the best and being able to take the best out of this week and just continue like this from the beginning of the season.
I think that would be all I can take with me after this week.
But improving, I don't know. I mean it's pretty easy to tell. In general it's the physical part. But I knew that's not going to be easy. I'm not acetyl as some of the girls. So definitely the way of playing, just seeing definitely shows the way how the rest of us or maybe the little girls should be playing if you want to have a chance.
And whatever happens at the end of this week, if she's going to finish as number one or not, depends also a little bit about tomorrow's match. So that's one way to follow.

Q. And what makes you proud of your game right now?
MARTINA HINGIS: I think I pretty much said it in the sentence. I don't know. It's just being able to hold against the top girls.

Q. How much have you exceeded your expectations this year by how much percentage? Must be a lot?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I didn't exceed them, I just proved them that, with the goals I set for myself, that it became reality making the top ten, basically.
And basically having great matches against the top players, beating them sometimes, and proving myself that I belong to the top ten.

Q. Martina, all these three days and the people from the Madrid Arena has been especially on your side no matter who was the other player. Did you expect the behavior? What did you think about it?
MARTINA HINGIS: It was a great feeling. You know walking on stage and walking into the court and having the crowd behind me. You know when I was 17 it wasn't like that.
I guess that's somehow the respect for the older, I don't know, the underdog in one way as well.
And just having the following and the great sports fans and they've been following what I've been doing this year and they just appreciate my game. And that's the greatest reward I can get. It's great.

Q. Martina, Nadia said she was feeling a little it tired in her match today. Sounds like you were saying the same thing with this match. The late nights and the fact there's no easy competition here, all the matches are tough, if you end up playing three matches in a row just by the luck of the draw, is that a disadvantage in a tournament like this?
MARTINA HINGIS: It was definitely a cruel schedule. I mean two last matches and 8:00, it wasn't like it was getting easier or whatever.
But I'm not in the position to be saying what time and when and how I want to play and whom I want to play.
So I just try to take the best out of it and I knew from the beginning of the week what I'm facing and just try to prepare the best I could. It's definitely not the time you go to bed at two or three in the morning you fall asleep is not the routine as a professional athlete you normally would have.

Q. We're in Spain, though?
MARTINA HINGIS: You have it in Spain. You have it here in Madrid.

Q. Just a question on your schedule next year. Obviously the beginning of this year you played a lot of events because you wanted to get points and get up the ranking. So will you manage your schedule quite differently in 2007 than you did this year?
MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's a very starting position I'm in with next year. I know I won't have first round seeding in that. So I'm facing all these girls only quarter finals. There's sometimes no easy first runs either. But at least I think it's a great position. I can start off the next season.

Q. Do you plan to play an equal number of events?
MARTINA HINGIS: Probably. It worked this year, and even though the last three days, the way I improved from the first to second match, I need matches like this. They're like salt for me. The more I can have matches like this, I can only get better.

Q. Tell us about the story --
MARTINA HINGIS: Sorry, I didn't understand.

Q. Tell us about Radek, it was in the public, is there a story?
MARTINA HINGIS: That's news from yesterday. I'm sorry, you have to follow up.

End of FastScripts

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