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SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 12, 2006

Justine Henin

MADRID, SPAIN

Q. You're the only player that played a tournament before coming.
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: The questions in my head. I didn't know if I was going to be healthy to play the whole tournament, play five matches at this level in six days; it was a tough challenge for me and I really didn't know what to expect and then I come, I win. I finish the year number one. So what can I ask more? I'm just so happy right now. It's unbelievable feeling.

Q. At the same time, your calf, it was difficult in the beginning, was that trepidation or --
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Now it's nice, I can talk seriously about that. It's something that helps, but it's not the main key. We work very hard with my trainer to give me confidence on my calf. And it's not 100 percent. I don't know if people, if they see me working -- when I was playing I was okay. When I was working, it was painful. I wasn't 100 percent there, but I felt better and better day after day and I just played with the passion I love so much being on the court this week. I had a lot of tolerance with myself. I knew it was tough to play my best tennis, so I just decided to build something strong day after day and staying calm was the key for me.

Q. You have more wishes because you really have it all now only Wimbledon?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Every tournament is a goal for me, the main thing is to be healthy. It's been the key for me in 2006, and in 2007 I'm going to try to do the same way but it's really too early to do that. I want to enjoy the victory, enjoy the season and in a few weeks we can talk about next season. But Wimbledon is a goal but it's not going to be an obsession because it will be a mistake thinking about that. Every tournament, every time I walk on the court give myself, give the best and it's going to be great.

Q. What did you change in tactic maybe after the last match of the round robin?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I was very close to win the match three days ago. Two days ago, and but it wasn't good enough at the end of the second set. So today from the first point to the end I decided to put a lot of pressure. But I was feeling very tired and it wasn't easy for me to be in a good rhythm during a set and a half, and I think I just played amazing tennis at the end of the second set in the last three games I would say I just went to take the match. I went to the net. I had a lot of motivation and I played from the first point to the end and that's when I missed a little bit in my last match against Amelie on Friday. So that was the difference.

Q. There's some players who play almost better when they've got a slight injury, because maybe the pressure is off or they try different things, they have to work different things out. Does that perhaps apply to you today?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: The fact that what?

Q. They have to work things out in a different way, they have to try things they might not try if they were completely fit?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's maybe I had this feeling during this tournament I couldn't play a lot of rallies, but I think I moved pretty well, but I just wanted to take my chances and you know go for it, not waiting for the mistakes of the other players and just take my opportunities. And there was the key for me this week was being very aggressive, no matter what happens, the last matches I did a lot of serve and volley. I went to the net. It really paid off. I cannot say I was 100 percent this week, but it was amazing what happened for me in the last few days.

Q. But did not being 100 percent take some of the pressure off you?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Maybe. It's maybe why I've played so well and it's not that I did believe or not I could win this tournament, but I didn't know what to expect. I came here saying we'll see just day after day, just live this moment right now, that's what I did great during the last few days and I probably never enjoyed my tennis like I did this week.
It was amazing.

Q. Justine, now that you've won the year-end tournament, do you feel like you're deserving the year-end number one at this point?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Well, all the players are working so hard, and we all do a lot of sacrifices; and Amelie and Maria had great season also. So I've been very consistent, very solid. It's for me, numbers are talking about the sums, I think 13 tournaments, 10 finals, six victories being in the finals of all Grand Slams, winning the French Open, I think I can be only happy about what happened. I can look back and say in my final in Wimbledon and at the U.S. Open I couldn't be at my best level, but I'm not going to take -- I'm not going to think too much about that and I'm just going to keep everything that went into well this season and I can say now it's been the best season of my career. That's for sure.

Q. Why is that?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Because I've been consistent from the first tournament to the end. It's just I lost once first round in Miami. It's a tough tournament for me. But except for that, it's been unbelievable, semifinal in Charleston and Indian Wells and finals in every other tournament. So it's not easy from the beginning of the season to the end to be very consistent. And it's a lot of hard work. So I think I did remain pretty healthy during the whole season except in the last two months, but it's unbelievable.

Q. Do you expect it to be very close again in 2007 between yourself and Amelie and Maria and maybe Kim, it's been very close to the top all year?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's going to be another interesting season. But don't talk to me too much about that right now. I don't want to think about next year right now. I just want to enjoy the moment and I think it's very important life goes to fast and if I start to think about what's going to happen next year I think I will miss very important emotions right now. So we'll talk about that later.

Q. When they gave you that trophy, just after you'd taken it the mayor of Madrid wanted to shake your hands looked like you were going to drop it. Did you fear that?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No. I will look, watch that on TV. But no.

End of FastScripts

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