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WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2007

Justine Henin

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Justine Henin. Questions, please.

Q. Are you surprised how straightforward it's appeared to be so far?
JUSTINE HENIN: I was a little bit surprised that the match was that quick, you know. I was ready to have a good fight. Even if I know -- and I knew that it's not the best surface of Patty, I thought I was really focused on my serve.
It was pretty tough conditions out there: very windy. But I could keep control of the match. I could take it at the beginning of the match and keep it till the end.
It's been very positive for me.

Q. You haven't really been stretched in a set so far. Now obviously the bigger tests are going to come.
JUSTINE HENIN: I ask this question of myself. You know, what happened happened. It's been good. I did my job perfectly until now. Just going to try to keep going. Had a lot of matches in the last few weeks, which is good. It gives confidence.
And I know every match is different. Every day is different situation, different conditions, different kind of player. I'm really concerned of fighting very hard on every point. We're going to see what's going to happen.

Q. Are the conditions heavier than ever all the time now? It looked awfully heavy out there.
JUSTINE HENIN: It's pretty tough conditions for everyone. I think I've been pretty lucky myself. Many other players with the wind didn't have so much luck.
But, yeah, it's tough. It's pretty sad for everyone - I mean, for the players, the fans, the tournament, everyone. The conditions, yeah, it's pretty humid and it's windy out there, very windy. Especially now on the Centre Court with no roof anymore, it's more wind I think.

Q. A good chance it could be Serena in the quarterfinals. What are your thoughts on that?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's going to be another tough match and another situation on different surface. Yeah, I'm just going to try to be concentrate on myself and just going to try to keep going, be focused on my goals, and we're going to see what happens.

Q. You played a serve-and-volley point the first point. I thought that was against the law in women's tennis.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, no, it's good. I mean, I improved a lot in my game on grass from last year, I would say. Pretty everything started here for me in Wimbledon with different kind of game, moving forward, go to the net a little bit more.
My serve has been good in my first four matches now. And probably the other players don't like it that much, so it's good.

Q. You mentioned goals. What are your goals right now?
JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, I think every match is a goal. I just try to stay focused on, you know, the next one. Every day you have to start again. It's different. My main goal is to go as far as I can in this tournament.
It's a mistake to look too far. You just have to live this moment now and take care of yourself, stay healthy, do everything you can to be in the best conditions.

Q. Do you feel fresher than you felt than obviously last year at this point? Eastbourne was slightly harder last year.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it's pretty hard to compare. You know, even if it looks simple to you, my first four matches, it's still the nerves and everything. It's the pressure of a Grand Slam. It's different.
When you look in the last probably nine weeks, it's my tenth week, and I played seven weeks of them. It's been pretty busy for me since Warsaw when I started on clay.
You know, I feel good. To compare from where I was last year, it's pretty hard to tell you.

Q. Do you and Serena get on any better now than you did a couple years ago in Paris?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think it's been much better in the last few months. The past is the past. We have a lot of respect for each other. No, it's been good in the last few months.

Q. Do you chat off the court?
JUSTINE HENIN: I wouldn't say we chat a lot. But, no, the atmosphere is pretty good in the locker room, so there is no worry about that.

Q. You talked at the French Open about following the same routines, wearing the same clothes to help you feel at home in Paris. Do you do something similar here? Superstitions? Not walking on lines?
JUSTINE HENIN: No, it's old. That's stupid thing. I can walk on the lines now, I think.
I like to have a routine, and the routine is different in every tournament. Even if I prepare my matches exactly the same in Paris and Wimbledon, it's always the same preparation. I'm the kind of person who really needs that. It's important to me.
But, yeah, when I'm in the tournament I like to do the same thing every day. It's pretty similar to what I do in Paris.

Q. Does that mean the same food?
JUSTINE HENIN: No. When I keep the same food it's because I tolerate it very good and it's good to keep the same food because I know it's good for me.
But it's not a question of being superstitious at all.

Q. You were watched out there by Arsene Wenger. What is your connection with him?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's been great. It's an honor for me that he was there. He met Carlos. They wanted to discuss a little bit. No, it's good. I didn't see him yet. I hope I can see him upstairs now.
Now, it's very good. He's such an interesting guy, you know, what he did for his club. It's pretty amazing. It's been an honor for me to play when he was there.

Q. How do you know him? What's the connection?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's a person that I know that knows him. He was here so we could meet. It's good.

Q. What do players here at Wimbledon do when it's raining in their spare time? Are there activities for you to get up to?
JUSTINE HENIN: No, not really. It's boring. No, we just waiting. We stay very focused on what we have to do. If it's a match, practice. It's tough when you have to play a match and it's raining.
Last weekend it's been terrible. Even if there was no matches for me. That made me tired actually just not doing anything. You just need to relax and do whatever helps you to feel comfortable and listen some music, watching some DVDs, spend some time with the people around you. That's the only thing you can do.

Q. Is it similar to the other Grand Slams?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it is, yeah. In any tournament, it's tough. We are here to play tennis, not for waiting that the rain stops.

Q. Serena is a very big woman. You're small. What are the advantages of playing against a person, for you, like Serena? What are the disadvantages?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, we are different styles, that's for sure, which is interesting and very exciting for the fans, too, to see the differences between us.
I'm not going to talk about my tactics against Serena even if everyone can see it on the court. I don't look really what happens from the outside of the net. I just try to stay focused on me.
I think tactically we put something pretty clear in my head that I have to do on the court, and I just try to do it the best I can. I know I'm quick. I know I can be powerful when I want. I know a lot of things improved in my game. Doesn't mean I'm going to win at all. But I'm just going to try to do everything I can to win.

Q. I think Serena described her match in Paris as one of the worst she'd ever played. When you saw the draw in Paris, you thought, Wow, that's a tough draw. What were your thoughts here when you saw the draw, the possibility of Serena again?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it is. It's still a tough draw. I mean, everyone is hard. When you play a quarterfinal of a Grand Slam, you know you have to be at your best level. No one is going to give you anything at this time of the tournament.
Yeah, it's been a tough draw in Paris. It's a pretty similar draw here. It is a tough one. But when you want to win Grand Slams, I know how hard it is, and I know how hard I had to work in the six Grand Slams I won.
I know it's going to be another tough thing for me this week, but I hope I will be at my best level.

Q. What is the same food you keep eating? It might help us.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I don't know. You know, it's like my nutrition is important. I changed it a lot in the last few months, I would say. It's something very simple, you know. No sauce, nothing heavy, a lot of vegetables, fruit.

Q. Pasta?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, pasta, but not that much.

Q. Vegetables and fruits?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah.

Q. We don't do that in the press room.

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