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ROGERS CUP PRESENTED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS

August 16, 2007

Justine Henin

TORONTO, ONTARIO

THE MODERATOR: . Questions, please.

Q. Was it as easy today as it looked out there?
JUSTINE HENIN: It was tough out there, I can tell you. Even if it's better for the fans because it's not that hot. But, for the players, it's terrible conditions.
It's hard because it's tough to say where the wind comes from, and it's turning a lot in the stadium. But it's the same for both players, and you just have to be patient, stay very calm and be focused on every ball.
But it's tough to - especially when you don't have a lot of matches - it's tough to really find a good rhythm. So not really fun conditions.

Q. With a number of the bigger names already out of the tournament, is there -- a lot of people are expecting you to be in the final Sunday. Is there a danger in thinking ahead to the final on Sunday?
JUSTINE HENIN: I usually never do this mistake, because I go match after match, step by step. You need to work hard every day. And a little mistake can pay very -- it could be expensive.
So my next goal is my quarterfinal against Petrova. It's going to be tough match enough. It's going to be hard. We had really tough meetings in the past. So I don't want to look too far. I'm still in my preparation for the US Open. I don't want to forget that. And it's good, because it could be windy in New York, too, so that's pretty good for me.

Q. I'm wondering, just to divert a bit. While you're here do you get a chance to get out and see the city and enjoy yourself or is it all just tennis and working around the clock here?
JUSTINE HENIN: No, I'm so focused on my tournament. So even when I arrived a few days ago, you practice a lot. You go to the trainer, you go to see the sponsors, and you have a lot of things to do. So you don't have too much time to do that. And my mind is, you know, on my tennis. So it's tough for me.
That's why I'm going to be happy one day to travel but just for myself. Because I'm very curious, I want to discover a lot of things. But when it's professional like it is today, it's pretty difficult.

Q. You didn't get to go to the Beyonce concert with some of the other girls last night?
JUSTINE HENIN: No, no, I like Beyonce, but it's not my style before a match to go and see a concert.

Q. You've expressed before that, you said just right now as well, before you go out to a match that your mentality's always the same day by day, and time by time. After I guess in the middle of the first set and it was back and forth, back and forth winning, there was a very long match or game where there was an advantage and then deuce. Did your mentality change at that point and focus on who you were playing? Like you actually analyzed who you were playing, like the 51st ranked player? Or do you forget that?
JUSTINE HENIN: No, you forget about that. When you're on the court, you're two girls who want the same thing. And you have the same chances. Even if we have different game, different personalities, different ranking for sure. But it doesn't mean anything on the court. The best wins all the time, and you need to work hard on every point.
I have a lot of respect for all the players. Doesn't matter who I play. I'm really focused on winning the match, and that is the key for me. So I just want to look forward and be really focused on what is real and what I can control. That's the most important thing.

Q. And also, after you won today you had said that you enjoy Rogers Cup because this is preparing you, you really like playing before the US Open. Whereas other players seem to look at it that they don't want to come because they want to prepare for the US Open, and often Rogers Cup, people decide to skip that. How do you feel about -- would you rather play more before a very important tournament or seems that way or take the break?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, usually it depends of all Grand Slam. I have different preparations for all Grand Slam. Before the French I love to have two weeks off because clay is very hard. Here in the states it's different. I love to play in Canada, and I like to have a week off before US Open, what I couldn't do last year because I was sick.
Then in Australia I played the week before because the calendar is like that, and you have no choice, and Wimbledon is the same.
But I love to have a little bit of time. Play one or two tournaments, then have one or two weeks, then play a Grand Slam, because physically and mentally it's very hard to be at your best for two weeks and play seven matches. That takes a lot of energy. So I don't like too much to play one tournament and then the week after the Grand Slam. But Rogers Cup is in my calendar, for sure.

Q. After the travel and the luggage issues and what not, do you feel now that you're comfortable, you've got your bearings here at the tournament?
JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, yeah, I'm fine, you know. It's not dramatic. When you travel that much, it's the kind of things that can happen. It's not the first time that happens to me. So no, I wasn't really concerned about that. You just in a rush for a few days, and try to fix everything. But it's okay. No, seems far away for me now.

Q. How's your wrist?
JUSTINE HENIN: It's okay. It's been pretty good. No pain, so, that's good thing.

Q. It's been a tough year on you emotionally and personally. How have you dealt with what's gone on in your personal life with your husband and reconciling with your family over the past year?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it's been tough, because it's been different kind of emotions. But that's life. But when you're a professional athlete it's difficult to deal with that and to stay focused on your career.
So that took me a few weeks to be concentrating on my tennis again. When I was back on the courts, it still took a few matches, too. Because you know when you're on the court in front of a lot of people you cannot lie. I mean, you show how you feel. It's been tough at the beginning.
But I think I'm very proud of how I could deal with the situation this year, because it's been big issues in my personal life. And yeah, I was really focused on that, because it's been more important than my tennis career for sure at one point.
And I feel great now. I feel happy. I have the feeling I move forward. Even if it's still hard and also the fact that I see my family again, it's different kind of emotions. So in six months lot of things happened in my life, but I just try to keep the control in that and be myself. That's the key.

Q. When you were playing, did your mind actually drift to your husband or your family? Did it actually drift at any time when you played?
JUSTINE HENIN: No, not really. I'm a very focused person, and very intense. So if I was back on the court, that meant I was ready to do it. But it's a lot of things to deal with. And really, your mind has to be focused 200% if you want to compete at your best level. So that's what I did.
Even if it's been hard, you need to be strong to deal with that, but I just gave my best. At 25 years old, it's a lot of things to deal with. But you know, it's big experience in my life, no regrets and I learned a lot of things.

Q. If I could just switch to a different topic. Here in Canada we seem to have a shortage of female tennis players. What would you advise Canada to do to develop its young female tennis players?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I don't know. In Belgium we have been so lucky with Kim and me at the same time. And with Appelmans and Monami before, we've been lucky, good players and good mentality, probably.
But I don't know, I don't know how it works here. How the federation is working. I have the feeling Canadians, they have a lot of fighting spirit, and they want to achieve some things. But yeah, it's tough. Different countries have a lot of travel. And when you look at Belgium such a small country, we can feel lucky that we have this situation.
But I've been lucky I met Carlos. It's also a question of who you meet at the right time, and a lot of things, so it's not easy to be giving advice.

Q. We haven't had a top 10 player in the last 20 years (indiscernible)?
JUSTINE HENIN: I have no idea. Hope for you it's going to be it. I hope before that. I think in Belgium it's going to be tough also.

Q. With regard to today's game, did you find that you got used to the wind as the match went on, because obviously you had a better second set?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I was feeling better in the second set than in the first. I was feeling a little more relaxed, and I could deal with it better the conditions in the second set.
But yeah, it's tough. In these conditions, you really have to be concentrating on every point and stay very calm and be tolerant which is tough.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about Shuai Peng's game? Do you think she has potential to be a top level player?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I think she's been injured and didn't play for a long time. But she was pretty strong also two years ago, now she's coming back. And I think she has great qualities, and a lot of potential. It's very hard to predict what could happen. And that's the kind of player who could give a lot of trouble to the top players, for sure.

Q. After the first few games, did you start playing with a certain tactic? As a spectator, I noticed she did not run as well as you do. You run amazing when you're on the court. Did you notice that? Like these are her weaknesses, this is what I'm going to target?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, yeah, for sure. You always go on the court with the tactic. And if you're ready for any kind of situation. But the fact is that when it's windy like that, it is pretty hard to open the court. And you just try to feel some confidence and don't take so many risks.
But especially when I had the wind behind me, it was tough to stay aggressive. I had the feeling the ball was flying a lot, so it's not easy. You just try to keep the control and play maybe a little bit more in the middle of the court.
You have to deal with the conditions, even if you had a very clear tactic at the beginning. Sometimes you have to adapt it during the match.

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