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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2010

Justine Henin

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

J. HENIN/N. Petrova
7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you grade 'Justine Henin' in that match?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it wasn't my best, of course. But it was difficult to play night match again two days ago and be first at 11:00. It's been kind of strange as I had to get used to another rhythm. Today was my first match in the sun actually since I was in Australia. We were playing under the roof in Brisbane. Here I've played almost every match in night session. And it was quite cloudy the other day when I played in the day. It was really difficult to find the good rhythm.
I felt energy in a few games, and then the intensity, I lost it a little bit, especially in the beginning of the second set. Just tried to stay calm. When I had to play well in the tiebreak, and at 5-All also in the second, that's what I did. So I keep going. I'm happy.
Now it's good because it's early, I'll have good recovery and two good nights. That's what I need. But it's just a great feeling to be in the semis of the first Grand Slam I play since I'm back.

Q. How important was it not to go three sets?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it was important that I could finish this match, that I could win this match, and if I could do it in two sets, it was the best.
The last few days, that took me a lot of energy. It was important today I wasn't that long on the court. Even if it was two sets close, it wasn't that physical. So I'm glad about that.
First the bad thing was to play at 11, but now it's a good thing because I can recover.
It wasn't that even. Even if she did a couple of double-faults, she put a lot of pressure on the serve and I just took the right time to get the opportunities at the end especially. That was good enough.

Q. What were your expectations coming into the tournament?
JUSTINE HENIN: Uhm, I was curious about what was going to happen. I mean, the draw first, of course. And when I got the draw, even if I took the draw as something, Okay, that happens like that, I knew it was going to be hard. Every match was a goal. So I never thought, We'll, I'll be in the semis, I dream to be in the final, I dream to win. Just every match is going to be difficult and important.
I just went step by step. That's what I'm gonna keep doing now 'cause now I can dream of being in the final of this Grand Slam, of course. But still a long way. Just try to be focused on what I have to do on the court and hope it's gonna keep going this way.

Q. Have you shown yourself now you know that you can play the big points well again?
JUSTINE HENIN: I think I improved a lot in this tournament since in Brisbane. I haven't been able to play well in the tough moments. And this week, in this tournament, I've been able in the last few days to do it. It's probably the most important thing. Even if you know you're not playing your best tennis, being able in the tight moments to play good points like I did, I think it's the key mentally.
But, of course, physically and mentally today was difficult because my energy level was a little bit lower than the last few days. But I've been able to raise my level when I had to. That's really important. That means that I'm still here. Even if I'm getting older, I still have this fighting spirit, and that's a good thing.

Q. There was quite a commotion going on out there. First fighter jets flying over, then cannons exploding for Australia Day, helicopters. Were you tuning that out? Was it distracting?
JUSTINE HENIN: Not really. I was quite focused on the match really.

Q. You didn't hear it?
JUSTINE HENIN: I did, of course. I'm focused, but not that focused (smiling).
No, I mean, it's a big day here. Very special, of course. And I think it's normal. But both of us, I think we were pretty concerned about the match. So it wasn't a distraction for us.

Q. Last Grand Slam you played was this, and this is the first one you're playing coming back. What does it mean getting to the semifinals of a Grand Slam?
JUSTINE HENIN: It means a lot, because Grand Slams I really love. I love to play here. Like I said many times, the Australian people, they have the culture of the sport. They really know about tennis. They live tennis in January. Everyone's watching. We can feel this atmosphere.
I think it was the best place for me to start again. So it's just great. Here in Australia I had different feelings in the past. But for me, I mean, when I lost to Sharapova, it was a difficult moment in my career. When I had to retire in the final in 2006, it was one of the worst moments of my career. But I just keep positive things.
When I come back here, I don't feel anything negative. It's only good things. I'm here again in the last four. It's just much more than what I could expect, and the dream continues, yeah.

Q. What about Marc Grosjean, to get your body ready every day?
JUSTINE HENIN: He is really important to me. I was traveling with him already before I retired for two years. He has the passion also. He was a fan before being my trainer, but in a good way, in a positive way. He's doing everything he can.
I mean, Carlos and him, they were really involved, 200% behind me all the time. We just try to put me in the best conditions. We doing very good job. The atmosphere with the three of us is just great. I mean, it's already four weeks we are together in Australia. We enjoy really every moment. So it's a good team.
I really kept exactly the same team because I think that makes me stronger when I have the same people. I like to work with the same people for many years. I think that's how we build solid things. And I trust them again. So that's good.

Q. Does Kim's performance at the U.S. last year give you the confidence that perhaps you can go all the way in a comeback?
JUSTINE HENIN: Not really. I mean, what she did, I did admire that a lot because it's not easy what she did in New York. If I see it as motivation, of course. That means it is possible.
But we have very different kind of personalities, different kind of players, so it's always very hard to compare. But what she did was just great. That will be a dream for me to do it also.
But it's still, you know, one more match before we can talk about a final. I dream of it, of course, but I'm not going to change my attitude now. What I did is just great and I have to keep going the same way, with the same goals.
I remember my discussion with Carlos in the plane when we were flying to Australia, we were talking about the goals. It's much more than what we could expect for. Because I was coming here to see a lot of things. I was curious about what I was going to feel on the court. I think it's now I've won a lot of matches and everything is well for us.

Q. Carlos has talked about how you're a little more easygoing and relaxed now that you've come back. When you get to a Grand Slam, how big of a challenge is that when you know you have to be intense and focused all the time?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's a big challenge, but I think we can find a good deal. You know, I'm much more relaxed than I was in the past. That's for sure. I hope it's not only because it's the beginning and I'm not going to get crazy again in six months, that I can fix something new (smiling).
I think that takes me less energy than in the past. Because in a Grand Slam, I was really in my bubble. Now we just go forward. Like I say, we try many, many different restaurants. I'm more open to a lot of things. That's the way I have to keep going.
To find the right moment to put the intensity and the concentration and to get away from that, it's probably with the experience and the maturity we can get it. But that takes for me a little bit of time because it's really new, and I still look after my feelings. But it's very interesting experience for me this week.

Q. And some of the girls from your academy are here.
JUSTINE HENIN: We have a good player. Maryna is playing today second round. She's a very good player. There were a few of them. They came to watch me also the other night against Dementieva, and also other few matches. It's a great project to follow young players. Carlos is really involved in the academy. We glad they can live this experience here.
I just try to help them a little bit, you know, talking to them a lot about this life on the tour, how difficult it is. Especially after what happened for me in the last two years when I retired and discovered a lot of things, I just tried to help them to realize that tennis is important, it's not everything, but it's good to have them here.

Q. You went out of here on a bad beating by Sharapova. Did that make you say, I've had enough?
JUSTINE HENIN: I think it was already before that. I mean, I lost against Sharapova two years ago, confirmed to myself that I wasn't really into it anymore. When I won against her in Madrid, I felt something at that point. There was my little voice that was saying to me that I should go away because I needed something else at that time, to breathe differently again without tennis, to prove different things to myself.
Sharapova here, Williams in Miami, it was difficult losses. But in another way they helped me to understand that I had to go away. But, I mean, started a little bit before, but it helped me in my reflection at that time.

Q. Little voice with you now?
JUSTINE HENIN: Little voice that is very positive. Thank you (smiling).

End of FastScripts

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