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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2011

Justine Henin

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

S. KUZNETSOVA/J. Henin
6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A bit of a disappointing result. What was the difference between the two of you?

JUSTINE HENIN: Well, of course it's disappointing to lose like this. She is just been better than me, especially in the important moments. I got some opportunities in the second set to come back, but I never really took the lead in this match. I was really too far.
I never took the good opportunities and she was much more aggressive than me. So that made a big difference.

Q. You dominated her in the past. Does that make it even more disappointing? Did you think you had her?
JUSTINE HENIN: The past is the past. I have to be focus on what happened today. I knew it was another match, another situation for both of us. So I wasn't feeling confident because I did beat her many times. I knew it could be a tough match, and it has been for me.

Q. Did you sense a vulnerability in her? She was serving for the match twice and then it goes to tiebreak. There were several match points there as well.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I felt she got bit nervous at that time and I had nothing anymore to lose. So just went for my chances. It was a bit better at the end, but not enough, as I served a few double faults in the tiebreak and did a couple of -- yeah, too many mistakes today and not enough winners and chances that I could take.
So it wasn't good enough to win that match.

Q. You double faulted nine times. What was that about? Was your arm troubling you again today?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, there are no excuse about that. I know in what condition I go on the court, so I have to, yeah, to don't take any excuse about that. Because I just -- it wasn't that easy for me today; it wasn't the best day I've had in my career so far. I hope next time it's going to be better.

Q. Now that you look at the rest of the draw, in reference especially to Sam Stosur and Kim, who do you like for the title next weekend?
JUSTINE HENIN: You know, I just come off the court just losing, so I'm not really concerned at the moment about what's going to happen. It's still very open. I really don't know.

Q. You said there are no excuses. Fully understood, but you were wearing a strapping on the elbow. It's not a big question for us.
JUSTINE HENIN: I know I'm not 100%. I knew it before walking on the court. That's why I say there are no excuses. I decided to play not being 100%. It's been difficult in the last three days on my elbow and I just did everything that I could that it will be okay, but it wasn't enough.
I think Svetlana played a good match. She has been really much more aggressive than me, coming a lot to the net and going for the winners. She has, yeah, all the credit today.

Q. Been six months since you injured the elbow. Are you surprised it's taken so long to get it right again?
JUSTINE HENIN: It is long, yeah, but I knew it could be long. Also could be home this week and I was here to compete. Not at my best yet, but I think I did a lot of improvement in the last few months.
I knew it was serious problem. It's not the end yet. I will have to be patient.

Q. So if this wasn't a Grand Slam, would you have delayed your comeback a bit longer?
JUSTINE HENIN: I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, it's important to come back and to play, to make my arm stronger; in another way, it's not that easy to -- you don't compete at your best. But it's a choice, and I made that one.
I think it was still a good one.

End of FastScripts

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