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AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 28, 2006


Justine Henin


MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very disappointing. Can you tell us about the illness.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yes, it's been a few days I wasn't feeling well. My stomach was very upset. And then last night, I didn't sleep a lot because it got worst and worst. Two weeks now I had to take antiinflammatories for my shoulder, and that killed me a little bit. Pretty sensitive. But I had to for my shoulder. Now I got on my stomach, and then I had no legs today. I couldn't move. When the stomach is so upset and so inflamed, you know, you just don't have any energy. And I felt it when I woke up, but I tried. I knew at the beginning of the match I couldn't win it. I just really tried to stay in the match, but there was no chance for me. If I would have keep playing and continue, maybe I would injure something else, so that was the best decision, even if it was very, very hard for me.

Q. Has the doctor diagnosed what exactly is wrong?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, it's pretty hard. Last night I was feeling so bad I thought I would have to go to see a doctor at 3 in the morning because I was such in pain. Never had pain in the stomach like this. I had to double the dose of my antiinflammatories last few days because my shoulder was painful, and it's probably I just had a very bad reaction to that.

Q. Do you think you might have to miss time with the shoulder problem, that you're having problems with the antiinflammatories?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't know. I think that I did what I had to do for my shoulder, and then it's been another problem that came on my stomach. I'm not quite sure there would be another virus. I know there were a lot of gastro, but I don't think it's that. I think it's just the fact that it's been a lot of pain with the medications. So it's going to be probably just a question of a few days. That's why it's very frustrating now.

Q. Is it linked, do you think, to your viral condition of the last couple years?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, no, nothing to do with that.

Q. Is this the biggest disappointment of your career?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Oh, it's one of the biggest because I don't know what is harder: to lose even when you're playing well and just you lose, or just when you have to retire like that. I think it's very disappointed because I was playing so well, and I had a lot of good chances to win here. When you lose that like this, it's pretty hard.

Q. Was there a point this morning that you considered not being able to play the final at all?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You always want to try because you know it's a Grand Slam final, so you want to believe that you're hundred percent. But as soon as I started the match, I really understood quickly that I wasn't feeling well, I wasn't in good shape, I had no energy. I have to give a lot for such a very slow balls. I couldn't hit the ball very hard. It's very hard when I see what I could do in the last few days.

Q. Did you consider going on in that second set, or was the pain too much?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: It's just that there was no reason for me to keep going, because it could get me other injuries and just getting worse. My stomach was so painful, and I just couldn't put anything in the ball. So there was no reason I could keep playing.

Q. There will be a lot of people who say you should have kept playing to finish a final. How would you answer them?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I mean, everyone has the right to think that. But it's my health. I just have to think about myself right now because it's only me on the court. It's me that is feeling the bad way I was feeling. I don't care about what these people would say.

Q. Can you tell us what you and Amélie discussed both at the net and then later when she came over to your chair?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, she just asked me what was the problem, how I felt. She had very nice words for me. So it's been pretty good.

Q. You've had the experience of winning your first Grand Slam and then going on to win others. What sort of effect do you think winning her first might have on Amélie and her career?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't know. You know, right now I'm not thinking too much about that. But it's great for her. She was waiting for that for such a long time, and it's finally coming out, very strange way, Kim and me. But I'm sure it will give her a lot of confidence. She worked very hard so she deserved that.

Q. Considering all the problems you've had over the last couple years, do you almost feel like you're jinxed?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, because this time it's just different. Everyone can get that. Just an upset stomach. I think everyone can get. But in a Grand Slam final, when you have to give hundred percent, it's pretty hard. It's not going to be a long injury or illness, it's just a question of a few days. That's why it's very frustrating. But I know also I will play tennis very soon now.

Q. Was Amélie hitting the ball well? Did you think she was playing well?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think she had a lot of time because I was very far from my baseline, no energy, nothing in my ball. So she had a lot of time. When you have this kind of time, it's pretty hard to do mistakes, you know. But she was playing pretty consistent, I agree.

Q. You actually called for the trainer after that very long 33-stroke rally.

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I was dead, yeah.

Q. Was that the thing that actually broke it in the end?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, just after that point I was feeling like short of breath and no legs, no power, nothing. I say, I am going to ask the doctor what we can do. But there's nothing we can do at that point when you're feeling like that. So I think that was really the best decision for myself.

Q. What was the little medicine you were sucking from like a tube of toothpaste?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, it relieves the pain a little bit on my stomach.

Q. Do you think your retirement detracts from her achievement?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't understand. No, I don't think so, because you have to take the opportunities. It's not her fault. I think that she did her job perfectly. She kept the ball in the court. She felt probably I wasn't feeling good and couldn't move very quickly. So she did a good job when we see the circumstances.

Q. Do you feel sorry for her that she didn't get to experience the moment of winning a championship at all?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: First feeling sorry for myself, and then I can feel sorry for her (smiling). Yeah, it's great when you win a Grand Slam after a big fight, for sure, after a normal match. But I'm sure she enjoys this moment, and she deserve that.

Q. Did you feel nauseous out there, like you were going to vomit?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: No, no. I did a couple of days ago, but not today. It was just that my energy level was very, very low, and my stomach was very painful.

Q. How different was your preparation this morning?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I had the same routine. It was just very hard for me to eat normally because it was painful and I was feeling heavy, not very hungry. It's been -- yeah, I knew that something was wrong. But yesterday evening already I was feeling a little bit cold and wasn't in great shape.

Q. Did you get any medical advice, anyone telling you you shouldn't play?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Well, it's always my decision, you know, my choice. I know what was the problem, and I decided to walk on court because I'm professional, I want to try. When you see it's not working, it's the only way to go out.

Q. Did it ever occur to you near the end maybe you should wait at the ball and maybe tank the last four games and let the match finish?

JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I mean, you know, it's hard when you're on the court and so much in pain. I think it's very easy to say that here in press conference. But when you're on the court and you suffer a lot and you feel like you don't have anything to give, it's pretty hard to stay on the court. I have no regrets about the decision I took.

End of FastScripts….

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