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AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 19, 2001


Justine Henin


MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: First question in English, please.

Q. You are on a roll at the moment. Did you make any New Year's Resolutions at all?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I play so well, I don't have any problems in my head. I just want to play. I just want to win, and I think I'm on the good way, I won 13 matches in three weeks now. I think I worked hard to continue, but I'm so happy with that. I have nothing to lose, nothing to prove, and I think I am so happy with that.

Q. A lot of Belgians seem to do well in Australia. Sabine Appelmans said it was her favorite country. What is it about Australia?

JUSTINE HENIN: Maybe the weather, no. I think that we like the courts. I think Belgian players usually play well in Australia. I don't know why. I think we enjoy the game here, we enjoy the country, we enjoy to be in the Open, I think. I don't know, but it's good.

Q. How far can you go? What's your sights?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I will try to win the next match, but it will be, you know, a tough and difficult match for me. I think I will just try to enjoy this game because I am so happy to be in the fourth round now and I have nothing to lose so I will try to continue and to just to enjoy to be on the court.

Q. If it's Monica Seles, what have you learned from the last match that you played against her that can help you this time?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think Monica is a great player. For sure it will be a difficult match if it's her. I think in Las Vegas, when I lost against her, I did a lot of mistakes in the five first games and I didn't begin the match so well. So after that, I played better and it was good, and I think that I could play a good match against her. But, you know, she's, I don't know her ranking, but she's in the Top 10. I will be the outsider. I just try to do my best. I'll just try to continue, I mean confidence. So I think I can win this match, but I know that it will be difficult.

Q. I forgot to say who I was. John Parsons, Daily Telegraph London. Is there any one thing other than the fact that you got your confidence that is happening this year which has given you this great start to the year?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think the best important is that I looked a lot in the last weeks and after the Fed Cup I practiced hard and I think now, you know, otherwise it's come. And I think I'm so happy with that. I worked physically very hard and I think now we can see the progress that I did because in the last months I had many injuries and I had to work a lot to come back and now to have this ranking, I had to do this. I think I learned a lot about the match against Monica Seles, and I will try to do better in the next match.

Q. In the second set when you had the injury timeout, was that a blister? What was it?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it was. Yeah. I think it's normal, many players have this problem here, you know, with the heat. So I think it's normal, and I will -- I hope that it will be okay for the next match. But I won; that's the best important. When you win, you don't feel anything. But I couldn't play like this.

Q. Are you conscious of the streak? Or is it something that, because you're playing in a Grand Slam, you don't even think about?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think every match in a Grand Slam is difficult and I'm happy that I won in two sets because if I was in the third set, it -- I think it should be difficult for me to finish this match today because last year it was there and it was difficult to play like this. But after this, I saw the trainer and I'm not worried. It will be okay for the next match.

Q. How much do you think the results you and Kim are getting are pushing each other?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it's great motivation for each other. I think Kim did a lot of great results and for me it was a great motivation to do the same. And I think we are close friends, and it's good to have two young Belgian players in the top 20. I think together, we can try to continue our career. But she's 17, I am 18, so we have the same age. And I think it's so good. Kim is a nice girl and we like to spend time together. So in the next maybe ten years, we will be together. So it's nice.

Q. Did you play her a lot growing up? And at what age did you first start playing her, if you did?

JUSTINE HENIN: Sorry?

Q. Did you play her a lot when you were growing up?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think I played Kim three times in my young career.

Q. At what age would you first play her?

JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, the first was at nine I think, when we were nine age. And after that I play last time it was two years ago.

Q. How important have Sabine and Dominique been for you? Have they been examples for you?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, for sure, they were models I think. They had a great career both, and I think it was a good motivation for us to try to do the same. I think they are great players and we'll just try to continue the way that they opened to us.

Q. Belgium tennis, was the (inaudible) course as good as the Flemish one?

JUSTINE HENIN: It's difficult with the school in Belgium, you know, I didn't finish school because it's difficult when you want to be a top player and I think Sabine and Dominique finished there.

Q. No, I meant the tennis school you entered. How important have they been?

JUSTINE HENIN: I don't understand.

Q. The tennis course.

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I was in tennis school.

Q. How important has that been in your progress?

JUSTINE HENIN: It was important because I didn't have many hours at school but I had to stop because it was too difficult to arrive in the top 20 with school, you know. You have to do a choice.

Q. Which school were you at? Were you at the one in Mons?

JUSTINE HENIN: In Mons, yeah.

Q. That sort of structure, how much do you think you're benefiting from that now? Did that give you a really good grounding?

JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think I was on the tennis court when I was only 14 because before that I was too young to go there. I met my actual coach, Carlos Rodriguez, I think at this time I knew I could do a good career with him because he's so good coach. And I love to go to school, and I was a good student. But I think I had to take a choice, and I decided to stop school. And now, you know, I am happy with that because in my professional life, everything is okay.

Q. If you stopped the educational side of the school, can you still be there for the tennis side?

JUSTINE HENIN: It's difficult question, you know. I was in this situation, I stop and I'm happy with that. But I don't know, it depends.

Q. It's been a very long two and half weeks for you. Even though you've been winning. Do you feel at all tired?

JUSTINE HENIN: For sure I think I am tired. It's normal when you play 13 matches. But it's not for that that I will stop to continue this way. I think physically I am okay, because I lost only one set in 13 matches. So physically I am okay, but mentally it's difficult to keep the concentration always in one match. I think it's difficult. I'm tired, but I am so happy to be here. So now what can I ask more? But, I just try to continue.

Q. Earlier today Lindsay Davenport said she felt like an old lady on the Tour now after winning. What does it feel like for you to be viewed or seen as part of the young brigade, the new brigade coming through in women's tennis?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think it's so good that there are young players on the Tour. There is more conquest, more fight between the players. I think Lindsay is not so old. No, I think when we are 18, it's good age to come on the Tour. I think we have a long way to go to -- maybe in the Top 10 or to beat players like Martina or Lindsay or Monica. I think we wait so long to go there and we learn a lot on the Tour, now. We are so young and we have all the time to go there. So there's no pressure now and we'll try just -- maybe if it's in two years or three years, I think it's not the best important. The best important is that we arrive there.

Q. Do you think it will be your youth that might see you get past Monica in the next round if indeed you play her?

JUSTINE HENIN: I think I'm happy to play her because, you know, I lost the last time against her, and I think -- I hope that it will be her because I am so happy to play against her. We just see what's gonna happen. I will do my best. I will give everything that I have. And if I win, it's good. But if I lose, you know, I won 13 matches. I have nothing to lose now. So I just try to enjoy the match.

End of FastScripts....

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