STATE FARM EVERT CUP

March 13, 1998

Martina Hingis

WTA SPOKESPERSON: Martina has doubles at 5:00. So we're going to ask quick questions. Starting with English.

MARTINA HINGIS: She started playing a lot better. I mean, she didn't miss much anymore. She was just a lot more focused in the second set. Especially in the first game, she hit some big serves. Then I was kind of, you know, let myself get down. I was pretty satisfied winning the first set 6-Love. But then I just started playing, you know, just continuing to play well. I was up 4-2. I broke her at 3-2 or something like that. Then I had my chance at 4-3 serving. I just made some errors there, which I shouldn't do. But I'm still happy with the way it came out. I won the tiebreaker. It was a great match. I'm sure the crowd liked it at the end.

MARTINA HINGIS: Sorry?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, goals. Not yet, no. I still have some in front of me, especially the one which is coming, which is the French Open. I still didn't win that one. I'm looking forward to play there, but just take it step-by-step. Still there's the finals tomorrow against Lindsay. I lost against her last tournament, she just killed me there, I could say. I hope it's not going to be the same thing the next match.

MARTINA HINGIS: With Williams or who?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I won this match, she won the last one. So far it's like 3-1, 4-1. It was more important like today, I beat her. I beat her at the U.S. Open. But I think if she's going to continue play like in the second set, there are not many players which could, you know, hold against that level she had there. I think she's going to be very dangerous if she's going to play like this.

MARTINA HINGIS: She said it again? Nothing new anymore.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, so far she's not. I mean, one day if I'm probably not playing anymore, she could get there (laughter).

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, of course. I mean, nobody would like to lose against players like this, especially when they're saying they're going to be No. 1. So far I'm at that place. There's Lindsay No. 2. We're in the finals again. They have to improve yet.

MARTINA HINGIS: We both had tough semifinals. She against Steffi, not an easy match. She got through there. Me against Venus. We both -- I think that was the best semifinals you could get at this tournament. We both kind of managed to get through to the finals. So tomorrow we'll see, yeah, who's going to be better.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it was a semifinal. She was never so close. I mean, sometimes at the Grand Slams, she's just high up. You can't even reach there. Maybe Venus or Lindsay, they can, but not me (laughter).

MARTINA HINGIS: That motivates me even more, yes, of course. I don't like to lose against the same player all the time, just match by match. But, yeah, I'm always more focused if I lose to somebody, yes.

MARTINA HINGIS: I watched it, yes, till 1-Love in the third. Then I watched it on TV till the end.

MARTINA HINGIS: I think they just played a great match, both. Lindsay just hit very hard groundstrokes, she tried to let her move. Steffi was just slicing back. Hit some great forehands. Actually, the forehand cross-courts they were hitting just so hard. It was like, "Okay. What am I going to do if I'm going to play one of these players? I'm just not going to let them play the forehand, hopefully." I think it was a very exciting match, seeing Steffi playing well again. Unfortunately, she had to pull out. We'll see what's going to happen later.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, definitely. Just everything has improved. The whole women's tennis, as you can see. Steffi played the semifinals out there against a different player, against Lindsay, a different player than when she stopped. The tennis has just so much improved. Steffi is not the dominator on the court anymore. She would just try to keep the ball in the game. With the slice backhand, I think it's not as easy as it was before anymore. Both players, me and Lindsay, Venus, just have good groundstrokes, not a weakness anymore.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, yeah. That's what you train for, what you do out there. The competition, if you play players which are not as good ranked as the other ones, you don't have to improve yourself. I did play well in the first couple matches also, but the scores were a lot easier. It's much more exciting to play a player like Venus or Lindsay where you go out there, you're nervous, you don't know what's going to happen. You just want to try to win.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think Lindsay so far. She's the only one which has beaten me in the past. Venus, but Lindsay is the No. 2. I think she right now belongs to be No. 2. She belongs to be there at that place.