	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 26, 2006

Justine Henin

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Justine.

Q. I don't know if it was me, but this week you just seemed to get stronger and stronger. Lindsay said the injury wasn't really even bothering her until she was down 3-Love in the first set. Do you feel that way? Do you feel like you just really made that good, steady progress?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, I feel I had a very good week. My level was pretty good. I came here to play a few matches. That's what I had. I win the tournament. So that's the best I could dream of.
I was a bit surprised after a few weeks off to come back so quickly at this level. But I had a very good time. I felt very relaxed on the court the whole week. Today is not the way you want to win the tournament for sure. I feel very sorry for Lindsay. I hope she will feel better soon.
I could feel from the beginning of the match she wasn't hitting the ball as usual. But I did my job. I did what I had to do. It's not easy in this kind of situation, but I stayed very focused on every point and didn't give her a lot of opportunities. So that was the way I had to play in the first set.
Then, yeah, we know the issue. But, no, it's been fantastic for me this week. I will enjoy my time here.

Q. If a wildcard hadn't been available, what would you have done with this week to prepare for the Open?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I would have to practice. I would come here probably at the same time in the States to get used to the jetlag and everything and go to New York a little bit earlier. But it would have been difficult for me to go to the Open like this without any matches 'cause a Grand Slam is not another tournament, it's a Grand Slam. It's another kind of pressure. So it's been a great opportunity for me that the tournament gave me this wildcard.
I know they wanted me for a few years. I'm not a big fan of playing just a week before the Open, but it was my last chance this year. I will say thanks to them because it was a big opportunity for me.

Q. How do you like your chances going into the US Open now?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I don't see things differently than a few days ago 'cause the Open, like I said, it's another tournament. It's going to be different conditions. In a Grand Slam, a lot of things can happen. It's long and you need to be at your best for seven matches. Just go step by step.
My first match is going to be just my main goal right now. I don't want to look too far. I just want to stay concentrated on what I have to do on the court.
I had a very positive attitude this week. I just want to keep going this way.

Q. For someone like you who hasn't played since Wimbledon, what does winning here do for your game and your confidence?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think in the past it made me a little bit nervous coming back after a long break like this. Also, when I go in Australia after a few weeks off, you never know what to expect at the beginning. Now I trust myself much more than in the past. I'm more confident. All my victories gave me a lot of confidence, so that is very good.
I felt great on the court. Physically, I was feeling healthy, fresh also mentally, which is important. I didn't have really long matches this week, which is good, because I had some tennis but not too much. It's okay for me now.

Q. Anne has been bugging you for a couple years to come here. Did you keep that in the back of your mind when you wanted to come back and play this week?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, as soon as I understood that I couldn't play in Montréal, I knew it was my last opportunity here to play. My agent called Anne, and she was very happy about that. She's a very nice person. We always had very good relationship. It's true she's coming back to me all the time. Justine, we want you to come in New Haven.
I know she was pleased about that. In the next few years, we'll see. We'll see in the next few weeks what's going to happen. Maybe I'll change my mind about that.

Q. When healthy, you have to like the way you're playing. Reaching eight finals in 11 tournaments this year.
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, it's a great season so far for me. A few more tournaments to go. I just hope I can keep going this way. Till now it's the best season of my career, that's for sure. I've been very consistent. I've been healthy, the best since 2003 I would say. That's the main important thing.
I'm not going to be able to play 20 tournaments in the next few years because I want to stay healthy and I just want to be 200% every time I walk on the court. I had very good schedule for this year. I'm going to think about that also in the future, try to have the best calendar.
Yeah, the results are there. Everything is there. I enjoy my tennis. That's probably the reason why things have gone so well these last few months.

Q. You said your mindset now entering the US Open was the same as a couple days ago. What is that mindset? Is that a tournament you go in thinking you have a shot at winning?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: Yeah, every time I go into a tournament, I believe in my chances, that's for sure. One thing is I want it for sure. It doesn't depend only of me. It depends of other players. Camerin is going to be my first opponent. That is the main thing for me right now. Depends of the conditions, the shape of the day, a lot of things.
Even if you're well-prepared, even if you're feeling well, you never know what to predict. That's what is very good in tennis. Everything can happen. This year it's really open, the draw.
I won the Open three years ago. Except for that, I always lost in the fourth round. It's a bit of mixed feelings. I'll stay focused on 2003. I hope I can get another title. But it's still too far away from now. I cannot think too much about that right now 'cause I think Monday it's going to be my first round and I just have to stay focused on that.

Q. You've had some amazing surprising winning shots this whole tournament. How and when do you make that decision about where to place those winning shots?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: You don't think too much about that. It's just the instinct. It's coming like this. You feel what you have to do. In tennis you don't have time to think. Before the match, I see what I want to do and you have to do it on the court. You have to take the right decisions. You don't have too much time to think about your decisions.
In life, I try to be like this also. In life, when I have to take a decision, big or not big, but when I have to take a decision, I try to take it quickly. Because, you know, you don't have to think too much about that. Life is too short.

Q. Do you have any concerns with any parts of your game going into the US Open at this point?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I think I've improved a lot of things in the last few weeks. I worked very hard on my serve. Technically I changed a little bit my movement. But it's been going very well these last few days. I just have to keep working, being aggressive, move to the net, and be intent on every point. That worked pretty good this week.
I think the other players could feel it, that I was very intense on every point. That's a big issue.

Q. What exactly was wrong with your knee?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I do have a chronic problem. For a year and a half, I have a problem with the cartilage on the right knee. But that's the kind of injury an athlete can get. You need to deal with it 'cause it's never going to go away.
It's been feeling good for me these last few days. Hard court season is hard. It's really tough for this kind of problem. Also we could see Lindsay, you know, coming back after such a long time. It's harder to come back on hard court. It's hard on the body.
I just have to be smart about my calendar, not playing too many weeks in a row. When it's painful, just take some rest. There isn't any other option for that.
But it's okay. I can deal with it. We are in August. I didn't have to cancel too many tournaments this year. I'm very happy it's going to be first time in three years I'm going to play four Grand Slams in the season. That's great news for me.

Q. Were you worried looking at the weather this morning that it could get rained out? If it did get pushed back a day?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: I would have been sad because my husband just landed in New York. It means I would have seen him later.
No, I think you just have to be patient. It's been a long day yesterday. Even if I knew I was going to play at 7:00 last night, it's tough for the organization, for the fans, for the players.
Yeah, you just have to adapt your schedule and do everything you have to do. This morning I did hit a little bit at indoor courts. That's not the best, but you just want to be in the good rhythm. It was a bit in a rush this morning. It was okay.

Q. Would you have had a problem if they did have to push the final back to tomorrow instead?
JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE: That wouldn't be the best issue, but you just have to accept it. There's no way. You cannot beat the weather. You have to accept it and move forward.

End of FastScripts...

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297