MARTINA HINGIS

THE MODERATOR: We will take questions in English, please.

Q. Second final you're in this year. It must feel good.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, it's good. No, obviously, it's kind of disappointing to win a match like this. But I was already up 3‑1 and it's like after the first set she was hurting, having medical timeouts and, but she kept coming, she continued. So you still have to keep the focus and, you now, still make her play because you don't know how much it's hurting, how much she still can play because ... You know, it was 30‑All and there she goes with an ace. I'm like, okay, you know. So you still have to go your way. But, you know, being in another final, it's, you know, at the beginning of the week I felt like, okay, it's going to be so hard to get there.

MARTINA HINGIS: I don't know. I mean, she was in the press earlier, you know, you could have asked her.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I don't know when it happened or from what. I mean, she's played a lot of tournaments lately and a lot of tennis, so I think .. You know, after last night I wasn't the freshest myself. You know, I felt like my legs were a little bit heavy. You know, I felt like the wheels weren't working until I got rolling. I scrambled some difficult points out there and I think that's what made her ‑‑ you know, I always tried to at least make her hit an extra shot and do something special.

Q. Do you feel that having a short match today will help you for tomorrow and be fresher maybe?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it wasn't so short. I mean, the first set was still very intense and the second was, yes, it kind of was like one‑two‑shot points, but the first set was still pretty intense. And, you know, yes, it's always better if you have an easier match like that going into finals tomorrow. I'm not unhappy.

Q. On another topic, how much do you like the replays on line calls? And do you use them strategically? Like do you save them up or does every time there's a questionable one you want to use your challenge?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I obviously want to save them for the best possible moment when you feel like, okay, this is a big point and when you really feel like you're right. But I think it also helps the player to be, you know, certain about what happened and the decision. Because sometimes you're like, okay, maybe that was in, that was out, I'm not 100 percent sure, but that makes you feel like, okay, that ball was in or out, but there's the decision, you see it and, you know, you focus onto the next point. I think sometimes you just don't think about what's happened, what if and all these questions that pop back when you're not sure.

Q. Martina, I know you spoke about it last night, but can you elaborate a little bit about what it means to get back to the top 10?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I said, yes, I mean, it's good, but my mom said, "well, you should have been there even sooner", you know, anyway. She always comes with a good backup, you know. But I mean obviously I felt like I had the game to be back in the top 10. There's no time to celebrate anyway, so the tournament wasn't finished after last night and I still had to come out here today and it was a short recovery time. So you still have to play, Chakvetadze was hanging in there at the beginning, you know. Against Anna, I've never played her before. So those down‑the‑line backhands were quite impressive. And I'd rather win the tournament and be top 10 as well.

Q. You said that your come back would not have been considered in your eyes as a success if you had not gotten at some stage to the top 10.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, to myself, because I knew I still had, I felt that I had it in me, my game was good enough to make the top 10, yes. But was I disappointed if I didn't have it? Yes, then I'd say, okay, too good, the other girls are too good. But the ones, I beat those players who were in the top 10, then I realized, okay, if they're in there, maybe I have the game definitely to be there as well, if I don't get injured or any other thing.

Q. Martina, there were three occasions where your drop shot was so successful that she didn't even run for it. Were you surprised at how successful that tactic was?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think she's quite far in the back, so, you know, sometimes even if I don't know the players but still would ask about her if some people give you some advice. And, you know, some things work and some don't, but that definitely worked today, yes, because I don't think she was really waiting for me to drop‑shot her, yes. And those were pretty good ones too. I mean, I was like close to the, I was inside the court and so it was a shorter distance and they were really good so it helped.

MARTINA HINGIS: Against Dinara, we've played in the finals in Rome, we've played also in Indian Wells on hard court. So both times I was successful. So definitely if I would play her, I'm looking forward to it, you know, maybe a rematch. And against Ana Ivanovic, I've never played her, so, you know, a very good player, a very high potential. She's impressed definitely this week. I mean, she, you can see her, that she's training really hard, she has the fitness and a new coach and it must be working for her, so those are the results so far.

MARTINA HINGIS: David, yes, David Taylor. He's worked with Molik and other players in the past. Yes, with me he was like a couple of months for, you know, he was my hitting partner and everything, that's how we met. And then he worked for Tennis Australia, so ... Yes, he's very knowledgeable, he has good sense for the game, yes. I mean, he brought Molik to top 10, so he definitely knows. I mean, there's a few coaches I do respect and he's one of them, yes.

Q. How does your game seem to you now compared to how it was when you were top ranked in the world a few years ago?

MARTINA HINGIS: Obviously, you know, maybe I'm a little older. So maybe my head functions a little better than when I was 17 in some cases. But definitely the moving and everything you have just a different kind of body when you're 17 or 18. You recover, you're just more explosive. But that's what I've been working on, but I have different other strengths now. I mean, I can concentrate better. I mean, I don't have those hiccups, those ups and downs as much. What I'm working on is also to have, you know, to be stable and have high intensity practices and the level. That's why you can ‑‑ I mean a match like yesterday, I mean, doesn't come from nowhere. Until the set was 4‑1, I just played really good tennis, then I had a little bit of let down, but off the bat I was able to recover. I mean, those are key things today you have to maintain.

MARTINA HINGIS: I mean to be No. 1 you have to win Grand Slams. So I've made the quarter‑finals so far, I still have to make the semis first. One step after another.

Q. Martina, she said that she was surprised that you didn't hit more forehands to her after she got hurt and she thanked you for hitting backhands to her.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm not a big forehand cross‑court hitter in general, so I think I tried to serve her forehand. I just didn't get them in. I was like, okay, just put it in. You just get tense. You know what you should do. But I mean, if I'm going to not hit her forehand deep enough, she still was pounding it away. I mean, I tried to serve her forehand and tried to play it, but I mean you still have to stick to your game plan and what worked, and I think what worked again was just mix it up and make her try to move and just change the speed. And that's what she had the most trouble with. I mean, especially the last game, you know, she, I just, one return was faster, one slower, top spin, and she missed every second shot. You know, either win or miss, but that's what she was going for.



	19 août - August 19, 2006 15h M. Hingis / A. Chakvetadze 6‑3, 3‑1 Ret. *MARTINA HINGIS* THE MODERATOR: We will take questions in English, please. Q. Second final you're in this year. It must feel good. MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, it's good. No, obviously, it's kind of disappointing to win a match like this. But I was already up 3‑1 and it's like after the first set she was hurting, having medical timeouts and, but she kept coming, she continued. So you still have to keep the focus and, you now, still make her play because you don't know how much it's hurting, how much she still can play because ... You know, it was 30‑All and there she goes with an ace. I'm like, okay, you know. So you still have to go your way. But, you know, being in another final, it's, you know, at the beginning of the week I felt like, okay, it's going to be so hard to get there. Q. Could you tell she was hurt from her shot making or could you tell? MARTINA HINGIS: I don't know. I mean, she was in the press earlier, you know, you could have asked her. Q. She said she was hurt. MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I don't know when it happened or from what. I mean, she's played a lot of tournaments lately and a lot of tennis, so I think .. You know, after last night I wasn't the freshest myself. You know, I felt like my legs were a little bit heavy. You know, I felt like the wheels weren't working until I got rolling. I scrambled some difficult points out there and I think that's what made her ‑‑ you know, I always tried to at least make her hit an extra shot and do something special. Q. Do you feel that having a short match today will help you for tomorrow and be fresher maybe? MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it wasn't so short. I mean, the first set was still very intense and the second was, yes, it kind of was like one‑two‑shot points, but the first set was still pretty intense. And, you know, yes, it's always better if you have an easier match like that going into finals tomorrow. I'm not unhappy. Q. On another topic, how much do you like the replays on line calls? And do you use them strategically? Like do you save them up or does every time there's a questionable one you want to use your challenge? MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I obviously want to save them for the best possible moment when you feel like, okay, this is a big point and when you really feel like you're right. But I think it also helps the player to be, you know, certain about what happened and the decision. Because sometimes you're like, okay, maybe that was in, that was out, I'm not 100 percent sure, but that makes you feel like, okay, that ball was in or out, but there's the decision, you see it and, you know, you focus onto the next point. I think sometimes you just don't think about what's happened, what if and all these questions that pop back when you're not sure. Q. Martina, I know you spoke about it last night, but can you elaborate a little bit about what it means to get back to the top 10? MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I said, yes, I mean, it's good, but my mom said, "well, you should have been there even sooner", you know, anyway. She always comes with a good backup, you know. But I mean obviously I felt like I had the game to be back in the top 10. There's no time to celebrate anyway, so the tournament wasn't finished after last night and I still had to come out here today and it was a short recovery time. So you still have to play, Chakvetadze was hanging in there at the beginning, you know. Against Anna, I've never played her before. So those down‑the‑line backhands were quite impressive. And I'd rather win the tournament and be top 10 as well. Q. You said that your come back would not have been considered in your eyes as a success if you had not gotten at some stage to the top 10. MARTINA HINGIS: Well, to myself, because I knew I still had, I felt that I had it in me, my game was good enough to make the top 10, yes. But was I disappointed if I didn't have it? Yes, then I'd say, okay, too good, the other girls are too good. But the ones, I beat those players who were in the top 10, then I realized, okay, if they're in there, maybe I have the game definitely to be there as well, if I don't get injured or any other thing. Q. Martina, there were three occasions where your drop shot was so successful that she didn't even run for it. Were you surprised at how successful that tactic was? MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think she's quite far in the back, so, you know, sometimes even if I don't know the players but still would ask about her if some people give you some advice. And, you know, some things work and some don't, but that definitely worked today, yes, because I don't think she was really waiting for me to drop‑shot her, yes. And those were pretty good ones too. I mean, I was like close to the, I was inside the court and so it was a shorter distance and they were really good so it helped. Q. Martina, what are your thoughts on tomorrow's final? MARTINA HINGIS: Against Dinara, we've played in the finals in Rome, we've played also in Indian Wells on hard court. So both times I was successful. So definitely if I would play her, I'm looking forward to it, you know, maybe a rematch. And against Ana Ivanovic, I've never played her, so, you know, a very good player, a very high potential. She's impressed definitely this week. I mean, she, you can see her, that she's training really hard, she has the fitness and a new coach and it must be working for her, so those are the results so far. Q. Her new coach has worked with you before? MARTINA HINGIS: David, yes, David Taylor. He's worked with Molik and other players in the past. Yes, with me he was like a couple of months for, you know, he was my hitting partner and everything, that's how we met. And then he worked for Tennis Australia, so ... Yes, he's very knowledgeable, he has good sense for the game, yes. I mean, he brought Molik to top 10, so he definitely knows. I mean, there's a few coaches I do respect and he's one of them, yes. Q. How does your game seem to you now compared to how it was when you were top ranked in the world a few years ago? MARTINA HINGIS: Obviously, you know, maybe I'm a little older. So maybe my head functions a little better than when I was 17 in some cases. But definitely the moving and everything you have just a different kind of body when you're 17 or 18. You recover, you're just more explosive. But that's what I've been working on, but I have different other strengths now. I mean, I can concentrate better. I mean, I don't have those hiccups, those ups and downs as much. What I'm working on is also to have, you know, to be stable and have high intensity practices and the level. That's why you can ‑‑ I mean a match like yesterday, I mean, doesn't come from nowhere. Until the set was 4‑1, I just played really good tennis, then I had a little bit of let down, but off the bat I was able to recover. I mean, those are key things today you have to maintain. Q. Is your goal to be No. 1 again, Martina? MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I've just made the top 10, so calm down. Q. What about what your mom is saying though? MARTINA HINGIS: I mean to be No. 1 you have to win Grand Slams. So I've made the quarter‑finals so far, I still have to make the semis first. One step after another. Q. Martina, she said that she was surprised that you didn't hit more forehands to her after she got hurt and she thanked you for hitting backhands to her. MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm not a big forehand cross‑court hitter in general, so I think I tried to serve her forehand. I just didn't get them in. I was like, okay, just put it in. You just get tense. You know what you should do. But I mean, if I'm going to not hit her forehand deep enough, she still was pounding it away. I mean, I tried to serve her forehand and tried to play it, but I mean you still have to stick to your game plan and what worked, and I think what worked again was just mix it up and make her try to move and just change the speed. And that's what she had the most trouble with. I mean, especially the last game, you know, she, I just, one return was faster, one slower, top spin, and she missed every second shot. You know, either win or miss, but that's what she was going for.