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Qtr. Final
Aus.Open 22 January 2002
MARTINA HINGIS defeated ADRIANA SERRA ZANETTI 6-2 6-3
Q. Martina, how does it feel to be in front of this girl you haven't met for,
six or seven years, I don't know?
MARTINA HINGIS. Well, I've seen her on the Tour
before. I mean she was - she kind of started on the Tour in 94. The announcer
said it. So she's pretty much kind of grew up the same way I did. She's, like,
different the level of the Grand Slam I saw her. But it was kind of nice to
see somebody shorter on the other side, that's for sure.
Q. Martina, this time last year you had a run of tough matches coming into
the Final. How do you compare your fitness and form now to last year?
MARTINA HINGIS. Well, I mean, nobody - I'd had
to face Serena in the Quarter-finals here at this point; but it's kind of nice
having somebody you don't know that well. It's not almost the most exciting
thing, because you don't know what to expect exactly. So you go out on the court
and you don't know, you know. She had some great points. I mean, those down
the lines and, you know, those little angles, and she's a quick player, so she
definitely deserved to be in the Quarter-finals. I mean, it's nice to get through
it easier than last year, yes.
Q. Martina, did the hard run last year take its toll on you in the Final, do
you think?
MARTINA HINGIS. Oh, definitely, it did, I think.
I think it's part of the reason, sure. But, you know, if you reach the Finals
here you try to give it all. I mean, the Finals is the Finals. It's not like
Jennifer had the easier way to go through it. She also had to beat Monica and
Lindsay, so those are not two players which are nobody. So, I mean, it's just
- she played very well at that stage and she won the tournament. So, you know,
hopefully, I get another chance to be in the Finals.
Q. Are you a better player this year than last year?
MARTINA HINGIS. Definitely, I think all some of
us somehow improve because, you know, the style of all these girls, everybody
is improving constantly. So if you stay stale, you're going to, you know, drop
out of there. You have to automatically improve if want to stay at that level.
So I think I've reached some stage that I haven't been before.
Q. Martina, Adriana played pretty well against you. What do you think? Were
you expecting such a tough opposition, at the beginning at least, when she made
21 quick points against you, which is not easy?
MARTINA HINGIS. She definitely made me run, that's
for sure. She made me earn the Semi-final spot. I saw her on TV a little bit.
I knew that she has this, you know, fast flat game. I mean, she had great angles.
I knew that she plays like this, kind of; but didn't know, you know, how she's
going to react toward my game. I felt like a little slow today, because yesterday
was all day waiting around; today, come out here at 11. I mean, that's no excuse.
It definitely was the same for both. But she definitely has a good game, yeah.
Q. You broke the racquet on the third game, 0-30 - a little desperation?
MARTINA HINGIS. I mean, things happen all the
time. So it was just a little unfortunate at that stage. I was maybe a little
frustrated. But I came back and won that game, so that felt good.
Q. Will you watch the match tonight, between Seles and Williams?
MARTINA HINGIS. Of course I will. I mean, it's
definitely an interesting match-up. I mean, I don't know when they last played
each other. But they both are playing pretty well, I mean with Venus winning
the last match so comfortably, and Monica kind of cruising through the matches.
So I think they're both in pretty good shape. But, you know, I'm happy to be
already through it so I'm able to watch it.
Q. Who do you think is going to win?
MARTINA HINGIS. Oh, it's difficult to judge. I
mean, Venus definitely has the game. I mean, everybody put her as the favourite
at the beginning of the tournament, so Monica has nothing to lose basically.
But it depends on how Venus is going to play, I think. It's just, you know,
yeah, the better will win. We will see.
Q. Martina, in the WTA notes today Serra Zanetti talks about playing you when
she was 14, you were 10; do you remember that at all?
MARTINA HINGIS. Yeah, I mention it the other day.
Did she say something?
Q. Yeah, it was just in - - -
Q. She said she didn't want to lose against such a young girl, playing against
you?
MARTINA HINGIS. What else did she say?
Q. And that she lost.
MARTINA HINGIS. Then ten years later, we're back
on Centre Court at Australian Open, so that - - -
Q. Do you have any preference, Seles or Williams?
A. I mean, it will be great, both of them. I mean, Monica is definitely one
of the best players, especially here at this tournament. Like, she won four
times and has a great record, only two losses - one against me, so that was
good. But Venus, that will be great match again, Semi-finals Grand Slam. There's
basically no pick, no choice.
MARTINA HINGIS. Martina, would you please tell
me also what is the biggest weapon of Serra Zanetti, in your opinion? What is
her biggest weakness?
MARTINA HINGIS. Speed. I mean, that's her biggest
weapon, I'd say. You know, she has no weak shot. She can pretty much play everything.
It's just sometimes, you know, maybe she should just sometimes come in a little
bit more, hit those swinging volleys she was afraid of attacking, and so she
had to wait always one more. She gave sometimes me a little bit too much time.
But other than that - I mean, she served very well for a little girl when she
was concentrating; but later on, I started reading her game a little bit better.
But sometimes it's hard to tell why players aren't better than they are, because
she definitely has the game.
Q. Martina, after being out of competition for a couple of months, because
of injury, then winning Sydney, and then playing really well here in Melbourne,
do you feel ready for the Semi-final?
MARTINA HINGIS. Oh, for sure. I mean, this is
what people, I mean players like me wait for, you know, big occasions, and the
Semi-finals of a Grand Slam, hopefully Finals, you know. That's the time that
you train for and what you work on.
Q. Some other players say that an injury can help you because you are forced
to rest. Does it work that way with you?
MARTINA HINGIS. Yeah. It was also nice that it
was almost the end of the season. I only missed out on two tournaments. So it
wasn't like I missed out on half of the season, or something. So it was like
great timing at that point, I could say. Sometimes it's nice, definitely, to
- it's not that it's forced, but you have time to regroup and just relax and
then go hundred per cent behind everything.
Q. You have your Doubles match after that. Do you have any which you are concentrate
on, the Doubles or Singles. Or you can be, do both of them?
MARTINA HINGIS. I think the first three years
I played her I won both, so it was always nice. First I won the Doubles, and
then the next day the Singles. So that will definitely be the goal of - I mean
that's the goal of playing, is to win; so I think, with Anna, we have the great
chance to do it again and, if not, I think - definitely, the priority is Singles,
but just to win is a goal.
Q. So if you win today the Doubles match, you are going to play against the
Japanese players, Asagoe and Fujiwara. Do you know about them?
MARTINA HINGIS. The first is which?
Q. Asagoe.
MARTINA HINGIS. Yeah, I know her. I mean, I don't
know the other, but I know Asagoe. Japanese players are usually playing very
flat and, you know, very quick, and also good hands. I mean, they are quick
around the net. But they don't have all the power. But I think me and Anna,
we don't have to be afraid of nobody out there. So we just go out there and
play our game.
Q. Martina, do you think this straight sets victory has given our friend, Rios,
any more ammunition?
MARTINA HINGIS. What is ammunition?
Q. More to talk about?
MARTINA HINGIS. Oh. Well, I'm here to play tennis,
and my sport is tennis. And so if you have any more questions about my game
it's all right; otherwise, I'm out of here. No, it's great to see him play well
again.
Q. Yeah. I wasn't trying to get you into a controversy. I was just kidding.
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