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Semi Finals- (Singles)
TORAY Pan Pacific Open 2 February 2002
Martina Hingis defeated Silvia Farina Elia 6-0, 6-4
Q: In the second game of the match you seemed to be alternating great shots
with errors and it was really long, but after that you seemed to kick into cruise
control, please comment.
MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, I think it was pretty important
in that second game to give myself a lead and after that I was maybe just kind
of cruising through it, until towards the end of the second set. It was nice
because last time I played her it was also an easy score, six-one, six-love,
so I knew I had the game to beat her and that was probably the mental difference,
also in the crucial points, and she still remembered it hopefully.
Q: You were kind of hitting the lines with everything the first set and then
in the second set up until about three-one, you seemed to drop a level and missed
a couple of shots, was that because it was going too easy?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, I should have won also the
go-ahead serve, to go up four-one and then it would have become three-two. There
were like two or three points that just didn?t go my way. It was like the one
line call, which he called in, and then there was the serve that was just amazing.
So, those two points could have gone my way and I should have won that game
and instead of, it went her way. So, there was a little difficultly after that
and she got a little bit more lucky and it was just the circumstances, a little
turnaround. But after that, it was nice to break her right back and be able
to just close it out after that. It was more just mentally, a little nail-biting
there a little bit for awhile. But all the time it didn?t go my way and it was
nice to take control after that.
Q: Have you seen any progress in your game since last year and if you have
what areas specifically?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, what do you think? You watched
the game. So, what do you think? (You have improved.) Thank you. Yes, I think
so, too. I have been working on it for like three months so it is nice that
it is paying off.
Q: The first time you played her you lost, do you still remember that game?
(I lost to Farina?) I think you were fifteen and it was in Paris.
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, obviously I don?t remember
that. Right, that was a bad loss, but I don?t remember it, really. She played
well at that tournament. Was I supposed to win already at that tournament?°@
I was young, you lose sometime, it happens.
Q: It seems like the Japanese fans are backing you up, do you feel that when
you are playing? Is there something special about playing in Japan?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, I have this great feeling
when I play here, because somehow I feel more responsible, always coming from
having played well in Australia, like six consecutive finals there, as well
here. So, just a winning streak somehow always continues here in Japan. Of course,
my sponsor, Yonex. So, I have to do well. I have to show my game when playing
in Japan. Plus, I have had sponsors in the past, it was just like a lot of different
things. It is just nice to have the fans behind you. It is more support.
Q: Top players are competitive, looking back on your career are there any losses
where you still feel satisfied with content even though you lost?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, the latest match, pretty
much the Australian Open. I mean that is the latest one which I was happy about,
but have lost. I was so close and I hope to be able to soon turn it around and
win against Jennifer again. Maybe in the past . . . there have been matches
when I was going up and I played well, but it was just physically I wasn?t able
to compete all the way. But, I have won the first set and then lost in three,
but it was always close, but there wasn?t anything I could have done better.
So, I was satisfied a few times.
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