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US OPEN 2002 ::: Second Round Interview
Martina Hingis defeats Amanda
Coctzer 6-3, 6-4
:) yeah yeah yeah !!!
M. HINGIS/A. Coetzer
MODERATOR: Questions for Martina.
Q. How do you feel about how you're
playing?
MARTINA HINGIS: A
lot better. You know, I think like if I wouldn't play the way I played today,
you know, hanging in those long rallies, I probably would have had a lot of
trouble against her.
But, yeah, I was like trying always to be pressing and be on top. Once she made
me running, I got into trouble.
Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with today's match.
Q. Could you get the confidence more
and more by age much?
MARTINA HINGIS: Sure.
Every time you go out there, you know you can handle the opponent. I feel like
every time physically and mentally I'm improving, last longer. Yeah, everything
starts coming together.
Q. Over the last two years you made
the semifinals. This year coming off an injury, can you compare how you felt
then as compared to how you feel now?
MARTINA HINGIS: It's
like having two surgeries in less than 10 months, it definitely toughens you
up in a way. You learn to be patient. You know if this tournament doesn't work
out as you probably set the goal. But right now I'm not in a hurry. You learn
to be patient, just try to do the best you can at this moment. You just try
to get better in the next few weeks, month.
Right now I'm looking almost into the indoor season, then into next year. You
have plenty of time.
Q. Would you say realistically you're
not a contender for the title simply because you haven't got the matches?
MARTINA HINGIS: Every
day passing by, I feel like I'm improving, better every match. I think I played
pretty good today. It's like those balls, you have long rallies, it's hard to
make the point, it's hard to kill the point.
With her, she's a very speedy player. She always gets the shots which sometimes
would be a winner, but then she has nothing really to hurt me with. That's kind
of nice. It was a good test today.
Q. Do you think you can win this
title this week?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well,
that's going to be a harder task. But definitely I'm not counting it out. You
always have hopes. As a top player, always want to look forward to the next
match and give the best.
Q. Is that frustrating for you?
MARTINA HINGIS: You've
got to be realistic. I just came off surgery. I played a couple events, made
quarterfinals. Maybe I wish I had done better there. I feel like I learn from
the last two weeks, already playing a lot better here. But still there is a
lot I have to catch up with. We'll see.
Q. Can you look ahead to Monica a
little bit?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah,
I watched her matches, especially against Schwartz. That was a close one. I
mean, it was almost like my first.
Q. Today.
MARTINA HINGIS: I
watched it until 6-1, 5-1. I was like, "That's going to be over in a minute."
I don't know what happened later.
It's good. She's going to be tired.
Q. Were you surprised she had so
much trouble with Schwartz?
MARTINA HINGIS: I
know that she lost to her in Fed Cup. It's probably not her favorite opponent.
You know, she came out of that, won it. That's all that counts at the end.
Q. Whose confidence is higher now,
yours or Monica's?
MARTINA HINGIS: I
don't know. We'll see in the match.
Q. How is your level compared to
Australia, before the surgeries? Anywhere close to it? Is it going to take a
while?
MARTINA HINGIS: I
think I have to -- I don't feel like at this point it's where I was in Australia.
Maybe I'm similar, but the game has even gotten better. It's hard to say right
now. The sisters have been playing very well. If you want to beat one of them,
you really have to definitely step it up. There's still a few things I have
to work on, especially the physical part. I have to maintain the routine, just
work on that.
Yuki Holland
