2001 Tennis Masters Series at Indian Wells, California, on Tuesday, March 13, 2001
Martina Hingis defeated Silvia Farina Elia, 6-0, 6-1

An Interview With MARTINA HINGIS:

Q. You played almost perfect in some ways. Can you play better than that?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I improve from the other matches, that's for sure. I kind of like the conditions here also, a little windy. You have to adjust your game. I played very good today. I was very focused. There are always things you can still get better, like that first game in the second set I let down a little bit. I was on serve. I mean, I just came back right away, so that was good.

Q. You must be really happy about the draw here. In Australia you had to play Serena and Venus. Here looks like it's an easier way to the semis or to the final.

MARTINA HINGIS: To the semis now. Clijsters is not an unknown player. You never know. She's played well. I watched her this afternoon while I was back in the hotel. Otherwise, you know, sometimes there is a payback, so it was about time. Play the champion of the tournament two times Venus, Wimbledon and US Open. It was nice to see a draw like that for once, yes. You still have to take advantage of it. In the beginning I didn't do that a hundred percent. But as long as the tournament went on, I improved.

Q. Do you think these matches are preparing you for when you get to the semis and finals? You haven't been pushed too much.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, but the first couple matches I didn't feel that great about my game. Already yesterday was better, you know, playing Schett. It's never an easy one. There's always a little test there. Today I just played a very good game. I think if I can continue on this base, it will come out good. I hope so. You don't need to be tested every single week, that's for sure. You don't want that. Played a lot this year already.

Q. Talk about Kim Clijsters. What are her strengths? What do you have to do to overcome them?

MARTINA HINGIS: I played her in Filderstadt in the finals, played her earlier in Sydney in the quarters. I think she's a very talented player, but still maybe sometimes she's not as experienced as those who are in the Top 10, like Venus and Serena. I mean, she learns. She's a fast learner. Already being in the semifinals here, she has very good potential. I'm looking forward to play her actually again. With her, can you tell monthly or half-year improvement.

Q. Is she Top 10 material?

MARTINA HINGIS: There's not that many others I see in the Top 10 in the future, yes.

Q. Talking about you improving your game, in which way you would like to improve your game now?

MARTINA HINGIS: I think technically I made a big step in the last year, and also now continuing. My mom is a great coach, so she helps me on that on a daily basis, which is great. Sometimes definitely the physical, it's hard to have some kind of routine because you never know exactly when you play, which tournaments, and then you have a week tournament, a week off, or three, four consecutive tournaments. It's hard to get some kind of rhythm into your life. I think I've been balancing it quite good the last maybe two years. It's getting better. But sometimes still, you know, you have sometimes those problems with the way you eat, you can't eat, then you feel like you have -- if you play a tournament, you always have to watch out. Once you have a week off, you're like, "I've got to have everything." I think you have to find the balance, what's the best for yourself.

Q. Are you going more on your serve?

MARTINA HINGIS: As I say, it's a lot the mental with my serve. When I played Halard in The Championships, I played like 23 out of 24 first serves in the first set. I don't know how I did that. It's concentration. The better you feel with yourself, with your all-around game, the better my serve gets. I think now I have more confidence in it again. I think I'm serving better now.

Q. Are you going for more on your groundstrokes, too?

MARTINA HINGIS: For sure, I think, to have more power from the groundstrokes. But you have to have more power in your legs so you have that punch somehow. I've been working on that, too. What you do in practice, so you can maintain to do in the match. It's always more difficult. But I've been working on that, that's for sure, to have more power in my all-around game to be more aggressive, yes.

Q. After the tournament in Dubai, did you stay there?

MARTINA HINGIS: No, I went for one week to Zurich and trained there indoors, fast carpet. It was a little bit different. But, no, I wanted to go home. I had been there for two weeks. I stayed one more day in Doha before I went to Dubai. It was quite an experience. It was a beautiful time, but it was time to get out and just go on with my game, just coming here early. I got here already Monday last week.

Q. When you watched Kim today, did you see anything new from her?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, she's pretty much the same player, but it's the more matches she gets under her belt, the more confidence she'll gain. Otherwise it's pretty much the same. Maybe her serve has gotten a little more consistent. I mean, it's hard to judge when she plays Bovina, because I'm sure she was quite excited about playing her. It felt like she always had control over the game, so you can't really say too much.

Q. You didn't play doubles here. Are you comfortable with that?

MARTINA HINGIS: Especially at this time of year, where I was already a little bit tired coming into this tournament, now I somehow regrouped again by playing matches and practicing. I was more like mentally tired than physically. I was like one more, again and again. Now I feel much better again that I played and kept on winning. I'm very happy about today's game, that's for sure.

Q. Are you going to enjoy tomorrow's other quarterfinal match?

MARTINA HINGIS: I don't know what time they are yet.

Q. Are you going to enjoy watching them beat up on each other instead of on you?

MARTINA HINGIS: You know what? I don't care. (Laughter).