USTA 2002 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York, on Tuesday, September 3, 2002
s4 Monica Seles defeated s9 Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-2   interview excerpt on Real Video

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Martina, please.

Q. I know you came here prepared to be patient. You've got a long way to go to full recovery. Do you feel that perhaps you went as far as you could this time here?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, in a way. I mean, I could still be lucky I was in the tournament after first round. So in the past I wasn't probably struggling against players like Irvin or just the ranking, maybe. But in a way, yeah, I thought maybe, you know, looking at the draw I had a chance making at least the quarterfinals, then play Venus, if we both would get there. But, you know, Monica played well today. I have to give her credit. I definitely wasn't, you know, probably as far as I thought I would be, you know, coming in to these tournaments.

Q. How is the ankle? Generally, the whole side of the body that was affected. Have you come through feeling good physically?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I mean, I felt pretty good, you know, starting to play, playing tournaments. But obviously it will take time, you know, to recover 100 percent physically and strength. That's like the biggest problem at this point, you know? Once you don't have the physical conditions, mentally you're also a little weaker maybe than when you know you can last this long and that long. Against Amanda I thought I had played a better match. Then in the doubles. But against the top players, it still needs to, you know, to get a notch better.

Q. Is it different when you come into a tournament knowing that you may not win the whole thing as opposed to, you know, before the ankle you had a legitimate shot to win every tournament you entered?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, it's different, going into a tournament where you just look forward to every single match. You're not used to going into tournaments like that. But hopefully I have now three, four weeks to train until the next tournament, so I know where I'm at. Probably that was pretty much what I was looking forward to. You know, that's why I played these tournaments, to see how the game has developed and what I have to work on till the next tournaments.

Q. How much power is she getting over the net right now? How did that affect you today?

MARTINA HINGIS: Power?

Q. Yeah, Monica, she seems to be hitting her shots.

MARTINA HINGIS: She always hits it with high risk. So today she returned really well. I didn't return the greatest, you know? I had a few opportunities, and especially in that first set, 3-2 up, 30-Love, that one close call there. But, you know, things like that happen. You just have to, you know, maintain what you worked on. But I didn't really have anything to hold on tight to today against her, so... It was like every game was whatever happens, happens, you know?

Q. Last year the WTA Championships were in Munich, not far from your homeland. How do you feel about The Championships being played in Los Angeles this year?

MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's going to be a great event, great site. STAPLES Center, I think it's gonna be a lot better than in Munich, although it was only like two and a half, three hours away from my home. But the atmosphere, just everything, I think it's gonna be a great event.

Q. Does Monica have a legitimate shot against Venus in the next round?

MARTINA HINGIS: Against me, she was dictating pretty much the game. Venus has a better serve, you know, moves, hits more winners and everything. So, I mean, she beat her in Australia, so... But Venus has gotten better since then. Wasn't injured or anything. I don't know. I mean, you can't compare my game right now to Venus'. That's a good question.

Q. Can you talk about the difference in the way you were able to dictate points maybe four or five years ago and the way the game changed?

MARTINA HINGIS: It was slower. You have more time to think where you gonna hit the shot. Today you have to react so fast, it's so much speedier. Sometimes it's like, "Okay, wait a minute. I need to think where I'm gonna hit the next shot." Sometimes you just got to hit it back fast, that is what is the difference. You don't even think sometimes, "Okay," all it takes, just hit it back as hard and fast as you can, give the opponents less time.

Q. Do you have a confidence getting a title or Grand Slam again the next season?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, at this point I'm not really thinking about it. I just look forward to the next tournaments. But I just -- Lindsay was saying she had a great draw here. Also you work on your game into the next season, see where you're standing at the beginning -- at the end here and the end of the -- after LA. But then, you know, you got plenty of time to get ready for Australia.

Q. You must be tired of hearing that you need to put more power into your serve. Do you think that's a viable proposition for you, that that's possible?

MARTINA HINGIS: I mean, even like a year ago I was hitting harder serves than I am today, so that I got to think about, you know, what I been doing there. I had serves over 100 miles an hour in the past, so that's just got to be more consistent there. I definitely have to work on all-around game and the serve - everything, speed.

Q. Has the thinking gone out of the game a little bit? You've always relied on being able to think through points. You're saying now it's just bang, bang, bang. Has the thinking gone out for some players?

MARTINA HINGIS: The first two, three shots, maybe that's just like hitting hard, you know, through the middle or just not too close to the lines. Once you manage that, then you can start playing, you know, more angles or things like that, yeah. I mean, you see that's always been part of the men's game. That's where the women's game is moving toward, too, now, because it's more physical. So first you got to last the rallies, then start playing.

Q. Excluding yourself, who in the women's game do you think is probably the best thinker out there, has the best grasp of tactics and strategy?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, that was a question the other day, too. I think, you know, like I said there, it was whoever's at the top's got to be the best player at that time. So at this point it's Serena, Venus and Jennifer. Jennifer, I always had great respect for her knowledge of the game and, you know, the sisters have learned a long way.

Q. Serena was saying, after winning Wimbledon, that everybody talks about her power and Venus' power. But she says there's a lot of finesse as well. It just seems that they're hitting hard all the time.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I mean, Venus is I think even the more handy player. She's got more skills than Serena, but Serena is more consistent, you know, she's more precise. Her technique is more defined, I'd say, than Venus'. That's probably because Venus has a better hand.

Q. Besides working your rust off, what do you feel you have to do? Do you have to reinvent your game?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, everything. Endurance in my body and do a lot of cardio, and things.

Q. What part of your game are you missing the most? Is it mental or more physical?

MARTINA HINGIS: Mental part is the least I'm thinking about right now. If you have the rest of the game, the mental part will come automatically.

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