2000 The Championships at Wimbledon, England, on Friday, June 30, 2000
Martina Hingis defeated Silvija Talaja, 6-2, 6-2

An Interview With MARTINA HINGIS

Q. You must be very pleased with your convincing form at the moment, Martina?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, I am. I play very well, very focused from the first point on to the last. I was just playing very well. I mean, as I said at the press conference, I definitely remember her, and I did. I tried to put the strategy together. As I said, I think I'm a different player on grass. It was a much better performance than last time against her.

Q. Could you compare the match against Yi and the match against Talaja, what is the difference in these two games?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I'm just getting more and more confidence, I think I serve much better today. Also in the other match. I just feel much more consistent out there now. It's like always you play the first, second match, you still search for certain things. I think today I put it pretty much all together, and now I'm getting better and better.

Q. Does the ban on mothers in the locker room disturb you?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, definitely because my mom is not only my mom, but she's also my coach. But it will be definitely nice to have her in there, as it wasn't a problem in the past. It's been a problem in the last -- you know, since I'm on tour basically. It's just, you know, certain rules that have been put this year. I definitely don't support that because, I mean, sometimes you don't have any locker rooms for the ladies' coaches. Where should they shower after the practise or whatever? But right now there's nothing I can do. But definitely I'm trying to -- you know, it's not only the mom -- it's not only my mom who is the coach. We'll have to figure out something else.

Q. Does that have something to do with male coaches who are maybe jealous of the fact that women coaches can be good?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think it's that sometimes the other girls, they maybe feel there are certain preferences that I can talk to my mom in the locker room. But I talk to her in a certain way that she's my coach. We can spend the time together. In a way, it doesn't matter if it's in the locker room or some other place. Just sometimes I think it has been a problem in the past that so many other people got into the locker room, which were disturbing. You have a match, there are like 15 people who don't have anything to do in the ladies' locker room. That may have been the problem. I'm pretty disappointed about this decision, you know, that the ladies' coaches can't go into the locker room. It hasn't been a problem for men players.

Q. How do you feel at the end of this first week going into the real tournament now in the second week?

MARTINA HINGIS: I feel very good. I mean, I got another doubles to play with Mary. Unfortunately she lost yesterday's match. I was quite sad for her because as the French Open champion, she seemed to be very confident going into this tournament. You know, I tried my best to, you know, keep it up in the doubles also, somehow motivate her. I feel very good about myself, about my game.

Q. Do you feel you can go all the way?

MARTINA HINGIS: Still a long way to go. You know, fourth round, it's only 16 players left, after tomorrow will be.

Q. Do you feel you have kind of a point to prove at Wimbledon after last year when it was a disappointment for you? Do you feel you have to say you have something to achieve?

MARTINA HINGIS: I have definitely nothing to lose. That's my biggest probably point. I'm in a great situation here. I have nothing to defend. I just can get better. By every match I won, I just feel like, "Hey, I feel pretty good out here."

Q. Do you think it should inspire you?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah. It's been motivation. It gives me an extra kick to do well here.

Q. Is your mental preparation any different than it was at Roland Garros?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think just before the French Open, I start working real hard. Maybe it was a little too late, you know, to be as consistent. I had a few tough matches in the beginning at the French Open. Maybe there was one step in front of me I had to take where Mary was just too good that day, she just played well the whole tournament, very focused. You know, she was working on herself since the beginning of the year, since she didn't play that well in Australia. So she really put a lot of work in there, got back with her father. I play very well Key Biscayne, went down a little. Now I know I have to put everything into the game to play well because the competition I so hard out there. Every round is tough. That girl yesterday, if I wouldn't be ready, she was very good, or two days ago.

Q. If there's any aspect of grass that you feel gives you an advantage, what is it?

MARTINA HINGIS: The points are quicker than on clay. It's not as physical. It still is because you have to bend your knees almost to the ground. It just seems to be more natural to me. You can hit it flat; you can take a little higher risk sometimes. You get just easier points also if you do everything you can. If you serve well, you can start off the point easier than maybe on clay, with my serve definitely.

Q. Have you been keeping your eye on how Serena is playing?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, she played the other match, played at 12:00. By the time I got here, she was over already. I only heard when I practiced that Williams, she won like in 30 minutes. I'm like, "Well, she must be playing pretty well." I'll definitely keep an eye on her in the next rounds, yeah.

Q. Do you think it's possible for her to win the title, given that she hasn't played in a couple months?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I hope not, that I'm going to have something to say about that. It's still a few more rounds to go. There is also Venus. She's playing quite well, playing better the more tournaments she plays.