1999 Australian Open at Melbourne, Australia, on Friday, January 30, 1999
Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova
defeated Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva, 7-5, 6-3

An Interview With Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova

Q. Martina, you have seven titles in Grand Slam in doubles. Do you consider yourself as a better player in doubles than singles?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm going for the fifth Grand Slam also in singles now, so, especially here, I always play very well, and I was prepared well, you know, for this tournament; and with the doubles, I started, in my, you know, Grand Slam, so it kind of led me in, you know, moving better in singles too, and today I had a great partner. Anyway, the whole two weeks she played great, and even if I was sometimes down she helped me out, and today she was a perfect team.

Q. Anna, your first Grand Slam title. How does it feel. What is the emotion?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, it feels great. Like I said on court, I was really lucky to play with Martina and it's just, you know, great tradition. She won her first Grand Slam also in doubles, and then she won many singles ones, so I'm looking forward to that. And I'm just very happy. Like Martina said, we were just playing great and I really enjoyed it. It was - I really enjoyed playing tennis.

Q. Martina, last year you won the title with Mirjana. What do you think about her career at the moment?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's hard to say. I mean, I, it's tough for me to speak about her because last year, you know, I had a successful tournament here, and I made up with Anna to play here already at the US Open, and I saw her later on at the Bollettieri. But I thought, you know, with Anna I had much bigger chances again to play here, and it came out great so - but Mirjana is, you know, I think also a great player and everything, but right now she has to set up her mind, and then I'm sure she can play, produce very good tennis again. But right now, I think, it was the better choice playing with Anna.

Q. As preparation for the singles final, how much better is it to play a match like that rather than just hit practice balls?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, I felt great out there today. I mean, I hit some great returns and we helped each other out very good, and we just play very consistent from the beginning. Even when we were down 5-3 we kept pressuring them all the time and played aggressive. That's what it's all about in doubles. You have to be a team; not a single person can win the doubles. You have to work out together?

Q. Martina, you are quoted in the paper as saying that Amelia was like half a man.

MARTINA HINGIS: I was waiting for that. How funny. I mean, I didn't say she was half a man. It was like, I don't know how that came up. I mean, she's producing very good tennis. She played very consistent these two weeks. And beating Lindsay, I mean it's a great effort, and I hope, you know, to do better tomorrow against her in the finals?

Q. You never described her as a half man.

MARTINA HINGIS: As half man - who would say that? She's a girl. She's playing tennis and very good, and I have to beat her on the court, not somewhere else. It's just bad talking, you know?

Q. Well, Martina, can I ask, what did you say in that German press conference, to us who can't speak German.

MARTINA HINGIS: Sorry?

Q. Can I ask you what you said in the German press conference about that topic.

MARTINA HINGIS: What I said?

Q. Yes.

MARTINA HINGIS: You know, that, obviously everyone knows she's here with her friend, and that she's a very good player - well, I didn't say she was a good player, but she was like, you know, on the court she moves very quickly, and just the way she plays, I think it's very unusual in women's tennis. She has got a lot of topspin and it's not the way she, you know, that she is a man, but she plays really like, like a man, the way she plays. That's what we were saying with Lindsay, I think, both of us. We didn't mean like she's a man by the way she plays?

Q. Martina, through her coach, Amelie said that - -
OFFICIAL: Excuse me now. No more questions about - -

Q. She was surprised an angry about that. She also said she's motivated for - -
OFFICIAL: Don't answer. Okay?

Q. Also surprised and angry about the comment yesterday?

MARTINA HINGIS: About the comment?

Q. Yeah, she was a bit surprised and angry. She also said she's motivated for tomorrow now.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, so am I.

OFFICIAL: Just continue with questions for the doubles team, please.

Q. Anna, you thanked a Mr Fischer out there too.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I was waiting for that too?

Q. Is it someone who has influenced your career?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. It's just a friend of mine, and I thanked many people out there. It's just one of them?

Q. Anna, was that Pete Fischer?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Who?

Q. Pete Fischer?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. Who is that?

Q. He used to be Sampras's coach?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No, no, no.

Q. No, no?
ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No. It's just the nickname of somebody. It's nothing in particular.

Q. Is he here watching you?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: No.

OFFICIAL: Okay. If there's any other questions concerning the doubles, please.

Q. Martina, I know you have promised to play again with Jana this year, but are there any gaps this year in your schedule that will allow to you play with Anna again?

MARTINA HINGIS: Maybe at Indian Wells will be the next time we play together. It still depends whether Jana is going there or not. The rest of the year I may play with Jana, but we will see how it's going. Anna, she said she's more or less free, she doesn't have a whole year partner, so whenever we have a chance we try to play together.

Q. Anna, who is your partner at the next Grand Slams?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Martina said I'm more or less free. I decided yesterday that I wanted not to have a partner the whole year because if I decided not to play doubles I didn't want the other person just to wait, or something, or find another partner; so I decided to, you know, talk with people before the tournaments and play again next week in Tokyo.

Q. Martina, playing a doubles final indoors, before a singles final, which is presumably going to be outdoors, is that much of an adjustment for you?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I like that the roof was closed today actually, because I think from both sides you can play very good tennis, and without the wind, and nothing can hurt you, you know; so you can, just whoever is better at that time is going to win. And this time it was us, and who knows what is going to happen next week? Tokyo is indoors too.

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