Justine Henin Interview - French Open, May 30

Justine Henin Interview
French Open
Sunday, May 30, 2010

Q. How did you get your serve and everything else under control? Looked like you were going to go down fast.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, looked like it was going to be fast. That game was so important, because at 3 Love with two breaks, it was really I think difficult to come back.
Yeah, I mean, that was difficult to start with my serve today, as she did put a lot of pressure. I knew she was going to come very aggressive as she finished the match last night.
So I was ready for it, but apparently not enough. I was really feeling under pressure at the time, so not playing a lot of first serves in my first game, and also until Love 40 at 2 0. So at that time I just stay focused on every point and played a few good first serves.
I came to the net, and that gave me my confidence back. I really needed that game. After that, everything was easier to go to the net and play more aggressive.

Q. You were in need.
JUSTINE HENIN: (laughter.)

Q. From Love 40, it seemed you really went on the attack from that moment. You went to the net a couple of times.
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah.

Q. Next game you really attacked her serve. Was that a conscious decision at that moment to attack?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it was. I had no more choice. Sometimes it's you know, when you're 0 0 you know you control a little bit, but when you're under pressure a little bit, you know, you don't have any other choice.
But she started the set very good. I mean, she's a champion, so as soon as you give her the opportunities, if you play a little bit too short and you don't take the opportunities, she takes them.
So at that time I really had to stay calm. It wasn't that easy. I was feeling a bit nervous at that time. Then that game was a relief, and really helped me to feel free, you know, and just to play my game.
So that was an important game, of course.

Q. For most of yesterday evening and the early part of the set today, you were really struggling on her serve. What was the toughest part of getting into her serves and her service games?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, in the first set she was serving pretty fast, and then she started to change and play with more kick and push me a little bit further back to the baseline.
It was important to stay aggressive, but distance is very long. I was far away, but not just today I've been much more aggressive actually on the return.
Yesterday I really had the control of the match in the first set. Tactically I was playing the right game.
Then conditions were getting also very difficult in the second. It was getting dark. I wasn't, you know, aggressive anymore like I was in the first set, and she took the opportunities.
As soon as you give her this chance, she really is going for it. Today she started again like this, but fortunately I could change that.

Q. You meet Sam Stosur in the next round. Your thoughts on that matchup?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, we played a tough one in Stuttgart just a few weeks ago. Sam is a great player on clay. Probably her best surface. She has a big serve, big forehand. She can play very heavy, also. So I know it's going to be a tough one. In Stuttgart she gave me a lot of trouble.
I've been struggling during one set, and then I could play my game. It's going to be totally different. I'm very happy that I'm still in this French Open, and I just want to keep going and keep, I hope, winning.
But I'll have to be at a good level if I want to win that one.

Q. Do you have a feeling your game is back to the same level it was before you retired?
JUSTINE HENIN: Um, I don't want to compare, because everything is so different. I'm not yet as consistent as I was, because it's normal. It's only a few tournaments I've played. The confidence I had at that time, I built it with many years.
So I still need some time. I just said when I started I said, It's going to be a year of transition. I still think it, even if I had good results from the beginning of the season.
I have really ambitions to go as far as possible, but I'm also conscious that I'll have to work hard on my intensity, my concentration, and just to be more consistent all the time.
So I know there are still ups and downs, and I'll work on it. But I knew it and I accept it. I have to keep working.

Q. In terms of intensity, was that right up there in the matches you've had since you came back with Serena in the Aussie Open final and maybe Justine in Brisbane?
?JUSTINE HENIN: Kim, yeah.

Q. Sorry.
JUSTINE HENIN: It's no problem. Yeah, I mean, the match against Dementieva at the Australian Open was quite intense, also. So there have been a few matches that I learned a lot of things, and it's also in these kind of situation that I will get better.
To come back to the hotel last night, you know, losing second set wasn't that easy, but I just tried to take it the positive way. I think it's in these kind of situation that I can learn and that I can get better.
So it was a tough time, but I said, Well, it's gonna be positive for me in the future. So I had a lot of good test from the beginning of the season. I wish I can be, yeah, playing better and better, but I still need some time.

Q. How tough was it out there last night? Did either of the two of you make any suggestions to the umpire that maybe it should have been called off a little earlier?
JUSTINE HENIN: I think we could stop we should have stopped a little earlier because it was really dark, but I didn't ask the umpire because I knew they absolutely wanted to, yeah, try to go to the end of the second set, which I understood.
I don't know what Maria thought about it, but we should have stopped, yeah, maybe two or three games earlier, because it was really difficult. Yeah, but no excuses. I mean, it was the same for both players. She could take advantage on that.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. Could we say this was the test match that you needed?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I don't know, but you always need to test yourself and go through tough moments. It's true that this was a match that I feared a bit, because I have great admiration for this girl. She proves it all the time.
And even though she is coming back, she's a real fighter. Each time she had opportunities, like at 5 3 today, 40 Love, she kept encouraging herself. She has great qualities in that respect.
So it was a great test for me in the third round. Well, that was very early for me in the tournament. But, you know, I'm going on, and I played four days in a row.
That's very rare in a Grand Slam, so you have to be there at all times. My schedule was not very easy over the last days, and that's something that you need to manage, as well.
It's my second Grand Slam since I came back, so all the things can seem pretty easy from the outside. On the court, it's difficult.

Q. You're going to play for a fifth day in a row. Is it a plus or a problem to you?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I've decided I would take it as a plus. I'm not exhausted physically, but nervously, the last days were a bit difficult because, you know, going to sleep with a match that you've not finished. Especially yesterday I didn't sleep very well, because I was not very happy.
I missed some opportunities, so I knew that we had a third set to play. Nothing was lost yet, but I was not very happy yesterday night. So it's a nervous level.
But physically speaking, I feel much better now than I felt three, four weeks ago. So, yes, I'm in perfect health.

Q. If you said something to yourself at 2 Love, Love 40, what was it? Did you pray for your first serve?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, yes, because I had to have a good first serve, and I had to play one point at a time. That was the key.
If I was breaking at 3 All, would we have stopped the match yesterday evening instead of today? I don't know. My serve was back when I needed it. I went to the net and I scored some points at the net, and that really was a way for me to set myself free.

Q. If people start saying that you're one of the favorites for this final, would you accept it?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I don't have to take it as a compliment or accept it. This is not the way I see it.
I'm in the round of 16, so it means there are 15 other girls who can make it till the end. And tennis, you know, everything can change very quickly. But obviously I want to go as far as I can go, because otherwise I wouldn't be here.
So I have a great motivation, but there are so many factors involved now. So it's a lot of management. You have to be at the top of your shape. A Grand Slam is difficult because it's long. You can't afford not to be at the top at all times, and now I'll be playing very big players from now on.
I'm one of the 16 players still running for the title. We'll know more about it later.

Q. You really had to be in a very difficult position to come back today. Do you need to really put yourself in such a situation?
JUSTINE HENIN: I think it's part of my nature. It's difficult to change your nature. But then it's very frustrating to know exactly what's going to pay off. So I'm working there are moments when I can sort out these type of issues better than today.
Today I had to go to net because it was important for me to react, and I think I've evolved in that respect because I fought and I dared going to the net, and that was very positive today.

Q. When you press on the brake pedal, what would you fear?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I usually tend to react more than act. That's part of my character. Okay, I try and evolve. I think I do. I have changed as compared to what I was years back. There is a huge progress.
But I still feel I have to put myself at risk to do what I need to do. I need to be my back against the wall. It's not always easy to manage, but I make it, fortunately.

Q. What about these matches that start very late? Does it make sense? And can't you two girls talk to the organizers?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, we have no authority in that respect. Now, does it make sense when you know beforehand you won't be able to come to the end of it? Well, yes and no. It's not placing us in the best conditions. It's just postponing the problem to the next day, because there are many matches to be played.
So of course you don't have that in Australia or in the U.S. In Wimbledon they have the roof now, so things need to evolve quite clearly, because the weather issues created many problems. It's true that it's not putting the players in the best conditions.
But I'm thinking about the players. They want to see as much tennis as possible, so this is also something that we need to take into account. So I understand they want to go to the end.
Yesterday we interrupted at the end of a set, and I think that's the good decision to make. But it's difficult, and you have to understand each person's position.

Q. Can you say a few words about Samantha Stosur, your next opponent? Have you played her?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yes, I played her once. That was a few weeks back in the final in Stuttgart. She has made huge progress in singles, because she used to play the doubles.
But now she's a top player in the singles. She has beautiful qualities on clay because she plays kind of a man's tennis. I mean, she has very heavy balls. She is a very powerful girl. She has a beautiful forehand and a very good backhand, as well.
It was difficult in Stuttgart. I know it's going to be difficult tomorrow. Anyway, from the round of 16 things get tougher, so I expect a good fight.

Q. The crowd on the central court was very supportive. I guess that was a bit emotional.
JUSTINE HENIN: Very much so, because they always supported me. I left in 2007, and the crowd was my fans were behind me and supporting me.
I come back and they're still there. Today they gave me a lot of strength. This is why I love it here. It's because I have this beautiful relationship with the people, and I hope I can give them even more this week.