Australian Open women's title
By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer - January 27, 2001
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Jennifer Capriati's astounding Grand Slam breakthrough and a stunning stumble by Venus Williams at the Australian Open left the balance of power scrambled atop women's tennis.
Seldom, if ever, has the WTA Tour enjoyed such a depth of championship talent. Five players have won the past six Grand Slam titles, and that group doesn't include top-ranked Martina Hingis.
The jumble will make tournaments delightfully difficult to predict.

"It's going to be a great year,'' Capriati said.
She was speaking for herself, but fans are in for a treat, too, especially if Capriati can sustain the brilliant play in Melbourne that resulted in her first major title. She beat Hingis 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday's final.
The victory will vault Capriati to seventh in next week's rankings. It's the first time she has been in the top 10 since early 1994, when she had abandoned the tour at age 17 because of drug and personal problems.
Now she's a happy, mature, confident 24-year-old who seems determined to make up for lost time.

"From here on, I will always have the belief in myself that I can do anything,'' she said. "I will never be afraid in any match.''
Her upset victory came only 48 hours after another shocker -- Williams' 6-1, 6-1 loss to Hingis. Just when it appeared the Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Olympic champion was ready to dominate women's tennis, she instead endured the most lopsided loss of her career.
"Not everyone can win every time,'' Williams said. ``It's early in the year. A lot of players have a tough time early in the year.''
Serena Williams played better than her sister in the early rounds before losing to Hingis in the quarterfinals.
For Hingis the victories were doubly significant, because she beat both sisters in the same tournament for the first time. In response to their overpowering strokes, she has gotten stronger herself and improved her serve.
It's two years and counting since Hingis' fifth and most recent Grand Slam title, but she remains the most consistent player on the tour and a threat to win any event.
"I proved that I can beat anybody out there,'' Hingis said. "I can still smile. I have more opportunities to come.''

But there will be more obstacles than ever with the inclusion of Capriati, who is capable of winning on every Grand Slam surface. She reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, the French Open and the U.S. Open by age 15.
And then there was the gold medal Capriati won on clay at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She wasn't sure how to compare that achievement with winning the Australian Open.
"I was thinking about that,'' she said. ``It's just too far apart. That actually seems like another life. This is a new life, a different life. It's actually winning something for the first time again.''
Capriati's first Grand Slam title was no fluke. In the final three rounds her opponents -- winners of a combined eight Australian Open titles -- were seeded fourth (Monica Seles), second (Lindsay Davenport) and first (Hingis).
One player not surprised by Capriati's breakthrough was Hingis.
"She's a great player,'' Hingis said. "I've always said that. When she's on a roll,  she's really tough.
"She's one of the players I have a lot of respect for because of her knowledge of  the game. Maybe it's a different story off the court, but on the court, she always  belongs to the top five.''

The top five next week will be Hingis, Davenport, Venus Williams, Seles and Serena Williams. But after Capriati and French Open champion Mary Pierce there's a steep dropoff.
As at most tournaments, mismatches dominated the early rounds in the Australian Open. When it comes to overall balance, the WTA Tour still can't compete with the men.
 

Capriati dumps Hingis to win Australian Open women's title

January 27, 2001
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (TICKER) -- The bumpy road that Jennifer Capriati's career has taken finally is paved with Grand Slam glory.
Having seen her tennis career derailed by personal problems as a teenager, Capriati put a stamp on her comeback by defeating top-ranked Martina Hingis, 6-4, 6-3, on Saturday in the Australian Open women's final for her first major title.
Capriati was on top of her game throughout against Hingis, breaking the three-time champion four times. She concluded the 63-minute match with a backhand winner down the line off the world No. 1's serve, touching off an emotional celebration in which she threw down her racket and ran to her father and coach, Stefano.
"Who would have thought I would ever make it here?," Capriati said. "Dreams do come true. You have to believe in yourself."
Hingis' drought in Grand Slams was extended to eight straight majors since claiming her fifth here in 1999. It was the second straight year the 20-year-old from Switzerland lost in the Australian Open final.
Since capturing the 1998 Australian Open, Hingis has failed to win a Grand Slam title as the top seed 11 straight times, the longest streak for a female in the Open Era (since 1968).

"I think there are worse disasters in life than what happened to me today," Hingis said. "I can still smile. I'm healthy. I have more opportunities to come. It's great for her (Capriati). She had a tremendous tournament, but for me life goes on."
Capriati did not appear nervous in her first Grand Slam final, blistering returns from the baseline and breaking Hingis twice to race to a 4-0 lead in the opening set.
"I just made way too many mistakes in the beginning," Hingis said. "Just mentally I didn't have it any more to somehow go out there again and fight for every point."
Hingis got back one break to draw within 3-5 and saved two break points in the ninth game to force Capriati to serve out the set.
Capriati's improved conditioning could not be more evident than on set point at 5-4, when she ran down one of Hingis' patented drop shots and hit a backhand winner down the line to take the set. Capriati had lost nine straight sets to Hingis before winning the first on Saturday. Hingis' temper, which has flared in previous Grand Slam finals, emerged again early in the second set. She threw her racket in frustration after Capriati held in the second game.
Three games later, Hingis got irate with the chair umpire over a forehand down the line by Capriati that appeared to land just wide but was ruled in. Two points later, Hingis double-faulted to get broken at love and give Capriati the pivotal break.
Capriati collected approximately $450,000 for her victory, with the Australian Open awarding equal prize money to the men's and women's singles champions for the first time. It was her 10th career singles title.
Seeded 12th, Capriati became the lowest women's seed to win a Grand Slam since Iva Majoli captured the 1997 French Open as the ninth seed.
The victory will move Capriati from 14th to seventh in the world -- one spot lower than her career-best ranking in 1991 -- when the new WTA Tour rankings are released Monday. This will be the first time she is in the top 10 since January 1994 when she was ranked ninth.
It was Capriati's first win in six meetings with Hingis and the victory marked the 11th time a female has defeated the top two seeds in the same Grand Slam event since 1968. She eliminated second seed and defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals.
A semifinalist last year, Capriati proved that showing was no fluke as she dropped just two sets en route to the title. Her last three wins came against three of the world's top five players -- Hingis, Davenport and four-time champion Monica Seles, Capriati's quarterfinal conquest.
"I think after today and after what's happened, I'm no longer going to doubt myself in anything," Capriati said. "Now I know anything's possible. If I could come home with a Grand Slam, then I know for sure anything's possible.
"From here on, I always will have the belief in myself that I can do anything. I will never be afraid of any match I go into."
Capriati's troubled past saw her go from tennis prodigy to rebellious teenager. At the age of 14, she became the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist at the 1990 French Open. She reached the Wimbledon and U.S. Open semifinals the following year and captured the Olympic gold medal in 1992 at Barcelona.
But her career took a downward spiral as she was arrested for marijuana possession and shoplifting and removed herself from the tennis circuit for more than two years before returning in 1996. She went on to capture her first singles titles in six years with two tournament wins in 1999 and another last year.
Now at age 24, Capriati has proven that a career many considered dead in the mid-1990s is as alive as ever in 2001.
"I guess the difference is that I'm older and wiser," Capriati said. "Also I am stronger than 10 years ago and I have more variety in my game now. It's about more exactly knowing what I want.
"It's hard to say `comeback' because I've been back for awhile now, even last year getting to the semifinals. I've had some good results. So I think I'm way past having a comeback at this point."

Hingis combined for only 19 unforced errors in back-to-back wins over sisters Serena and Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. But against Capriati, she committed 32 unforced errors in falling to 38-4 lifetime at the Australian Open.
"It was, I guess, a very long trip and one match too many," Hingis said. "I was constantly getting more more and more tired and in the last three days, I could barely walk. It was after that match against Serena, going out there against Venus the next day and playing the doubles, I was dead after that. It was too much."
It was Hingis' first loss in 15 matches this season and just her second in her last 35, dating to last season.
 
 
 

M. HINGIS/V. Williams 6-1, 6-1

Q. You've beaten the girls for the first time in successive matches. Must feel great.
MARTINA HINGIS: I definitely do. It's not over yet. I mean, still, you know, we had to go out there and play the doubles, maybe one match too many today. No, I came out there. I mean, we both weren't for sure 100% after yesterday. But I came out the better. I'm very happy about the result. I mean, you can't ask for more than beating Venus Williams 1-1. Definitely a good score, yeah.

Q. Are you surprised it was that easy?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, from watching her the other matches, I knew she wasn't playing at her peak, that's for sure, but I didn't know how well could she go out there and play me. Because, you know, the top players, they can always step it up generally. I mean, I don't know what her strategy was exactly today. Just probably, you know, break my rhythm, just try to attack. But she was playing the balls when I made her play. I just blocked it away very well and I passed her good. That put pressure on her to take a high risk, then she started missing. Plus the 78 percentage first serve, that helped definitely, too. That was a lot better than yesterday in the second and third set.

Q. Did you go out and work on your serve after yesterday's match or go home and take a rest?
MARTINA HINGIS: No, I didn't serve as hard as yesterday. I mean, sometimes I was up to over 160. Today was all 130, 140, but all first serves. She just couldn't attack me. Yeah, that was the key, definitely, to always get in the play. I knew that from the baseline I would, you know, out-rally her.

Q. Venus referred to your game as being sort of a counterpunching style.
MARTINA HINGIS: What she says about me?

Q. Yes.
MARTINA HINGIS: I'm not going to overpower her, so I've got to have something. You see Grosjean and Clement being in the semis at this tournament, so they're not the biggest hitters, biggest servers. Yeah, definitely, I mean, what can I do against them? So definitely I wait for my chance, yes.

Q. Are you surprised it's not Lindsay in the final again?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think that was a big match for Jennifer beating Monica. Definitely she got the confidence there. Just had nothing to lose today. Just had a day of rest. And Lindsay, I don't think she was playing the best ever. She showed, even last week in the finals against me, she didn't play that great. I just let her basically come back into the match, which Jennifer didn't do. You know, she just practiced a lot in December, as well. I saw her every day at the courts. You know, the hard work, we've been playing a lot in December, has paid off for both of us. I mean just, you know, taking tennis as serious business. Now we are both in the finals, so...

Q. Martina, these two girls have almost been laying ambush for you. You've beaten them. What have you done to make your level of fitness so good now?
MARTINA HINGIS: It's not only the fitness, it's the game has improved, especially from my part. You know, they would sometimes overpower me, so I just couldn't keep the level throughout the whole match, which I showed, you know, definitely the determination at the end of yesterday's match was there, you know. I still had give it a go. Then I just pulled it out somehow. With me it's never going to be the physical part because I'm not as tall or as big as them, which I never will be. But, as I said, I have my own game plan, and that has really worked this time.

Q. You have a very good record against Jennifer Capriati, not just in Grand Slams, but all matches. Do you think you're ready to step up for your sixth Grand Slam title against her?
MARTINA HINGIS: I feel like I have the winning record. But from the last two matches I've seen, you know, she's definitely in high form right now. But, you know, hopefully, you know, the day of rest tomorrow will help me to really play well in the finals. This is the fifth consecutive year here being in the finals and I think every time a different finalist. No -- yeah, I think so. First year, Mary. Second year, Mauresmo. So, it's a challenge definitely which I don't want to lose. I'm not going to underestimate her, that's for sure.

Q. I hear you get on quite well with Jennifer, spent time at her house and the like.
MARTINA HINGIS: We're in the same resort. It's not that I spend some time in her house. No, I see her basically every day when I'm there. Then we both play the tournaments. Not that much otherwise, no.

Q. Are you kind of glad that you don't have to play doubles anymore?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, you never like to lose. In this case it was just, as I said, one match too many. In a way I'm happy I don't have to play tomorrow, that's for sure. But I still come out here and practice, you know, just loosen up, just take it easy tomorrow, yes.

Q. You probably lost the four last years at the French against opponents you were expected to beat. Maybe you didn't take them quite as seriously, I don't know why. Do you think a player like Jennifer fits into that category?
MARTINA HINGIS: I played Mauresmo here the other year, and nobody expected her to be in the finals. I beat her quite easily. No, Jennifer, I always had so much respect for her. Playing her is like watching a mirror. That's what she said the first time we ever played. As I said, I have a winning record against her, but she's one of these players I definitely have respect for. When I was practicing with her in the past or so, you know, she knows every shot. You just have to make her play.

Q. Do you feel like at Wimbledon last year when the Williams sisters sort of talked a lot about how maybe some of the players were intimidated by them, that they underestimated you a little bit?
MARTINA HINGIS: They underestimated me?

Q. They were saying --?
MARTINA HINGIS: Them, I don't think so. Definitely not. I mean, it's just they weren't that well-prepared for this tournament, especially Venus. Serena still played Sydney or so, played a good match yesterday. But Venus didn't play that well. They're always saying, "Okay, we went to school." Either you have to choose, go to school, play tennis. You definitely can't do both.

Q. Do you feel like you've shown a little bit, even if you are the smaller player out there, that you can still outsmart somebody else?
MARTINA HINGIS: I think I've shown that pretty much today, yes.

Q. Capriati feels as though she's stepped up her game, especially from last year where she lost to Lindsay in the semifinals. Looking at her from the other side of the net, do you agree? Do you feel she's fitter, faster, more confident?
MARTINA HINGIS: She always like these kinds of occasions. She always played very well here in Australia, from what I remember. It's just I think the court also suits her quite well. It sets up nicely for her. She has these big groundstrokes, especially the forehand. Also today she served very well. Every now and then she would double-fault, not get that many first serves in. Today she had a very compact game, was there, ready, definitely. I mean, if she's on a roll, she definitely can play very good tennis.
 
 

M. HINGIS/S. Williams 6-2, 3-6, 8-6

Q. Do you think the way you managed to come back in the third set, that vindicated all the effort you made in terms of fitness, improving your level of performance?
MARTINA HINGIS: Definitely. But not only the fitness, but just my game I think improved a lot, that I was able to stay in the game, just hit the groundstrokes with her, which I had a little bit of trouble in the past. I would always miss the fifth, sixth. Today I was able to keep going and going until she would miss at the end. I think the first set I played, you know, the best tennis ever. I mean, I didn't miss anything. That was the best ever I've played I think the entire career so far. But I wasn't able to just hold it up throughout the whole match. I was not even like tired physically but more mentally from that first set. Then there was this little time-out and everything. I got down a break. I broke her back, so I just should have stayed in the game. But somehow at that point I made too many easy mistakes. But she just started pushing it back, and I would miss. I got a little bit mad at myself. Later on, I just -- in the third set, it was a great comeback, yeah. I was just trying to hang in the match.

Q. What was it you did specifically to improve your ability to stay in rallies with big hitters like Serena?
MARTINA HINGIS: I just played a lot of tennis. I practiced a lot. I played three, four hours when I was home in December. Just the hard work paid off at the end. You could see Jennifer also in the other match against Monica, that she came out. You know, you don't really think about you're tired or anything, you just play what you practice. I've been playing a lot lately. So at the end, even though I was down a double break in the third, I felt like she was more tired than I was, so I still had a chance to somehow come back, yeah.

Q. How did you think she held up physically? She said afterwards that she's been bothered by food poisoning in the last couple days.
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, you have to watch out what you eat then (laughter). I learned that. I mean, I wouldn't eat the proper way in the past sometimes, I didn't feel that great, or I gained weight or so. By the time you have to become a little bit professional about that, yeah.

Q. So how do you think she was doing physically in the third set?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, you couldn't really tell that she had food poisoning or anything. I mean, she was running well. When she would just lose sometimes the long rallies or anything, I think it was more that I wore her out, not that anything else would, you know, be the problem. Maybe after the first set a little bit, she felt a little sick or something. But then I think once, you know, we were in the third set, everything bad came out. I didn't feel my body anymore.

Q. How difficult is it to be pushed so hard by one Williams, have no rest, have to come back and play the other?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, she had a tough one, too. Plus they're out there playing doubles now. I think, you know, I had more tougher matches than Venus did. I think I just have a good rest now and I'll be ready for tomorrow.

Q. You never thought about trying to change this kind of schedule, like at the US Open, there is the Super Saturday? Do you think it's fair?
MARTINA HINGIS: They have to get the draw at one point. If I have to play one Williams in the quarters and the other semis, it could be semis or finals. You never know how the draw will be. But that's the way it's been in the past. You have to deal with that. No, it's not a problem. I mean, I have to go. It's the same for both of us. I'm lucky in a way that I got to play the doubles yesterday already. That's what I've been talking about, it's hard to keep on playing doubles if it's everything tight matches, it's so close, like you have to play two matches per day, then the toughest ones at the end. But, no, I'll just rest now. Sometimes in the smaller tournaments you have to play Friday, Saturday, Sunday. That's even tougher. You have to play Williams, Williams, Davenport, so (laughter).

Q. Is there anything in particular about what happened today that you can take in to tomorrow as a helpful hint or anything?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I watched the whole match actually almost today. They went on court, and I was after that. I don't think it was great tennis, especially from both of them sometimes. It was similar to our match a little bit. I think ours was a little better quality at the end. We were not missing as much. But Amanda just came out with no mistakes and just made her play. Venus would miss a lot. Just then she got herself a little bit back together. In the third she came out winning because I think most of the time she always beat her. She still has this little edge over Amanda or so. Hopefully tomorrow will be a different story.

Q. As far as your match-up with Serena, does this kind of match push the rivalry in the direction of being something special? Do you feel that way about it?
MARTINA HINGIS: It's always been like that in the last three years, especially Serena winning, you know, the US Open against me there in the finals where I had to play also back to back. That's the way it is. They're very good. I mean, they're good for the sport. They're good for tennis. You know, their physical abilities are very good. But nothing's impossible. I mean, I've shown that I can beat them or get very close matches. Especially in the beginning, I would always beat them, then they took over a little bit. Now hopefully it's changing again. You know, you see in the men's side, you have Grosjean, Clement in the quarterfinals, who are not the biggest players out there. Same with Andre Agassi.

Q. When you play Serena, you play almost always on her backhand. You play Venus, you play much more on the forehand. Is it normal, there is a difference for you? It's more natural for you to play one side than another one or doesn't make any difference?
MARTINA HINGIS: Me, I'm usually the player who plays the girl's backhand, you know, whoever I play. But definitely in that case, I mean, Serena has a great forehand, so you'd really be stupid to play her forehand over and over. Lindsay, she can do it. She can go cross-court with Serena, but not me.

Q. You don't have much time till tomorrow to recover. Are you ready for another fight?
MARTINA HINGIS: I definitely lost some weight today. Definitely don't have to care about having a good dinner tonight. I had some gnocchi actually before. No, I think I had to go through this before. You know, plus it's not as late as at the US Open the other year when I got back at 10:00, then had to go out there the next day. So I think I have enough time to rest, especially still, because they both had to go out there now and play the doubles. I think I have even better preparation than them this time.

Q. Are you happy with your service action today?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, the second latest game, yes. I put four first serves in. No, as I say, with me it's a lot of mental. It came a lot of pressure. But actually sometimes I was doing better when I got the second serve in instead of the first. No, definitely that's not the case you want to play. I just couldn't get my feet off the ground anymore somehow. I just didn't really focus because I was tired. The rallies, sometimes you were just standing there, get the serve in, that was like the biggest part. That was like the toughest one to do for me at that moment. I still felt like,  "Okay, even though I lose my serve, I have the chance to break her back." I served well in the first set. It's just in the second and the third was not. But with me it's a lot up in the head, it's not that the motion or anything is wrong, I think.

Q. Did you think Serena was as fit when you played her today?
MARTINA HINGIS: What do you think? I don't know.

Q. I didn't play her.
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I got fitter and I was able to, you know, make her play, make her move more than in the past. That was the improvement from my side. I don't know. She definitely serves better. She would always serve big, but not that well-placed. It's when you have such long rallies, someone hits a good first serve, it's very tough to return, even it goes at you. It's just hard. I think it was a great match from both of us. At the end especially, it was whoever wanted it more at the end and who was more lucky. But physically, I don't know. Sometimes she would move great and sometimes she was just kind of standing, so I don't know. The third set was very good tennis, I think, yeah.

Q. How do you compare your condition now with last year's?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, we just talked about it the whole time (laughter). I think you could see in today's match that I'm not that big as I used to be. You can't count on just overpowering me anymore.
 
 

M. HINGIS/R. Grande 6-0, 6-3

Q. Is this the ideal preparation for the coming week?
MARTINA HINGIS: Definitely. I mean, I looked up at the draw at the beginning, I was, "Okay, I hopefully get a few rounds down quite easily before I have to play." Everyone was expecting maybe Williams, then back-to-back the other one. You know, in the bottom half you still have Lindsay and Kournikova and other players. But definitely that's the way I looked on the draw, the way I wanted to play.

Q. Who is the toughest of the three you have to meet on the way? Who would you prefer to have in the final?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, doesn't really matter. I think if I'm playing well, I have the chance to beat anybody out there. You know, beating them all in one event, it's quite difficult. I showed that I can do it last week. But again, the same thing, it's going to be difficult. Nothing's impossible. I just take it one at a time.

Q. Who is the player to beat, Venus and Lindsay?
MARTINA HINGIS: There is Serena, too (laughter). Serena has to play Daja Bedanova. I know her quite well since she was really little. They came to my home. Her dad is also a former player. It's in her genes that she obviously had to play tennis. I'm expecting actually a good match out of that. She has some chances. After we'll see. Have to play Serena in that case. That's not an easy one. Just look for that. But Mauresmo and Venus, that's going to be a tough one, too, I think. Interesting match. We'll see. Can't tell more than you, I mean.

Q. How is your game better this year than last year?
MARTINA HINGIS: I think just overall it's gotten better. I worked on my physical shape, and also the groundstrokes. The technique has always been the biggest part of my game. I think I improved in some of those things. You got to want to win. That's all that matters. You have to go out there and be hungry and try to do the best every time.

Q. The other girls were just discussing, you're giving away height and weight to all of them. Does that make a difference?
MARTINA HINGIS: That I give away what?

Q. Height and weight. They're bigger girls than you. Does that make it any harder?
MARTINA HINGIS: You can see in the men's game, there are also a few like Lleyton and Agassi is not the tallest player out there. Rios was No. 1. You also have Grosjean. They don't quite make it to the top. If you see players like them, you still see you have a chance. I think a lot of girls, they're not that tall. They see me. They can make it, you know. You have Amanda Coetzer, you have Arantxa Sanchez. They're a little bit older. But, still, if you play a good game of tennis, you still have a chance out there. But it's getting tougher.

Q. You breezed through the first set, then started a little slowly in the second. You got a little irritated, threw the racquet. Were you just mad at yourself, trying to motivate yourself?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, because I kept lobbing her and she kept hitting overheads. I was like, "Okay, one more and I kill myself." A lot of times she was like slowing down the things. It was all me, whatever I did to the ball, it was me missing or me making the points, most of it. I knew I had to be patient, and just every now and then I was getting a little bit frustrated about that. I think overall I played a very good game, came through quite easily.
 
 

M. HINGIS/V. Razzano 7-5, 6-1

Q.  What did you think about  -- were you a little bit surprised?
MARTINA HINGIS: Not surprised.  I knew a little bit about her.  I mean I've played her before in a doubles match.  But I knew that she was a very good junior, I think she was No. 1 even that year. You know, all the answers say she has a very similar game.  But she has very solid ground strokes and a good serve, so it was hard to figure out something, you know, until, you know, I felt like,  "Okay, I have to make her tired." Make her run as much as I can and make her play. Every time it was different shot, but I definitely had to make my points today.

Q.  At what stage during a Grand Slam do you start to feel nervous, if at all? Is it before the first match or just before the final or never?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, actually depends on who you face, who is on the other side.  Pretty much if you're nervous, the way you practice the day before, if it's the same day, if you feel like okay, I'm feeling fine, or if you're hurt somewhere.  You're always a little bit hurt.  You know, it's like it's hard to get out there always 100 percent.  And then the heat affects you, the wind.  There's many factors to always be at your best.  But I think, you know, whoever wins a Grand Slam, that person can cope with all the details at the end and is going to win the Grand Slam.

Q.  Ubaldo Scanagatta, you have to play Rita Grande next match.  What do you expect?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, we've played each other before.  She's actually one of the players I know a little bit better, so I mean I know her, I've played her before.  I watched the whole match actually because I was the next after.  So I just have to definitely play my game. But now I play three players I've never played before, so it's kind of awkward going into that match.  Especially the younger ones.  You never know exactly what to expect.  Like Marosi, okay, she's ranked where she is, and Callens is the same thing.  Whereas a double player, they have nothing to lose, the younger players.  Rita is just a player, you know, I have to take serious and just play my game.

Q.  Your doubles score looked pretty straightforward.  There was a lot of aggressive tennis.
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, that was a great doubles match today I think.  It was very high-quality, high intensity.  It was just definitely going out there again after a singles, it's not so easy but I was happy the way I played definitely.  But we both had to play well, I mean otherwise, it's just bang, bang. I was the only one of the three of them who wasn't hitting the ball as hard, but I was telling Monica,  "Okay, okay, I just got to get to the net.  That's all.  I just have to cross a lot and make them think and play." But definitely it was a great match. I mean, at the end, okay, we always really made the points and the games when we needed it, but at the end, the score shows the way that we were always on top of them, but it definitely was a very good match.

Q.  Do you have more fun to play doubles than singles sometimes in tournaments, especially in the first rounds, or no?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean we played the four toughest doubles pairs out there.  We played Williams, Davenport -Morariu, Raymond and Stubbs.  Who is the next one? Schett -Kournikova we still haven't played.  Could be the next round, semifinals.  They have to face the Williamses.  Hopefully one of them is going to be out. (Laughs). But it's, I think it's  -- we're just very much thrown into it.  But I enjoy playing with Monica; that's for sure.  I mean if we play like today, I think we definitely have a chance to take this Grand Slam home.

Q.  Back to your singles match today, did you notice that she broke her shoe?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, that's what she said.

Q.  She broke it.
MARTINA HINGIS: She broke it.  Well, how do you break a shoe? I don't know. (Laughing.) Must have been pretty worn out then, I don't know.  Doesn't Nike give her enough shoes to play? No, I mean on this surface, it was very hot and sticky, so it never happened to me.  I mean... (Laughing.)

Q.  A question I've been asked to ask you:  If you win your next match, you could meet Serena.  Does that have you shaking in your shoes?
MARTINA HINGIS: No.  I played her last week.  So I just go straight  forward, as I did there and hopefully come up with the same score.

Q.  Apart from your mother, did you ever travel with any other members of your family or do they go and watch you play in Switzerland?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, Mario, my mother's friend.  He's always there.  We are the trio.  One time it was my cousin, she came to the States.

Q.  But cousins and aunts, do they like tennis?
MARTINA HINGIS: They follow it.  But I think the less people around me is the better because I mean once you travel so much, it's hard, you know.  It's like you don't have  -- don't like having too many people around you.  I go back home, so I see them all the time.

Q.  I wasn't in Sydney but I watched on television that incredible match you played in doubles against the Williamses?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah.  The doubles matches are tougher than the singles.

Q.  How much does it help to remember, I don't know how many incredible volleys, how many mistakes they do there.  I mean for your attitude, for your feelings?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think it was a great victory.  We had the Williamses there, that was the first time we played together.  That helped me also beat Serena in the singles.  She had more respect, that's for sure.  And it was also, because we won that match at the end, that she was a little unsure.  I mean going in, they haven't played that much. Well, I think the more they play, every one gets more, you know, serious about getting into the next round.  So they're tougher and tougher to beat, as the tournament goes on. But in a way, I looked at the draw and I was like,  "Okay, quarterfinals, already Serena." But in a way I thought,  "Okay, the sooner, the better." Because they haven't played that many matches.

Q.  The next round will be Venus against Amelie Mauresmo.  They only met one time in '98 in another life.  What can you comment about this match?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, you know, I hope  -- I expect a good one.  At least somebody's going to give them trouble a little bit hopefully.  Amelie, I think she has a very good game which could really suit  -- could be helpful  to give her some kind of trouble.  You could see the earlier rounds. But I mean it's going to be an interesting match definitely.  I don't know what to expect from it at the end, but, yeah, we'll see.

Q.  Bearing in mind the tough draws that you had  --?
MARTINA HINGIS: Who won the one before? I don't know.

Q.  Venus.  She was 22.  Bearing in mind the tough draws you've had in the doubles, have you got any regrets that you've been to last week and this week?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I definitely wouldn't have played last week if I played Monica before.  But because we also played both the Hopman Cup.  So we had enough matches.  But we never played together.  So we thought,  "Okay, we got one, two matches before we play the Grand Slam and here we have to play Williams/Williams." I mean, that's not the easiest draw at all. Hopefully she's going to have a ranking after this tournament, so we won't have to play them for sure anymore.

Q.  Are you surprised at how well you've done as a team against three very, very good  -- or four very, very good teams.
MARTINA HINGIS: No, I'm not surprised.  I chose to play with Monica.  I called her up, and we also practiced now before together.  We just didn't have that much time really, but I knew what her, you know, strength and that she had this power game and she can stay back and she can also, if you practice on it, she has a great volley.  I mean she sees the court.  If you tell her a little bit what to do, I mean today she played really well, even at the net.  From the baseline everyone knows she can kill everybody, so... You just have to use her weapons, which nobody did before.  You know?

Q.  Why do you think it is that the top women are all keen to play doubles whereas the ATP seem to be trying to encourage their top men to play doubles and the men don't want to?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, because it just takes too much time.  It's too much energy.  I mean I feel like after Sydney I was dead, you know.  I played Hopman Cup, two matches, I was watching Roger then we played the mix in Sydney, then we played the Williamses, 7:30 next day, you play Clijsters.  Now you got to play Serena and another Davenport-Morariu doubles.  So, hello, it's a little bit too much.

Q.  Why do the women do it? Choose to put themselves through that?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, because I think it still not as physical as the men's game, but also we like to play more doubles.  But sometimes it makes it almost impossible because  -- with the night matches and everything.  As I said, I wouldn't have played Sydney if I hadn't played with Monica before or if I had played with her. And it's just the scheduling gets very hard.

Q.  Now they've introduced the tiebreak in the third set of the mixed.
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, as I said  --.

Q.  Would you like to see that extended?
MARTINA HINGIS: Definitely.  I think that's a great idea.  If that could go through, I think I'm very much into it.

Q.  How much do you have in common with Monica Seles? Like a human being?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think she's very professional, very disciplined.  Otherwise she wouldn't be still out there after so many years.  Tennis is her passion.  I mean, that's what she always did and that's what she enjoys, and, you know, me too.  I go out there and I want to win and give me best in a way if I can. And, you know, the two of us together, that's I think another thing what makes us strong.  We both can play tennis in singles and, you know, she's a champion.  The way she thinks and does things.
 
 

M. HINGIS/E. Callens 6-1, 6-0

Q.  You beat the Williams sisters last week in Sydney, now you've beat the defending doubles here in Melbourne.  How do you rate your form?
MARTINA HINGIS: In singles or doubles?

Q.  Doubles.  And how close is anybody going to get to you in doubles with Monica?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think we had a very tough draw from the first time, actually, we played together.  And so far we didn't even have that much time, you know, warm-up time.  So it was like, okay, we were thrown straight into it and you know, go out there and play and show what you can.  I think we definitely proved ourselves, that we can play well.  We play together as a team.  But sometimes you just need little things, you know, to adjust to the other player and we definitely didn't have that much time yet to practice and just really work on the doubles game.  We both, a little bit, play like our singles out there. But I mean so far we're winning, but we definitely have to find some time.  I think we didn't play our best today; that's for sure.  But I mean there's always things you can improve on, and we get better hopefully as we go on.  But we will be the best three teams out there today, so far we played.

Q.  What do you think of the positive aspects of your partnership?
MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, it's new energy.  It's such a freshness into that, so much enthusiasm still, you know.  When sometimes you play with a partner for a while or for a year, you get used to, you know, his things, his weaknesses and his strengths.  But sometimes, you know, it just goes down. Then someone who's so professional like Monica is is always a thrill to go out there because, you know, she's such a fighter.  She never gives up.  She always gives 100 percent, you know, even more than that.  So that's great to have a partner on your side like that.

Q.  Paul Malone, can I ask you, for those of us who weren't in Sydney last week when you won the quarterfinal against Serena and the final against Lindsay, what for you did happen?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, against Serena, I think I played, you know, a solid match. It definitely was not the best of my game.  But I also was tired coming from that night match we played in the doubles and also against Clijsters and just so many, you know, tough matches right away, and didn't have that much time to rest. I'm so happy now, after Sydney I had a couple of days off.  I took my time, got my routine back, got the practice down.  That's why I play so much better now again I think, also in the singles.  Well, plus I had different opponents.  You know, being 40 minutes only out there, that's pretty nice. Well, I think just, you know, being more hungry, wanting it more.  I think I'm in still better shape that I can last longer, that I don't get down on myself too much and still somehow to pull it out.

Q.  Your opponent today in singles said that if you come to the net as you did against her, against the big power hitters you will certainly trouble them.
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I hope so, yeah.  That's the part of my game I was working on, and I definitely feel much more comfortable, you know, going up front and play some volleys.  Obviously everyone knew that I can hit the volley, but, you know, coming in, I feel like so  -- there's so much space around me.  But now I feel like I get the sense of the court better, where, you know, I might play the first volley. So in doubles, you got just the cross-court, the down-the-line and it's so much easy, you're already there, you're standing there, just put the racquet right or left.  In singles, it's just the court feels a little bit bigger.  But I think I'm getting there.  I'm going in the right direction, yes.

Q.  Martina, how quick was the turnaround between the singles and the doubles today for you? Was it almost a rush to try and get there?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, yeah.  Definitely I took not enough time, that's why I didn't play so well in the beginning.  I also didn't eat since breakfast, so that doesn't help me either. I definitely should take a little bit more time in the future, because we played the No. 1 seeds.  I was kind of, you know, the people, the fans were waiting.  They were like,  "Okay, the court's been empty for a half an hour, they're waiting for you." I was like okay, okay.  I definitely was too much in a hurry.  I shouldn't have gone out so quickly.  They were serving 6-5, serving for the set.  I was like hello, we should have won 6-3, 6-2 the first and see how it goes. But I think it was tough conditions, as well.  So  -- but I'm happy, it's behind me, you know, the first round of doubles.

Q.  Did you think at all of the doubles match while you were  --?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, actually it was funny because today I knew the doubles might be tougher than the singles.  So I was like,  "Okay," I played very well in the singles.  Obviously I was focused and just want to get it, you know, done.  I never played her before.  But I feel much more confident now going out there.  It's the second round already, you played on the center. But I hear there is a tough match waiting for me still.  So it was a little bit difficult yeah, today, to keep going, keep yourself motivated. As I said with Monica, you just go out there and you just think about your game, yeah.

Q.  The top men don't play doubles, because of the reasons they're talking about, lack of time.  What makes it worth it to you?
MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's scheduling as well.  It's so difficult, last week in Sydney, you play a night match 7:30 and you have to go out there and play Clijsters the next day.  You're like,  "Wow, this is not a easy singles to play a youngster who's so much into it, who wants to beat you and who's playing well." So it's just, you know, maybe  -- otherwise if I wouldn't play with Anna or some partner I know already, I wouldn't have played doubles in Sydney.  But because we never played, so you want to get like one match or two matches down before a Grand Slam. We just happened to be -- we had to play the Williamses, then Davenport and Morariu, it definitely was too much.  I think the idea of having that third-set tiebreaker is so good.  I think in the future there might be a good idea to run into the real tournaments to start with playing only the best of two and the third-set tiebreaker.  I played it in the Hopman Cup, and I think that will be a great thing to get the players to play more doubles or just keep playing them, you know.

Q.  So for both men's and women's you think that will be a good idea?
MARTINA HINGIS: Women's definitely.  I don't know how the guys feel about it, but I think that's the only way, if you shorten up the doubles, that's the only way it will keep, you know, people are still able to play both, yeah.

Q.  Martina, the Australian Open went back to equal prize money this year.  Pete Sampras has been out there, took over 6 hours for two matches.  Do you think it's the correct move, and if so, why?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, I could have been out there for two hours, too, but I just did it.  You saw last night's Agassi's match, he played awesome.  So it's like, okay, he's kind of like the player who plays similar to what I do, and it's just such a thrill to watch him.  I only saw a few points or a few games and, yeah, the way he played out there is  -- it's amazing. And I tried the same thing today and it worked, so... Pete is a player who doesn't play that many tournaments, and I think he's more difficult for him to get going until, you know, he warms himself up.  But he's still  -- he's a champion, so I don't know. I think we deserve it equal prize money right now because women's tennis definitely is not every single round, but you have the round like Dokic and Davenport first round, which is not so easy.  There are a few more, so...

Q.  It's hard to believe that you've gone two years without winning a Grand Slam since here.  Have you ever felt disheartened about that?
MARTINA HINGIS: No, because I still think I played very well at some of the Grand Slams.  I just wasn't able to go all the way. But I don't think it's too bad having a Finals, two semis and a quarters last year.  Also the year before I won here.  Now I'm hoping for another one this year for sure.  If it will be here, that's great.  If not, there's three more to go.

Q.  Was it a spur that you used to improve yourself?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it was motivation.  I mean that shows that, you know, so many girls, you know, are playing so well right now.  And Lindsay was  -- had a great run a year ago, and Venus, the second half of the year.  But I think I still won nine tournaments, which, you know, I think I won the other big ones which come maybe after the Grand Slam.  But it shows that maybe the Grand Slams are not as important as they used to be.
 
 

M. HINGIS/K. Marosi-Aracama 6-1, 6-1

MARTINA HINGIS: Hi, I'm Martina Hingis. I play for Switzerland.

Q. Martina, obviously that was the shortest win of any of the seeds so far. How pleased were you with that?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think I played very well, very consistent. You know, I came into this tournament with two victories, so I feel pretty confident. And it was nice to be out there again and, well, I never played this girl before. So I was kind of like, "Okay, I have to check her out," in the beginning. I didn't want to make any mistakes which were not necessary, and I served very well from the beginning on. So that definitely helped me because I didn't feel that secure, you know, in the rallies because I don't know what was her better shot or anything. So I'm very pleased with this win, definitely. Yep.

Q. Did you watch any of the other matches today?
MARTINA HINGIS: I was at practice earlier. I was out here at eleven and played for an hour, then I went back to the hotel and watched them on TV. Then I was out here again for the night match. So I watched the matches which were on TV. I didn't see the rest, no. Well, why?

Q. Did you see Venus' match?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, a little bit. Yeah. Those points which they showed. Well, it's always tricky to play someone you don't know, especially for both of them. They haven't played in a while. Serena played last week. So it's never an easy, you know, thing to go out there after a while and play somebody you don't know what to do and, you know, play a Grand Slam. So I think she still, you know, pulled it out pretty easily at the end.

Q. Selena Roberts, New York. Do you think you're a far different player than you were even this time last year? You go to the net more. You seem to be trying different things. Are you different?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I definitely worked on different parts of my game which would help me definitely to quicken up those points and do something different against the top players which are the Williamses or against Lindsay. So that feels pretty good, you know, not only staying in the back but also every now and then come in. It also, you have to get the confidence on getting up there. So I was practicing it, and especially against those players which are lower ranked, you can try it out. You feel safer with that.

Q. When you watched Venus today, did you notice she was having trouble with her dress?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I don't know if that's one of her creations, but... (Laughter.) Well, she just got this deal, no, with Reebok, so they had to come up with something new. I don't know if I would be able to wear something like that. I'm very happy with my outfit. So...

Q. Lisa Dillman, LA Times. Have you ever wore something where it just did not feel right? Not like that, but it just didn't feel right, where after you said, "Gee, I don't want to wear that again"?
MARTINA HINGIS: It happened a few times that I didn't feel comfortable with what I was wearing but not lately. I mean, you learn what you have -- what you can wear and what you can't and what feels more comfortable. Especially the more you travel, the easier it gets because, you know, you just have black and white things which you can wash so they don't shrink. It's like so many things which just -- there are a few things you can actually travel with and wear occasionally. Especially for tennis, I mean, you're out there sometimes for two, two and a half hours. It could be so you definitely have to feel comfortable out there. I'm definitely happy with adidas, with what they came up with so far. I mean even like this time, you know, with the one sleeve, it covers the arm. So if it's a little cooler out there, chilly. So it's nice, comfortable.

Q. What about the tan lines?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, the sun wasn't out there, so not yet. No. (Laughing.) I'm trying to practice in just like the two sleeves, just regular shirts or something which -- but I'm not a very tan person in general so... (Laughing.) I'm just snow white from Switzerland.

Q. Jenny Magasi (phonetic) from The Australian. Do you have sympathy for people you beat, like the girl you beat today, do you have sympathy for that sort of player?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I see her every now and then at the Grand Slams so I knew who she was when I see her. But I never played her before. But I think this is business and this is not you have to have sympathy for anybody. You just go out there and do my job. So I want to go out there and win. Later that's a different story. I mean off court is not the same thing as you're on court.

Q. Going back to your sleeves, would you have a preference over which sleeve is long and which sleeve is short?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm a righty so it's logical pretty much so I have the right sleeve for the serve and forehand. Even sometimes my backhand down the line is not too bad. But, no, it's -- I don't know what they do with the lefties though, they have to make a special order I guess.

Q. Do you think it's possible to come back a little behind when the tennis was more creative? Because now everybody plays strong, strong, strong. Do you think it's the material in the ball, it's a better material, if they do something and give to everybody more space for create creativity and not as strong?
MARTINA HINGIS: Definitely it's part of the material, part of the balls, the surfaces. But also just the human being gets stronger and taller and big are and in much better shape. The girls and the guys are in much better shape than they used to be 10, 20 years ago. So that's the main difference, I think. Even Pete Sampras, when I played in the Arthur Ashe Day at the US Open, he had his wooden racquet. He would still hit the serve 200 kilometers an hour with a wooden racquet which he used to play with when he was little. So I think just everyone got so much stronger.

Q. It's the kind of play that the players waiting for the mistake of the other.
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, not me. I definitely don't have the patience for somebody else making the mistake, so...

Q. Hugo Ribeiro, Tenis Europeu. With all the story around the Dokic story, I wonder you were also born in a different country than where you live now. Was that question some time in your mind or did you discuss that with your family, playing for the country where you were born? Was that never a question?
MARTINA HINGIS: No, that was never a question. I always said that I might have been born in Czechoslovakia but, you know, I always felt very good wherever I grew up in the country I played for, and there is no reason for me to even think about it, playing for a different country. There are different reasons, I guess, why Jelena chose to go back there but in a way, it's the decision she made and I guess that's what she feels more comfortable with. But it's not my case, no. Well, with -- just tennis is so international in general so I don't think at the end it matters really which country you play for or where you're from. It's just, okay, you have to put something on the paper because you travel so much, you are in so many different countries, tennis is so popular. So I think it's -- I feel in a way also like I'm a world citizen, so I just have to feel fine in any country I play and just compete, always try to give the best.

Q. Martina, would you like perhaps a tougher opponent or tougher matches in the second or third round before you come up against the Williams sisters? Was it too easy today?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I played a lot of good matches last week and at Hopman Cup as well. I think I had the right preparation to go into this tournament. Actually, I'm pretty happy about my draw right now, just take it easy, you know, for a few days and hopefully I can continue the way -- I just went so far and then we'll see how far I can go this time.

Q. How risky is it for Venus Williams to have only played a couple of doubles matches before a Grand Slam, in your view?
MARTINA HINGIS: Well, that's the way they scheduled their season in the past. I just think it becomes more and more difficult because all the girls in general get better. So I mean even like today, the girl can hit the ball. So I think sometimes it's unnecessary to have a fight like that, but that's why I just try -- for me, it's a different situation. Just the more I play, the better I am I think. For me, it's very important to play a lot of tournaments. I feel comfortable with that. So it's no problem for me. Everyone has its own way, so.