Q. How have you enjoyed your comeback so far?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yes, great. I wish I was winning. Maybe that would help.
Q. Pretty close, though.
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah. Well, we've been close pretty much every match, except the last one, like in the last tournament. The other three we were always playing well. Sometimes it would help to win one of those.
Q. What has been the difference?
MARTINA HINGIS: Maybe hard court is not the easiest one to come back to as well, playing eight weeks in a row. I haven't stopped since Wimbledon and playing TeamTennis, playing the tournaments. I enjoy it. I feel like I'm playing well. My body is screaming, What are you doing to me?
Q. What was your body telling you when you double faulted those two times?
MARTINA HINGIS: My calf was killing me. I couldn't get up on my serve anymore. No, definitely the nerves, not playing at a Grand Slam for six, years doesn't really, you know, help either.
Q. Do you think when you do have pain it's more because you haven't played or residual from your whole career?
MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's because I just played a lot and my body's not used to it. Especially hard courts. I didn't really have this type of problem on clay when I was playing more. It's also different playing matches than playing like practice and practice sets and all of that. Coaching, it's like still the player has to play the matches, not me.
Q. Robert Lindstedt said you control the spin on serve returns better than any woman he had ever seen.
MARTINA HINGIS: Thank you. I like the compliment. I still didn't like his kick serve up there. Felt like I need a ladder to get up there.
Q. He said it was phenomenal. He said he expects you to do very well, be top 10 in doubles. What do you think?
MARTINA HINGIS: It would help to win some matches for confidence, I guess, especially those big points. If you win matches, yeah, then that helps, to win the big points. Especially when we play doubles with Daniela, we've been 75%, 80%. We win those no ad points. That's the difference from when I played. It was already much better today, like the regular counting. Definitely we had our chances, but maybe we have to take them, too.
Q. What will you have to achieve in order to keep going?
MARTINA HINGIS: I mean, I always play tennis to win matches and to win tournaments, so...
Q. Is your next tournament Tokyo?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, Tokyo. Take it one at a time right now. I'll be happy not having to play some tennis for the next few days.
Q. Are you playing with Daniela at the next tournament?
MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I think we just pretty much set up like the whole season and see how it goes. At this point, yes.
Q. When you feel anger, do you feel that's been positive for you during your career?
MARTINA HINGIS: I wasn't angry. When was I angry?
Q. You've never gotten angry and expressed it on the court?
MARTINA HINGIS: You mean in today's matches? In the past?
Q. In your career.
MARTINA HINGIS: Why? What? What is the question?
Q. I'm doing an article on anger and whether the players think it helps them on the court or hurts them.
MARTINA HINGIS: Depends on the player, the person.
Q. I'm asking you.
MARTINA HINGIS: Me? I needed to, yeah, a little bit, whether it was a scream or I don't know, whatever it was at that point, yeah, to get it out. I mean, I could keep it for two or three points, but not the whole time. I needed to get it out.
Q. You said obviously winning big points is a big deal. From being out there two matches today, did you get the feel[ing] you could go out there, be competitive, and eventually those things will come around?
MARTINA HINGIS: Eventually, I guess. I mean, I don't know. At this point, I don't know. I guess it's like being away for six years doesn't help. To the speed, I didn't have any problem with the speed of the game or anything. Errani is No. 5 in the world, and I was like still rallying with her and at the net I think I'm pretty good. The only thing that hurt me in the past was the serve. Today it's even more a key factor, especially in doubles. Those three no ad points, if you have a good serve, that helps.
Q. You were talking about the difference between practice and matches. Is there a difference between matches in a regular tournament and matches at the US Open as far as the pressure?
MARTINA HINGIS: Of course. But I always enjoyed the big stage. Even today. You see the people that came. They enjoyed it. They really cheered us on. So, I mean, I couldn't ask for more. I think to play in a stadium like this, it's really helpful. They really wanted us to do well and even win the set and see a third set. I think it was a real enjoyable match to watch. You don't see such a crowd in women's doubles normally. All the places they've been to so far that we've been to play doubles, it's been always positive for the tournament.
Q. I think in World TeamTennis your results in singles were as good, if not better, than your doubles. Have you given any more thought to that?
MARTINA HINGIS: God, give me a break. No, I haven't given any more thought to it. I have a hard time covering half the court and trying to be there. Full court is completely different ballgame.
Q. Have you made any plans for the rest of the season?
MARTINA HINGIS: I said, like, one at a time. Play the Asia tournaments, Tokyo and Beijing.
Q. After that?
MARTINA HINGIS: I don't know.
Q. I saw you hit a lot of really good shots today.
MARTINA HINGIS: Thank you. I wish I hit even more good shots to win the match.
Q. The play was quite a high level.
MARTINA HINGIS: You expected me to be a lot worse? Thanks, I have a big fan here in this room. You cheer me up. Keep going.
Q. I'm interested whether you feel the same way.
MARTINA HINGIS: I do. Even in the mixed was even better. Some of the shots I feel like, you know, I haven't been away, but there's some things really the game has improved. Not patterns, but it's faster. I didn't feel that was my problem. It's just like very fast going. I think the draw didn't help to play the past champions or the No. 1 seeds. I think I see a lot of other teams out there that we would have had a better chance. Also having played them two weeks ago, we had nothing to lose, and still they took us very seriously and played well. They had to play well against us. Definitely not an easy draw to play the first Grand Slam back in it.
usopen.org
Found this a bit late. Some of the questions repeat, from previous articles but still an interesting read.
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