ROUND 1

Aus.Open 14 January 2002

MARTINA HINGIS defeated VIRGINIE RAZZANO 6-2 6-2

Q. Ian Cohen, Channel 10. Obviously, you are very happy with the win. Nice to get it under the belt?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, definitely. I mean it's nice to get out there, the first night match, so you hope you don't have to play too many out there in the evening. But it was nice, you know, coming back from Sydney, and just coming from a victory there, you know, have a day off and then play in the evening. So it was great weather conditions and I enjoyed myself out there.

Q. Being the finalist so many years now, whether one or lost, has the preparation been any different this year?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, not really. I mean, I played Sydney, but I had - well, one thing was different: that I had surgery like three months ago on my ankle and tried to recover from that, and I probably did better than I expected last week, and very happy to be back and playing well.

Q. Your thoughts on Serena bowing out?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I saw that, you know, she pulled it, or whatever - I'm not a doctor so I don't know exactly what happened. But I can feel with her because I just had a similar thing happen to me. Mine was like completely torn, the ligament. So, you know, sometimes, as an athlete, you don't want to take risk and get worse. So, you know, it's - for her, it's a difficult decision, but you know, we will see later onwhether it was the right one. I think they she did the good thing, smart.

Q. Martina, John Bourke from the AP. Serena's injury means that obviously, if you had got that far, working out the seedings, that you two may have clashed again in the Quarter Finals. Obviously, that's going to be a benefit for you, not having her around?

MARTINA HINGIS: I just take it one at a time. I'm happy to be through the first round. I was may be a little nervous going out there at first. But, you know, playing Razzano last year here, I had quite a few difficulties first. But I didn't under-estimate her, for sure, this time, and play a smart game and, you know, that was the key tonight. I am not worried about the Quarter Finals yet; just take it one at a time.

Q. Any twinges yourself - any twinges, sort of pain or anything like that, ankle?

MARTINA HINGIS: Me? No, I feel perfect. I mean, the healing of my ankle is totally fine; otherwise I wouldn't be playing the tennis I am at these days so - - -

Q. Martina, Chris Lyons from AAP. Do you put any pressure on yourself? It has been three years now. You want it to come around again, another Grand Slam?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it's nice to be in a place where you made five consecutive Finals. So it's always a kind of benefit mentally, you know, to go out there, Centre Court again today, and just try to play your game, and I think I did pretty well for a first match. Yeah, I'm just very happy to be playing here again, and I'm not really thinking about, you know, winning the tournament yet. Like I said, it's one at a time. But I think I started the year off very well with winning last week, so I just hope I can continue this way. But it was nice to win a tournament again - not, you know, a Grand Slam; but it will be definitely nice to have again, next step.

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