http://www.henin-hardenne.be/bin/index.asp?lang=en That's the Kind of Game I Love to Play 14/03/2006: Justine heads into the 4th round after defeating Aiko Nakamura 6-0 6-0 in a very late afternoon encounter due to a very long Hewitt, and Dementieva match. She shares her thoughts on the match, her form, and styles of tennis on tour that's making 2006 a real treat for tennis purists. In a hurry today? "I was, yeah. No, the wait has been very long today. It's been a very long day, too. Very long matches before me. Then we have to play three days in a row. I will have to play tomorrow. So, it's good to be quick. But, in my first two matches, I've been very focused on every point and try to save my energy for my next match. I'm very happy about that." Was it as easy as it looked? "It was. I played very consistent, and I had to play consistent because these kind of girls, if you just give the opportunities and the rhythm. I mean, I don't have to hit too hard against these kind of player. They like the rhythm, always play the same kind of ball. I just try to mix it up a little bit. I served pretty well. So very happy." Your so successful on the tour. Is it your ability to change speeds, and to have other weapons other than only hitting the ball hard? "I really don't have the choice if I want to be at this level. I don't have to hit the ball so hard, like Davenport or Sharapova or the others, because it's not the way I'm going to beat them for sure. I'm moving well. I'm quick. That's probably my biggest quality. Then I have a good defense. I can use a lot of weapons in my game, and they probably don't like it very much. If I just play like them, hitting the ball so hard, the rhythm, for sure I lose, so I have to use something else." It's good to see variety in women's tennis. Not only hard hitting from the players "Probably, that's for sure. That's why the comeback for Martina is good for the game. It's a little bit a similar game as mine. That's good. We can have different kind of games on the tour. That's very good for the crowd. It's good atmosphere. It's very important. But, yeah, just right now the tennis becomes very powerful, and we hitting the ball harder and harder and harder. I'm not so tall, I'm not so strong, so I have to do something else. That's why I love to play tennis so much, is because that's the kind of game I love to play." Back in 2004, you didn't lose a set out here at Indian Wells? "That's right. The speed(of the court) is good for me. It was pretty similar in Dubai. But it's hard physically for the players, for the back. It's very hard because it pretty slow. You have to do a lot of efforts. But for my game, it's pretty good speed." Noticed you kind of taking care of your shoulder before you served a couple times. "It's a routine I have to do, just to warm it up a little bit after my returning game. I stay in the rhythm. Yeah, it's a problem I'm very concerned about. Now it looks better than a few weeks ago. I think we just on the right way. Every day there is something else. You know, we have pain everywhere. It's the life of the athletes. It's very normal to get the injuries and everything. But when you can control them, it's pretty good so you can keep playing." It's not a 100%, but it's better? "It's better, yeah. No, it's not hundred percent for sure. No, I have to take care of it. I will have to take care of that during my whole career because that's something that will never go away. I will have to be careful. I know what the problem is and I work a lot on it. Similar to your hamstring? "Yeah, yeah, I do, exactly. But for my hamstring it's very different because it was a tendonitis that came and now it's going away, I mean, not easily. Normally it's going away. But, a shoulder is a problem I have for five years. It's a chronicle (sic) problem. That's more complicated than that. But when you had so serious injuries, you have to take care of yourself. That's normal." The players are getting taller and taller, if you look in the future, will it be balanced or progressive? A Sharapova or Ivanovic taking over? "I don't know. I'm not thinking that much about that. I hope the game is not going to get more powerful and more powerful. For sure we have a lot of things that help us to improve. I mean, the racquets, everything, the way we train. We all become stronger. But, yeah, I don't know what's going to happen for tennis in the next few years. It's improving so much. The intensity is very high. The only thing that I'm concerned about is how long can you play at that rhythm. That's the only thing. I mean, now it's hard on the body. You get injuries and everything. It's so intense that it's very hard to have a long career. But that's the goal and the big challenge for me." Isn't your success and Martina's success proof that you don't have to be tall? "Martina and me, we have to be 200% all the time. We have to be fit. We have to move well because, I mean, we're not tall at all, and we just have to be, yeah, fit all the time. As soon as I have a little bit injury, I cannot run the way I want, it's no way for me I can beat these top players because I need to be quick. That's great that we can prove there's something else than hitting the ball very hard." You get no free points on serve? While other players get free points with a big serve? "I think I can get that. I mean, I can serve pretty hard. Not now with my shoulder. But,I think I serve very fast in Australia and everything. So I could get free points. But, you have to work more because you have to do maybe two more steps than the tall girls. It's just you have to be fit. I lost a lot of weight to be quicker and move better on the court. I'm not as massive as I was in the past. I'm early on the ball, and that's very important during the rallies." Catch more of Justine as she continues her conquest of Indian Wells. She plays Ai Sugiyama in the 4th round in her first night session match starting at 19:00hrs on Tuesday night March 14 --

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