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Martina Hingis has kids? Read the transcript of the Hasselt press conference here!

905 views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Jamie 
#1 ·
Hey all :cool:

Yesterday I went to the Gaz de France Stars in Hasselt, where I watched some nice matches and attended the press conference with Martina Hingis, on behalf of Inside-Tennis :)

The transcript can be found here :

http://www.inside-tennis.net/index.php?action=article&id=111

Please pay the site a visit :) It's made by true fans, for true fans! Lots of interesting information can be found there :)

:wavey:

_________
Martijn
 
#2 ·
OK For those of you too lazy to click the link.. Here is the complete transcript! :) Where it says 'Inside-Tennis' that is me asking questions..

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Former No. 1 and Swiss tennis legend Martina Hingis paid the new Belgian tournament of Hasselt, The Gaz de France Stars, a visit on Sunday the 26th of October. Kim Clijsters handed her the Stars Merit Award for her all time achievements. And after that, there was a press conference with Martina. And of course, Inside-Tennis was there to keep you informed:


Copyright Official Website

Coordinator: Thank you for being here. It is my pleasure to introduce Martina Hingis to the press conference and the opening ceremony of the first edition of the Gaz de France Stars. We actually found out there is some common link, because our Kim is going to be, or is very involved in this tournament in Hasselt and Martina is very involved in the tournament in Zürich, which is in two weeks. And both are Octagon events so that is a common thread that we can talk a little bit about.

Martina: Yes (Laughs)

Coordinator: Anyway, the floor is yours so feel free to ask any questions to Martina.

Martina: Thank you

Question: How are you?

Martina: I’m good, thank you (Laughs)

Question: Last year there was a celebration ceremony for Arantxa in Filderstadt, after she returned. Are you invited for this year?

Martina: Invited where? In Filderstadt? Well, I won that tournament like four times so I go to Porsche. It’s nice to still have a memory of that tournament. But they invite me to come, but nothing like a ceremony.

Question: No retirement ceremony?

Martina: No, no retirement celebrations. I don’t like these things. I’m only 24 (Laughs)

Question: Did you spend some time together with Kim here at the tournament?

Martina: Well, I got here this morning, so.. But throughout the whole time since I got here we talked a lot and we spent some time together. Well it’s interesting. You know he told me that one day she’ll take the tournament. She only lives fifteen minutes away from here, so that’s very nice. You know, like me being more involved also in the tournament in Zürich like he just said. And there I live like only forty minutes away, so that is very nice as well. It’s a new job for me to do and just get involved in a different way. Not as a player, but also behind the scenes. But I don’t think I’ll be a tournament director ever, so..

Question: Special plans for Zürich?

Martina: For Zürich?

Question: Yeah, special events?

Martina: Yeah, there’s a player’s party of course and a lot of..

Question: Press invited?

Martina: Press invited? Hmm.. the official one? Yes. There is sponsors, press, everybody.. I think there, like year, there was Kim. And nobody knew that Kim was there as well. I think it’s a nice connection to have. It’s the sponsors and players. They get a little bit closer. It’s not like you have to spend hours as a player talking to them, but it’s good to know that they really take their job serious and they want to be involved. It’s kind of a shame that not everybody knew she was there. Things like that, I think they can be improved and get better, so I try to be the link in between this.

Question: You know, Steffi Graf she played an exhibition match against Sabatini. Is that something that you plan to do, maybe against Kournikova or Martina Navratilova?

Martina: (Laughs) Oh, Martina, she is like a different generation and she’s still played this year. Unbelievable. And I commentated on her match, so it’s funny. Anyway, well maybe one day along the road it would be nice if my health problems and everything can go to a certain thing that maybe.. But it’s still up in the clouds. You know. I definitely love the game and I still like to play every now, but on a limited time schedule. But, yeah I saw it too. And I read it in the paper this morning on the way up here that they played. It was a good match. It is something different, you know, to see Steffi against Gabriela.

Question: No concrete plans for an exhibition match…

Martina: No, no concrete plans.

Question: …I think you could handle, no?

Martina: Not at this time. But definitely, maybe, hopefully one day. It’s just time. Time will tell. But nothing right now. It wouldn’t be possible right now.

Inside-Tennis: Are there any improvements in your health? Your situation?

Martina: Well, I am not playing that much, so there is no problem at this point. Because I play a little bit with my kids, uh the kids of my mom. Not my kids. (Laughs). Well, they are like mine. I play quite a bit with them. And now it’s holiday. They have three weeks, so they have camps and it’s like 130 kids in the program. In the club, so it’s indoors. Not depending on the weather.. My mother built an indoor facility with two courts and it’s very nice, so.

Question: Is your mom missing the Tour?

Martina: She doesn’t miss the travel that much. She’s always been more of a home person. I mean she didn’t mine the travel, but we also like spending the time home. She doesn’t have to change clothes all the time and just pack your bags and leave. And uhm.. Like this, she doesn’t miss it. But of course she’s always been involved in the tennis and she loves the sports in general. She always watches other matches, because if she’s wanting to still be teaching, then she needs to watch it (…). You always have to move to the future.

Question: So she’s not following you around in showjumping events?

Martina: No, I’d be too nervous if she’d still be watching and telling you what to do. I accepted it on the tennis court and even there we were sometimes fighting. But not in the showjumping. I have other people who help me out. Like yesterday I had a competition and I became first and second, so I was happy. At my level.

Question: So you are satisfied with last month’s results with showjumping?

Martina: Yesterday.

Question: Last month.

Martina: Last month? What happened last month? I don’t know

Question: You became third with a new team, I remember. Oh no, seventh..

Martina: I almost jump every week, but now it’s different. But it’s just a fun thing. It keeps me to do something. I always had a passion for horses, but it is something I do in my spare time.

Question: Is Justine Hénin one of the players that you like to watch the most, cause she has a similar game like you had?

Martina: Well, she’s.. The size-wise and everything she takes the best out of her chances. I admire that. She’s very professional. And she’s got her team, with her husband. And her coach, he’s been there for her for all the time and I think that’s very important to have somebody like that. And now it’s uncertain what she is going to do and I found it incredible that she won the Olympics, not having played that much. And you see on the men’s side it was a very unusual champion as well. I wouldn’t think that she’s going to come back and win right away. So that’s great for her and hopefully she stays healthy and does well again.

Question: What do you think of your compatriot Roger Federer?

Martina: Well, he’s great, you know. I think I set the path and he has taken it over in the men’s game. And it’s very nice to see that the players have so much respect now. Winning three out of four Grand Slams is unbelievable. It doesn’t happen every day.

Question: He’s got a lovely game, no?

Martina: Yeah, I mean he’s.. Well, on the court, well there is no shot you would think he cannot hit. You know, it’s like both sides, forehand and backhand, great serve and the placement. It’s not even the fastest serve, but it’s great placement. You know, he has a very intelligent game. He always reacts right it seems like.

Question: Are you friends?

Martina: Yes, I mean I watched some of his matches in Australia and at the French. And I saw the last two sets against Agassi. I think that was like the most critical match. It was unbelievably windy and I think also his mind is more confident, than it was a couple of years ago. And that turned around his season.

Question: Is it more difficult now to dominate the women’s game now than in your period or before that?

Martina: Every time has its own future I would say, but I think that the game has improved every year, every six months probably. To stay healthy in an environment like you have today, that you play so many tournaments. That’s the biggest problem. Most tournaments are on hard court, probably around 80%. So it’s tough on your body. So the biggest concern has always been the health.

Inside-Tennis: What about your compatriot Myriam Casanova. You practiced a lot with her the last few years. And now she is suffering from illness as well, weight problems because of that disease..

Martina: (Laughs) I am not a doctor, don’t ask me.

Inside-Tennis: …Are you in any way capable of helping her?

Martina: Well, I practiced with her a few times like during last year. I saw her the last time in Miami but I haven’t seen her much since. Well, I mean I saw her when I was commentating, but I was also working so..

Inside-Tennis: She has done okay in doubles, but in singles it’s not good.

Martina: At the French she played quite alright. She almost had the possibility to beat Kuznetsova and Kuznetsova wins the US Open, you know. But those are the little steps that can turn around a few matches and get your confidence back there. I think she definitely has a low now, but in professional sport you cannot be allowed to be like ten kilos overweight. It’s also not good for your health. Now she’s eighteen, nineteen and at this time it won’t be very healthy no. But it’s sad, she could be such a great player you know.

Question: You don’t think she can turn it around?

Martina: I don’t know. I mean, that depends on her. Firstly she has to want it, whatever the problem is and be real with herself.

Coordinator: Three more questions.

Question: How difficult is it not to play anymore?

Martina: The first year it was almost easier than this year. You know, the first year you are away from the Tour. I wasn’t as much involved. And this year, because I did the commentary and I traveled to the tournaments. Talking about the players, talking about the strategies. And most of them I still played against, so I felt very close. Like being almost emotionally involved with the whole game and being part of it. So sometimes it’s like I just want to jump on court and play and show it’s done, but that’s like far away.

Question: Is there anything in your career that you regret? Like not winning the French?

Martina: Well, it’s like there is always this tournament. But that one match made history. It’s like the match of all times, I’d say (Laughs). It’s probably the one thing I’d say that would have been nice to win. But when I look at my career, I think I had a wonderful one and there is no regrets.

Question: Plus Pete Sampras never won it.

Martina: And there’s that part. Anyway, McEnroe and most Americans never won it and they probably never will.

Question: You once said you were hoping for a medical miracle.

Martina: Right.

Question: You ever went to Lourdes?

Martina: To who?

Question: To Lourdes

Martina: I don’t know who that is, sorry.

Question: It’s a place where miracles can happen. It’s in French… France.

Martina: Oh, alright..

Coordinator: Last question.

Question: Did you finish all your English exams for now?

Martina: Did I what?

Question: Did you finish all your English exams now?

Martina: My exams. Oh, I got kind of stuck there. But I did my advanced test and there is still the proficiency test, but I’m working on it. But because I was so busy with the commentary this year, it’s hard. When you’re home and you do it once, twice a week and then you go away again. And my teacher was gone as well. She took time off and left me home alone for like two months and I’m like ‘okay’.

- End of the press conference –

This is a transcript from my voice recorder. The grammar mistakes were made by the speaker.

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:cool:
 
#4 ·
Its funny whenever being interviewed and asked do you have any regrets? The French Open is always referred to. It’s extraordinary how many remember Martina most for not winning it rather than her fantastic achievement of winning 3 majors in the same season as a 17 year old.
Was the interviewer hinting that a visit to Lourdes would have her back playing?
;) Hehe Martina’s reply was amusing.
 
#5 ·
Evelyn Tremble said:
Its funny whenever being interviewed and asked do you have any regrets? The French Open is always referred to. It’s extraordinary how many remember Martina most for not winning it rather than her fantastic achievement of winning 3 majors in the same season as a 17 year old.
Was the interviewer hinting that a visit to Lourdes would have her back playing?
;) Hehe Martina’s reply was amusing.
That interviewer's questions were :cuckoo: (He was also the one with the showjumping mistakes "Last month? What happened last month?") :lol: Martina is really funny and we had a lot of eye contact :D
 
#8 ·
coocy! alot of eye contact, i can imagine what your questions were ;)
 
#9 ·
coolchickelena said:
I'm guessing you're a Myriam fan.

I wish Martina would have been mean in those replies, because it would have been hilarity.
Actually, I am not a Myriam fan :p But I just know they spent some time together and Martina has basically been in that position so I wondered what she was doing to help her through it.. Heck, nothing else popped into my mind :lol:
 
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