Anna's interview

I don't think I've seen it posted yet. She's actually really funny in places. And her observation that she needs match practice to get her reflexes and shot selection back is perfectly true, I think

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JUSTINE HENIN defeated ANNA KOURNIKOVA 6-2 7-5

Q. Anna, Bud Collins, Boston Globe. You had terrific passages in the
second set. What happened; you couldn't keep it up, do you feel?

A. Well, I think I wasn't playing well in general, you know, just
everything, and I started to play well in the second set, a little bit
better, and she lifted her game up also, and I didn't play well the
important points.

Q. Anna, Norm Beaman from the Seven Network. How hopeful, how
confident are you of a turnaround in your luck, both from an injury
point of view and your performance this year?

A. Well, this is only, you know, third tournament of the year, so just -
I've got to be, you know, I've got to be positive, and try to play well,
better and better every time and, you know, I have plenty of time. It's
already getting better from last year, from end of the season, so it's
getting better with every match and, you know, that's the way it should
be.

Q. Have you set particular goals this year?

A. I do want to get to the same position and shape that I was before
my injury.

Q. Anna, when do you remember you were happy with your game, the
last time you really played well and you were satisfied with the way you
played?

A. Well, I think first match in Sydney I was really satisfied the way I
played, and against Serena I think I played well, not, you know,
perfect, not good enough, but I think that I played well, after, you
know, after my comeback.

Q. What would you say was the peak of your performance as a
professional? Was it the Wimbledon semi-final? What would you say
was your best tennis?

A. Well, there has been lots of times I think that I was playing great
and in great shape when my injury happened. So, last you know,
February, and I played greater this tournament last year, and I played
some great tennis in every year I can remember.

Q. Is there one match in particular that you recall as the best ever, the
one you dream of, to repeat?

A. Well, I do have quite a few of those matches. I think that, you
know, beating Graf, Hingis, Seles, all those players, they were all great
matches, and those were the matches, you know, that I really think
that I did well
.
Q. Anna, how do you regard labels like "perfect athlete," "combining
beauty with playing talent"?

A. I don't understand the question.

Q. Some people label you as the perfect athlete because of your
attractiveness, combined with your tennis ability. Do you regard
yourself as a perfect athlete?

A. Nobody is perfect.

Q. Well how, then, do you look on people who concentrate more on
your appearance on the court, rather than your playing ability?

A. That's their problem. That's their decision. That's their, you know,
whatever. I don't think about that.

Q. It doesn't distract from your game?

A. Around me there are no people that think that way about me. They
think of me first as a person, and then everything else.

Q. Anna, what do you think you need to really come back to the top?
Is it just more matches, or are there other aspects of your game that
you must improve?

A. Well, there's quite a few things. You know, now I feel good
physically and, yeah, I have to play a lot more matches, and become
more comfortable on the court during rallies and the important points.
And that's what you lose when you don't play for a long time, is, you
know, that automatic decision, making automatic decisions, and
everything. So that's probably - you know, I don't need to go and learn
how to hit a ball or learn a new stroke. I just have to improve more,
you know, with tactical things and being more comfortable and
automatic on court.

Q. What was it about Justine that impressed you?

A. Well, she was playing her usual game.

Q. Was there any particular phase of her game that is stunning to you?

A. Well, she's a great player obviously. She's well rounded. You know,
she has got a good serve; although she wasn't serving too well today.
I think she was serving a lot of second serves. But, you know, she's is
good player. She is playing to win, and she does fight very well and run
for every ball, so - - -

Q. Did you find the backhand exceptional today?

A. I think that she makes winners and mistakes in both sides, kind of
equal.

Q. Do you have a goal for this year, in terms of ranking?

A. Well, I already answered that question. I said that I would like to
come back to the same position before, like before, the way I was
before my injury.

Q. Do you care to predict how long it might be before your game is
back on track?

A. Can you predict the weather? The same thing here, you know: you
just try to - I'm going to try to work hard, and I can't predict anything.
Nobody can, I think, and just hopefully, I'll be doing all the things that,
you know, I need to do to get there.

Q. Anna, how do you work to get back confidence, your - - -

A. How I work?

Q. To get back confidence?

A. The way, the only way to work on that, I think, is practising so you
feel comfortable in practice and, you know, that you worked hard. That
way, you go out and you play and you feel confident that you have
made this shot a hundred times in practice so you know you are going
to make it in match, and then winning matches. That's how you get
your confidence.

Q. HERALD there was a lot of speculation last year about you possibly
being engaged. Do you find interest in your love life a bit
disconcerting?

MODERATOR: Would you ask another question instead, please?

A. It's not even interesting any more.

Q. Just a trivial question: how do you spell your name, because I've
seen the English version K-O-U and in Russian it's K-U-R?

A. Because I think that U, in English, is not pronounced as "oo"; so you
have to say O-U, so it's pronounced - - -

Q. What is in your passport?

A. I don't know. I don't look. I don't know.

Q. But how do you write it?

A. In English I write it K-O-U. In Russian, I don't even write it but it's
K-U.

Q. How do you like it to be written in Europe, in Germany, in France, in
Finland - - -?---What do I care. I doesn't matter.

Q. Okay?

A. English way is fine.
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