That's the Kind of Game I Love to Play - 網球

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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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