Canadian Open 2001 after beating Mauresmo

 

 

 

TOUR OFFICIAL: Okay. Questions?

REPORTER: Anke, you had four breakpoints and you capitalized on all of them. I assume that was the big difference. Quite unusual, isn't to get up around 100% in breakpoints?

ANKE HUBER: I didn't realize that it was 100%. It's not usual. She had a lot of breakpoints and didn't take them, and I took all of them. So I guess that was the main part that I won.

REPORTER: Anke, I think the last two times you played Amelie, she beat you. You look like you knew this time what to do to beat her. Is the key to just keep her moving around, keep her moving side to side and not let her get set up?

ANKE HUBER: Yeah, I also tried to mix it up a little bit. Some high balls. And just mix plays a little bit. And tried to make her move, of course. I mean, I played her indoors so it's a different game when you play indoors. It is a little bit faster and her serve works better even indoors. So I knew what to do today outdoors. I played on hard court, the once we played at the U.S. Open. I knew what to do. I just had to play it well and I did it today, so it was good.

REPORTER: Mauresmo had some great results this year. So should we be surprised that you defeated her so convincingly today?

ANKE HUBER: Well, I'm a little bit surprised. I mean, the result is quite easy, but the match wasn't like this. I was behind the break in the second set. It was always close. So it wasn't maybe 3-3. It was much closer the whole match. So, but I'm happy. I mean, I played well and of course I'm a little bit surprised I won.

REPORTER: It's been talked about how you've decided probably to retire at the end of this year. What do you play for now, when you go out there, what's in your heart? What do you want out of tennis right now?

ANKE HUBER: I think I just play. I mean, I'm still having fun. It's not like I'm not having fun and that's why I'm quitting or something like this. I'm just playing a lot for fun and just trying to have a good second half of the year and enjoy it. And that's it. And to stop, yeah, quite good. I mean, with a good ranking, and a good feeling and that's what I try to do. And I'm still trying to make the championships at the end of the year, which is probably quite far away at the moment, but I'm trying.

REPORTER: When you have a day like today, does it make you think, "Maybe I don't want to quit"?

ANKE HUBER: No, I made me decision. I'm just happy if I beat these players. It's great for me and I'm just happy that I made my decision. Like I said, I want to do something else in my life and I'm feeling good about it.

REPORTER: There have been times when I've seen you play close matches against players where you've lost almost because of your own fault, because you're being the one to make mistakes and getting upset about it. It seems like that was probably one of the most consistent efforts I've ever seen in terms of keeping the unforced errors down. Whenever you had an opportunity to finish the point, you did. You really just hardly missed, particularly in the last half of that set.

ANKE HUBER: Yeah, I tried to do that. I mean, I really tried hard to stay focused, to stay concentrated and try to make the important points as well. Also, the last few times I played her, I didn't do that and I just tried to stay focused, hang in there and every time I was also behind, I just tried to be aggressive and, yeah, just not to miss that much.

REPORTER: One of the things you did was take all that high top spin she was giving you and really try to take it on the rise and attack it. And that has to be a really high-risk strategy to try to do it. The execution of that was really maybe what won you the match.

ANKE HUBER: Yeah, I somehow like the way she's playing. I like the high top spin. I was trying to get them. I mean, I played the high shots and tried to get them back high. For me, I like the way she's playing somehow and I can go for them. So, yeah, just try to play my game, that's it.

REPORTER: Anke, I have two questions. Is there any chance you would change your mind about retirement? And if you do retire, what do you want to do after retirement?

ANKE HUBER: Well, at the moment, nothing can change my mind. I've been thinking about it a long time. It wasn't like a decision I made just one day to another. And what I want to do is first of all, not thinking about tennis, not thinking about practicing. And just not doing much for a few months and then I will see if I stay in tennis, a little bit with the federation, something like this. I mean, I have some offers. So I will see what I'm going to do. I still have six more months to go and I want to focus on them to play my best and that's it.

REPORTER: Anke, I believe your next opponent would be either Coetzer or Hopkins. Could you tell us, look forward to that match and tell us what experience you've had with both those players?

ANKE HUBER: Hopkins I've never played. I just saw her playing here a little bit. And Amanda is always a tough opponent. She's tough to beat. You have to really make every shot and play a consistent match, through. It's never easy to play her. We'll see. I mean, I think I beat her once here at this tournament, so hopefully I can do the same. Like I played today, I just tried to play my game and be aggressive and that's it.

REPORTER: Anke, does it seem bizarre to you to be retiring at 26? I'm sure you have friends outside of tennis who are probably just starting their careers at this point and here you are going on to another phase in your life.

ANKE HUBER: Yeah, everybody thinking I'm totally nuts. Yeah, it's almost strange, I mean, of course. But I do it for a long time. I mean, I started when I was 14 to play on the tour. So it's just a different life and everybody has to know that. I'm travelling since I'm 12, 13, 14, a lot and I just want to stay home a little for a while and do something else.

REPORTER: Sorry, Anke, what are you going to miss the most about the tour and what are you going to miss the least?

ANKE HUBER: Miss the least is the travelling and just very hard to be in hotels all the time and to live from a suitcase. And what I will miss is probably the matches, like the competitive thing. I mean, I really like to compete on the court and probably that's what I will miss the most, be in the centre court, be in front of a lot of people, yeah.

TOUR OFFICIAL: Okay. Thank you.