US Open 1999 after loss to Hingis

 

 

Q. What happened to you out there?

Anke Huber: The wind wasn't always against me, but it looked like -- I just overpowered maybe a little bit. Just made too many mistakes. It was very difficult because I play more aggressive than her. My shots are maybe not as safe as hers. And she just didn't miss anything. I thought maybe this condition, she's going to miss a little bit more, but she just didn't make any easy mistakes or any mistakes at all. It was very difficult for me. I just had to go for my shots, and I went a little bit too much for it.

Q. You've played Martina ten times now and beat her once. What makes her game so effective? You're a harder hitter than she is.

Anke Huber: Yeah, but like I said, she doesn't make many mistakes. She plays very smart. She used the wind very well today to her advantage. She's just a very smart player. Smarter than anybody else on the Tour.

Q. I don't know if they asked you this, but you seemed to have been playing beautifully early in that first set. Then what happened? Where did your game go?

Anke Huber: Well, okay, 2-Love up, I think she made some mistakes still at this moment. I started well the first game, yes. And afterwards, there was some long rallies; I didn't make them. I think after that, I tried to make the points a little bit too fast and I tried to overpower a little bit maybe. But I have to try to make the points quickly. If I play with her, I never make the points on a regular. So I have to try to play aggressive and try to play my game. But like I said, it was hard with the wind. Just very difficult for me to play my normal game.

Q. After you had those points, you couldn't convert them at the end of the fourth game. Is that when -- it just seemed like you got exasperated after that, like, "What can I do?"

Anke Huber: No, I was still trying hard, I think. I was not frustrated after this game. I was trying, but just that I lost all the long rallies and it was just getting very difficult for me out there. So I just tried to do too much with my shots, and it's not possible with the wind, when you're hitting against the wind, you cannot hit through it. There's no chance. You have to play smart, and that's what she did. I just didn't use the wind as well as she did.

Q. Can you explain how she used the wind to her advantage?

Anke Huber: It's hard to say. You know it when you're on the court, what she's doing right. It's just that, you know, she doesn't miss when she's playing with the wind. She just plays it consistently with the court and just goes for shots when she really can. And against the wind, it's always coming a little bit from the side; so she played it very well, just with it. You know when you're standing on the court it's a perfect job she's playing.

Q. How would you assess Martina Hingis against Venus Williams should that be the matchup in the next round?

Anke Huber: I think it will be very, very close. Definitely, it's not going to be the same weather conditions. I don't think it's going to be like this for the next three days. But it's going to be a tough match for Martina, I think. Venus is hitting the ball hard and very aggressive I think. So we'll see. It's hard to say.