Back to Articles

Canvas (Belgian channel) Interview


January 10, 2002


Canvas (Thanks Ingrid!)



Canvas: Kim, there must have a little devil deep inside you that wakes up when you need it. When you have to play well, you indeed do play well. How do you do that?

Kim: I in fact needed it when I didn't profit from these first set balls but I stayed mentally very tough, even when she had those two set balls in the first set I just kept my focus…but I am really very happy with this victory. I needed this win before the first grand slam of the year.

Canvas: Did you expect this after your previous matches that were a bit less though, that you would immediately be settled in a match that good? That you would play that good at once?

Kim: No certainly not. I mean, Justine has had a far better match rhythm and she was playing far better than I at the moment. But that doesn't mean anything though; you have seen that today. I think that she made more mistakes than usual, maybe the wind or the sun played maybe a part. But I am really very satisfied.

Canvas: Her type of game obviously suits you, you deal with it well. During the last confrontations you always came out being the winner.

Kim: I certainly like to play Justine. And I, it is… even that she is a Belgian and I know her better than all the others, but I look upon these matches against Justine like any other match against other players, that doesn't change a thing to me.

Canvas: Yesterday you reached for your arm, touched it from time to time. You had a bit of pain. Not noticed a thing today.

Kim: Yes, I mean, I still have that heavy feeling. I think that I have a bit of a problem with the nerves in my upper arm but I will have to play tennis with it I guess. And I have taped my wrist so that I feel a lot less than yesterday, for sure.

Canvas: Yesterday night you helped at a fund raising for the relief of the huge fires here around Sydney. Do you know how much money you have raised?

Kim: No, I have no idea in fact. Left immediately afterwards cause it was rather late and I had to rest but I really don't know how much we all have collected.

Canvas: You alone 711 dollars in 15 minutes.

Kim: That's really very good though. Since all the problems that these people have gone trough I really like to do that for these people.

Canvas: Only Andy Roddick did better.

Kim: Yeah (laughing) but that again is typically an American. He maybe can explain it a bit better than we to lure the money in a bit.

Canvas: A little question regarding tomorrow. Martina Hingis, nr 4, sounds a bit strange, always nr 1 in earlier days, now she is number 4. How to have chances?

Kim: Yes, yet she has the experience of having been a number one. But I have already won against her, last year I have played her here. I had a chance in the first set, and also in the second. Everything is possible. She has played a little fewer matches than I during the last months, but, I mean, she is still Martina Hingis. But I will certainly go for it.

Canvas: Again, congratulations and take care of yourself. Until tomorrow.

Kim: Thanks.