Marius_Hancu
06-27-2006, 12:55 PM
VERY clever approach.
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http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/interviews/2006-06-27/200606271151427743125.html
Q. You seem lighter than you used to be, perhaps quicker. You don't seem to be having the problems with stamina that you might once have. Is that related to doing less weights or alteration in training?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Yeah, I work a bit differently. It's true that I'm lighter than in the past. I'm still working pretty hard, but in another way. I work a lot on my endurance, a lot on my stretching. That's why I'm getting more flexible. On the weights, we are doing something different. I still work on my power, and I'm still as quick as I was before. I do a lot of foot drills, these kind of things. We change a little bit the way to think about my preparation. That is going well, even if in the past I got many good results, too. The most important thing is that I stay healthy. When I'm healthy, I can play and I have good results, so that's pretty good.
Q. Were the weights related to the virus, do you think?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: No, I don't think so. Just about the work.
Q. Did you go through a period in your career where you thought you were just going to bulk up and become muscular, that would make you a better player, and discovered that really wasn't the way to become better?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: You know, at one point in my career, I had to work this way because I wasn't powerful at all. I mean, not enough to compete against the players like we all know them Davenport, Sharapova, the powerful players. In 2003 I had to work very hard to come at their level. Then I understood I had many other qualities in my game to win against them, so I decided to change a little bit the way I was having my preparation. But it hasn't been the opposite. I mean, I think we still working hard. I still work a lot on my recovery. The main important thing is to keep the injuries away. Right now I'm not afraid, scared any more about the power of the other players 'cause I know that I can be really powerful myself.
Q. Have you found you can get just as much power as you need simply by hitting the ball cleanly?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: It's a question of timing. It's also a question of technique. On my serve especially, I can serve pretty hard. Now my percentage is getting higher, and that's very good. So that means that I don't have to be so tall and as strong as the other players. It's a question of how you hit the ball.
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http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/interviews/2006-06-27/200606271151427743125.html
Q. You seem lighter than you used to be, perhaps quicker. You don't seem to be having the problems with stamina that you might once have. Is that related to doing less weights or alteration in training?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: Yeah, I work a bit differently. It's true that I'm lighter than in the past. I'm still working pretty hard, but in another way. I work a lot on my endurance, a lot on my stretching. That's why I'm getting more flexible. On the weights, we are doing something different. I still work on my power, and I'm still as quick as I was before. I do a lot of foot drills, these kind of things. We change a little bit the way to think about my preparation. That is going well, even if in the past I got many good results, too. The most important thing is that I stay healthy. When I'm healthy, I can play and I have good results, so that's pretty good.
Q. Were the weights related to the virus, do you think?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: No, I don't think so. Just about the work.
Q. Did you go through a period in your career where you thought you were just going to bulk up and become muscular, that would make you a better player, and discovered that really wasn't the way to become better?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: You know, at one point in my career, I had to work this way because I wasn't powerful at all. I mean, not enough to compete against the players like we all know them Davenport, Sharapova, the powerful players. In 2003 I had to work very hard to come at their level. Then I understood I had many other qualities in my game to win against them, so I decided to change a little bit the way I was having my preparation. But it hasn't been the opposite. I mean, I think we still working hard. I still work a lot on my recovery. The main important thing is to keep the injuries away. Right now I'm not afraid, scared any more about the power of the other players 'cause I know that I can be really powerful myself.
Q. Have you found you can get just as much power as you need simply by hitting the ball cleanly?
JUSTINE HENIN HARDENNE: It's a question of timing. It's also a question of technique. On my serve especially, I can serve pretty hard. Now my percentage is getting higher, and that's very good. So that means that I don't have to be so tall and as strong as the other players. It's a question of how you hit the ball.
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