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Q. Belinda, yesterday she talked so much about you and said all she knows about tennis she learned from you and the mom.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, I have watched all her matches so far in this Open. She surprised myself. Honestly, the first match I think already I practiced with her on Sunday and I'm like, Wow, she played really good. So I was, you know, expecting her to do well, but not as well as she actually did in the Wickmayer match. I think after that she just started to believe. Yesterday it was a great match. I'm very happy for her. It's nice. My mom did most of the work the last ten years, so she's finally proving it. You know, very good tournament so far. Hopefully another one.

Q. Do you see similarities in your games?

MARTINA HINGIS: You're the pro, right?

Q. You're the professional.

MARTINA HINGIS: Why me? You're the pro writer, no? You have to see it and judge.

Q. You had the same coach. Do you think there could be similarities?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, obviously there are. The technique, my mom puts a lot of attention to that. So the game, I mean, she's got a great backhand, as well. But also she's stronger, so she can work with other weapons that I had. I mean, maybe I was more maybe a little better mover, but when she hits a shot it can be a winner. Like she's hitting a lot more winners than did I. So it's different a little bit. You know, she has her style like I had mine, but she improved a lot. Every three months you can see improvements. Also, the big difference is like the belief that you can actually win against big players, great players, seeded players in Grand Slams. I'm very happy for her that she was able to do that yesterday.

Q. Do you think she can be the future of Swiss tennis?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, hopefully. It's not only that she can be, hopefully she will be.

Q. Do you have the chance to watch CiCi Bellis?

MARTINA HINGIS: I only watched a few games. I wasn't able -- from that first match, right? I saw the last couple of games against Cibulkova. I didn't see the other match. You know, I saw her walking around and I was like, Oh, she's pretty tiny. She's not like a big hitter, but she has great explosivity in her strokes. So it will be nice. It will be nice for American tennis to have, you know, another great player coming up. See what the future will bring in her game. I think always when you're young you have nothing to lose, so I kind of miss that kind of 15, 16 year old players on the tour that can actually produce very good tennis.

Q. There have been a whole slew of upsets on the women's side, not just today, but throughout the tournament. Do you think there's any particular reason? What are your thoughts on all of the upsets on the women's side and more or less on the men's?

MARTINA HINGIS: I think that the depth is really strong. I don't know. In the last Grand Slams it's been everywhere pretty much. Like Eugenie has been unexpected and made a couple of semis and a finals. She beat some players on the way to get there. There is some breakthroughs in the women's tennis. Definitely there are some youngsters that are coming up. Who would have that Mirjana Lucic with all she had to come through to beat Halep. It's like congratulations on that, because she's been battling on and off the court and she's come a long way. To be here and beat the No. 2 seed, you know, I'm happy for her.

Q. We were all talking about CiCi a day or two ago. What are your tennis memories from being 15 years old?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, no, it was like that in '96, right, with Anna Kournikova. I'm like, they forget about me (smiling). I was like 14 playing fourth round here. So, no, like I said, I think there is opportunities. There's options for young players who have the game and can produce great tennis and actually show they can beat players out there. It's not easy for the top players to play a youngster, too. There is a lot of pressure and you have nerves, you know, and whoever comes through, and she was able to do that. So I think there is always openings like that. It's a shame that there is the rules like this. I have always been saying that in the past years, because it's nice to see -- I mean, you see the American fans came out there and support her, root for her. There is so much less pressure on her, because she can come here every year for the next maybe, you know, 10, 15 years. There is no pressure today or tomorrow.

Q. How good do you think Belinda can be? How far do you think she can go in this sport?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think there is huge potential for her. I mean, I definitely think she can be top 5. She's on the way to get there. How far, it's up to her. You know, nobody can play the matches for her and win matches, win the tournaments. But she showed yesterday that she can win a big match when she has to. Hopefully there will be more opportunities in the near future. Maybe here, you know.

Q. How about yourself? How much are you satisfied with your performance so far?

MARTINA HINGIS: Mine? Today was pretty good. I don't mind playing like this (smiling). Today was a good match, definitely. I played my second match in one week only, so I have been like pretty fresh going into it. Flavia is a great partner to have, obviously. She's very experienced. Been there, done that. She was No. 1 ranked player in doubles before. I'm very fortunate to have her by my side. She's been playing well in the singles and so that helps. I just try to keep it nice and short.

Q. How important is picking the right partner when you're such a good doubles player yourself?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, the chemistry is the most important thing that has to work, the teamwork. At the end of the day you're never there alone. If you have a great day, can you help your partner. If you have a bad day, there is someone to help you and pick you up. That I always said about TeamTennis or team sports. Doubles is already a team sport. It's nice. You have more responsibility. I mean, like I feel like I have more responsibility toward my partner.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about doubles and also mixed doubles and kind of how, as a player coming into a Grand Slam, you juggled the responsibility. The prize money is lower and it's obviously exhausting.

MARTINA HINGIS: Not as exhausting as singles. I don't do that. Well, I can't really talk about the mixed doubles, right? We didn't get to play that yesterday. Yeah, things like that happen. Injuries happen. Unfortunately he wasn't happy himself. So now I can focus on the doubles and help Flavia hopefully.

Q. Do you feel like you and Flavia complement each other well? You have done well in all the tournaments that you two have played.

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, we played Safarova/Pavlyuchenkova three consecutive weeks. That doesn't happen too often. No, definitely the last couple of matches have been very nice. We trust each other. We know more and more what to expect from each other. That's very important. I think right away the first tournament we played we beat three good teams on the way to the finals. Unfortunately we didn't win the tournament, but we were close. Hopefully, you know, we will have a good tournament here and also the ones we're going to play in the future, like Asia tournaments.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. It was a nice victory there. Can you just comment on the win and where this places you in the tournament?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I'm enjoying every second to be out there. I said that two days ago already. We make the semifinals. I think we beat some really great teams on the way to get there. We proved it again today. They were No. 3 seed, right? So they are always contenders to win a Grand Slam. Cara has been there, done that, you know. So I think we really deserve our spot to be in the finals now.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I agree. (Laughter.)

Q. What role can playing World TeamTennis have in your success here this year, do you think?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I just felt like, to me, it was a great team that I was able to be in the last couple of years, you know, partnering with Leander and with Anastasia, having Murphy as a coach. He also came out there today to watch and support. The owner was there today, as well. You really feel the team spirit. He made it possible this morning. He was still in Washington in a meeting and he came to the second set.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I didn't know that.

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, yeah. I think it's just really like the emotions are there. It's a great preparation, as well. I mean, any title is a great title to have, whether it's TeamTennis title, a Grand Slam or being No. 1. It's always another steppingstone in a career, and, you know, now we're here in the final. I'm really happy.

Q. Is there a physical payoff, three weeks, short period of time, just prior to the US Open?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, we played a couple more tournaments after that. One week off and just being fresh into the Open. I always take the one week to really prepare and mentally be ready. I think that like after TeamTennis you're ready for anything. It's just like really draining. You're there, you're there for your team, you know, and it's just everything. After, it's a great relief. I think nothing can throw you off ever anymore. I think for every rookie it's a great thing to do. I have been doing it for the last six years. Whenever you feel down or anything, it's like those moments I think on the court that really pays off. To me it's always been great, you know, TeamTennis in the last years that I have played. I think now being on court -- and every victory gives you confidence. The last two years it definitely gave me confidence to play some great doubles.

Q. You have had obviously so many great moments at the US Open. How great does it feel to be back and be part of the theater of this event and now to get into a final, you know, here again after all the years that you have been here?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, it means a lot to me. I mean, obviously, like you said, I only won one title here in doubles. That was a while back in '98. I made some good matches, like some great memories, but it's been a while. So it's like I really cherish this moment because I have had some great matches, but also in doubles I didn't feel like I had too many opportunities. I lost to players that actually I beat in this tournament now again, like whether it was Peschke, you know. So it felt like really far away. Also in the beginning of this tournament I think we had a really tough draw. So I think we really deserved our spot. I think this tournament it all came together for me. I played a lot better than in the previous tournaments. With Flavia I feel really comfortable being out there. I think that's the key to success.

Q. Great situation for Flavia. Flavia, have you ever thought of playing TeamTennis, too?

MARTINA HINGIS: The owner was after her.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: Not for the moment.

Q. Do you realize that you lost I think never more than seven games in each match? I think you won each quite easy. Which was the most difficult, and did you expect that?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I mean, like she said, the draw was really tough from the first matches. We had luck in the first one because Rybarikova, yeah, she wasn't able to play. She was injured. But since then I think we played really well. The second match was amazing. Safarova-Pavlyuchenkova was really good. Like she say, we really feel comfortable on the court. We like to play together, and always we have a different -- in the important moments or when we are down, we always come out with some different things. We have always the energy to come back.

Q. Do you guys remember the first team that you beat when you partnered up this year?

MARTINA HINGIS: Yeah, next ones, of course.

Q. Does that give you confidence?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I think you have to play -- Makarova played really well this tournament. I mean, it always helps for you, you played really great tennis at this tournament. Because also playing well in the singles, it definitely helps.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: They play really well. It's gonna be tough.

MARTINA HINGIS: We have to come out with our best. I mean, if they beat us, too good. If it's not gonna be enough, even better.

Q. Do you know that there would be Davis Cup match between Switzerland and Italy in one week?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: That's true. In Geneva.

Q. I'd like to know...

MARTINA HINGIS: I was invited.

Q. Switzerland should win 5-Love or there is a chance for Italy?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I hope Roger and Stan, they're gonna win, of course (Smiling.) I mean, they are a great team if they want to win one time in Davis Cup it's now. Now is the time to shine. Definitely I'll be there rooting for them.

Q. Flavia?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's gonna be tough. Really tough.

Q. Martina, you have worn many hats: coach, World TeamTennis, doubles, mixed. Is this where you feel most comfortable? Maybe not here in press, but on court.

MARTINA HINGIS: If I have to serve it out that's not the most comfortable moment. I mean, I made the game 5-4 and then we couldn't return. I don't remember, 4-All. I was so happy I held serve. But, no, there are definitely moments when I think we build our moments or our strategy. Definitely she's very powerful obviously from the baseline. As long as I'm at the net I feel comfortable, you know. That's my time to do things. I think we just really click together at this moment even better than any other tournaments that we played together. Obviously the first time we played together at Eastbourne was also -- right away we beat three top 5 teams. In the end probably our gas tank was a little low in the finals.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: But we played really well.

MARTINA HINGIS: Now we have a day off.

Q. You were flying everywhere, catching everything. It was almost a ballet.

MARTINA HINGIS: It's like you want to keep that momentum. It's scary, because we already play like amazing first set. Like the first games was everything was like perfect, right? She hit, I'd go short crosscourt volleys. Everything. Yeah, so you just want to keep going and keep the momentum.

Q. Martina, you played doubles with many different partners in the past. What kind of comparison you can do with Flavia? Flavia, who played with Gisela Dulko, there is nothing easy to compare with Gisela with Martina because they play completely different.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: Not really. Gisela, she has -- in the net she was really good also and good eye and moving. I mean, that's why I play good with her, because I stay more in the back and she stay more on the net. I play more or less in the same way I was playing with Gisela. I feel comfortable in the same way.

Q. Martina, with your partners?

MARTINA HINGIS: They're similar. It's like I always had also like players who could hit and strike the ball from the baseline, good serve, and I think, you know, overpowering the other players. I mean, even if you play Gajdosova-Tomljanovic, she can hold her own from the baseline and I try to scare them at the net. That's very similar to me. All the partners I had in the past, except maybe Novotna -- I mean, she's great at the net. Even match point two days ago I was like so happy she has great reflection. So I don't have to be scared like someone on the second serve, they are going to shoot her off the court. It's not gonna happen. I know when she's there she's there. She can move. She can cross. I think that fits our game. We can adjust to each other in the moment.

Q. Can you compare the depth in the women's game right now to when you were in the prime of your singles career?

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, I don't want to talk about singles. It's hard. I have been doing these answers and questions the past two weeks. I'm not gonna do that.

Q. Brava you say the last moment or other words?

MARTINA HINGIS: No, I think that was always my words since we play together.

Q. Just brava?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I talk with her more in Spanish than in Italian because she's boyfriend is from Spain. (Martina slaps Flavia.)

Q. Finally inside information.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. My boyfriend? Spanish also. He's Spanish also.

Q. So many opportunities in the third set. I don't know, thousand break points. Makarova first, Vesnina after. Pity.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yeah, just a little bit.

MARTINA HINGIS: No, you can't normally slip away so many opportunities, of course. I mean, it's a little disappointing that, you know, served well sometimes; sometimes we didn't go for it enough. Yeah, we definitely had our chances, but when we look back starting the tournament, if you ask me to sign a paper that I'm in the finals, I would probably accept it with my eyes closed. When you're that close of course you want to win. We beat them before. It's not like we didn't have a chance. We showed that we can beat the best doubles teams out there today again, but I felt like the juice ran out a little bit at the end. To push a little bit more, to have a little bit more energy like we had in the beginning of the tournament, I think at the end it was a little bit they were closer, they were more aggressive. Yeah, they pushed more.

Q. What was it like for you being back in a Grand Slam final? What was that feeling like? Do you feel the same?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, I mean, it's amazing. I mean, like last year I lost here in the first round to Errani-Vinci. A year later I'm a year older.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: In the final.

MARTINA HINGIS: And I make the finals. So of course I'm really happy. Still a great tournament. That's not going to take anything away from that. Hopefully we will have more opportunities in the near future. We'll go to Asia and try to do our best there, and then next year there is again four Grand Slams.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I mean, for be here after just four tournament in the final is a good result. We just play I think four tournament together, so, I mean, everything is working pretty good. Today we had our chance, but we didn't make it. I think we had to push a little bit more in the second set, but they play a more aggressive in the 3-2 and they go for the shot all the time. They had also a little bit of lucky, I think, in the important moment. But, I mean, this is matches. Tennis is always like this.

Q. You mentioned how hard it had been for you to find another partner after Gisela. Do you think you two can stay together for a while now? Australia?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I hope so. Finish this year and then we gonna see what happened next year.

Q. You're full-time player again? I mean, you want to play all the tournaments or only...

MARTINA HINGIS: No.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: Not all.

MARTINA HINGIS: Not all, but definitely the selected, the smarter ones, the good ones, and the ones you feel good. Today I don't have to prove nothing to nobody, but definitely there is so many nice tournaments still this year. It hasn't finished yet. There is, yeah, next season. I'm looking forward to it already now.

Q. It's better if you stay, because for us, for Italians, it means Pennetta is going to play longer.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: They are scared that I am stopping.

MARTINA HINGIS: Oh, well, I'm keeping her out here hopefully next year, yes.

Q. For Flavia it was a big tournament, great tournament: quarterfinals singles; final in doubles. Which one of the two do you think surprised you more in a way? What was the bigger surprise, to make the quarters in the singles or to make the final in doubles?

FLAVIA PENNETTA: I think the final in doubles more than quarter in singles.

MARTINA HINGIS: She's been in the semis here last year.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, not for that. Just because, I mean, like I say, we didn't play a lot together. Definitely the draw was really tough from the first match. And the day when we saw the draw, we look each other and we say, Oof, again. I think we play really, really good. Every matches was high level, so... Bad luck for tonight. Still a little bit bitter.

Q. You were one of a handful of champions who was as good in singles and doubles, champion in both. Could you tell more the younger players to get out there to play doubles to round out their game? How do you feel about they're not playing as much doubles as you were when you were in your prime?

MARTINA HINGIS: I think it's not my job to do that. It's the job of the parents or coaches to have them play more -- um, not individual only like hitting with the coach. Sometimes for me it was always boring to just play one on one. I love playing doubles. But it has to be also the mentality. I mean, as a kid, it's not the kid who makes the choices sometimes. It's definitely the parents and the coach who has to make the choices and make it more creative. Then I think the joy with playing well and winning, it comes automatically. But, I mean, no, I think there are still a lot of players out there who play. I mean, you see Flavia, you see Makarova. There are young ones who start playing doubles, as well. Then maybe you focus more on the singles only. But there are still plenty of them out there, especially on the women's side.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: Uh-huh.

Q. You two mentioned Asia. Do you have any concrete plans which tournaments in Asia you're going to be playing together?

MARTINA HINGIS: Well, definitely Wuhan and Beijing.

FLAVIA PENNETTA: And we're going to see Tokyo. Tokyo is the only one, so we will see.