KIM CLIJSTERS defeated CINDY WATSON 6-1 6-2

Q. Kim, what did you make of the young Australian out there today? She was a little bit overawed, I think, by playing a top 5 player?

A. It was hard for me, I think, I haven't seen her previous matches, my coach has, and in the beginning I had to get used to her game and I had to see how - the way she played and everything, so in the beginning I think I was struggling a little bit to find my own form because I was focusing a little bit too much on hers. But she has had a great tournament and she has beaten some good players already so, yes, she had a great tournament.

Q. Overall, your own form, was it where you want it to be?

A. It wasn't the way I - I mean, I played well and I played good enough to go through, but I can obviously play a lot better than I did today.

Q. Was it unusual playing against an Australian, because you have been adopted a little bit here, to play someone who actually had more support?

A. No, it was fine. There was a great atmosphere out there, a lot better than sitting in a big stadium and no-one is going for anyone. So, no, it was good. The crowd was good, and of course they are going for her because she is the real Aussie.

Q. For the next game, which do you like to play - your Doubles partner or Husarova?

A. I don't care. I mean, I've played Ai already a few times before and of course Ai is my Doubles partner here, so it won't be easy playing against Ai. And I have never played Husarova in Singles, I think, but she mixes it up really well. But I don't really care. My coach will go out there and watch a little bit, and then we'll see tomorrow.

Q. Can you comment a little bit about Ai Sugiyama's playing in this tournament?

A. I haven't seen her play Singles, but of course I know how she has been playing in Doubles. But obviously she has been playing well. I saw her match on TV where she played Pisnik, and in Sydney she lost to Pisnik and here she beat her, so she was obviously playing a lot better here than she was at the beginning of the year. And in Doubles as well, she's the same Ai she always is in Doubles, always attacking and always very fast at the net, so yes, she has been playing well.

Q. How do you feel your game is compared to, say, when you made the final of the French? How do you think it has evolved since then? It is very much different?

A. I don't know, I think I'm like a little bit of a diesel:
I think I need to get more time throughout the year. I've had my best results from the middle to the end the year, and the way I started off at the Hopman Cup wasn't really the way I wanted to, but then in Sydney I picked up my level and every match I played there I raised my level a bit and that's what I'm trying to do here as well. I think I'll raise my level compared to my opponents. It depends - like if I'm playing a better opponent, I think I will be able to raise my level as well.

Q. The French Open was sort of the highlight, I guess, last year: do you ever watch that final?

A. No, I actually never watch any of my matches. It's just - of course I think about it sometimes, but I try not to do too much.

Q. Why don't you watch them?

A. Because I never - I think I have done that since I sort of started playing and, I don't know, it's just a habit, I think.

Q. Do you not feel comfortable watching yourself? ?

A. I don't know, it's just a matter of - I don't know, it's a habit, and maybe a little bit superstitious as well.

Q. Do you have some videos, though, that you might be able to watch when you retire and you might feel like sitting back and watching?

A. Yes, I do have that. There is enough Belgian TV here, if I need some tapes I think they'll be happy to send me some.

Q. Do you feel comfortable, obviously, playing both Doubles and Singles? Is it good for you?

A. Yes, I mean, I think it has helped my Singles a lot playing Doubles, and I feel more comfortable going to the net now in Singles. So it has been very good, and also my passing shots in Singles have improved since I've been playing more Doubles, so it has been good for me. And also my Doubles ranking has been going up, so that has been good as well.

Q. Cindy said that playing you has really forced her to realign her schedule and try to play more main tour events, even if it means grinding through qualifying. Do you think that's a good idea, and did you have to do that yourself when you were younger?

A. I started to play - I obviously played juniors as well, and then I have been very lucky to get the - like I got I think two wildcards in the $10 000 tournaments in Belgium, and I won two, I think, and then I got another one and I made the finals or the semis in the other one, so that's where I sort of made a big jump and got into - I could play the 50 000s and qualies, even got into qualies of the Grand Slams, and I qualified for Wimbledon, and that's how it sort of went for me and it has been going really fast, and I have been very lucky with that. But I think it's good also for Cindy to take that extra step now, because she has played well here and she knows she can do it, so I think she should keep it up and keep working.

Q. Congratulations on the Federation Cup. Was there quite a celebration and cheering and so on at home? What happened??

A. It was it was great. Justine and I - after the Fed Cup we played an exhibition together in Antwerp for the year that we both had, and that was sort of - like we obviously had a party afterwards and everything, but after the exhibition we actually had time to sort of relax and to do whatever we liked, and like two days later I was over here already, so I didn't actually have a lot of time to do many things. But that's fine.

Q. As Linda was saying, you have sort of become an adopted Australian, if you will. Are you comfortable with that?

A. It's nice. Of course it's nice. Also in Sydney it has helped me through so many matches, like this year already, the way the crowd has really been pushing me and even motivating me, so of course I like playing when you can hear the people cheering for you, so it's been great.

Q. Did Lleyton say anything to you after the match?

A. No, I haven't seen him yet.

Q. Kim, are you looking forward to playing Justine if she makes it to the quarter-finals?

A. It depends. We both still have to - like she is playing tonight and I still have to play Sugiyama or Husarova, so I will see how it goes in our next matches