Q. She plays a very conservative style of tennis, but still you gave her a great number of points today on unforced errors. Are you concerned about that?

KIM CLIJSTERS: No. You know, I think that's always ‑‑ you know, against a player like that, I mean, you have to take risks as well. You know, if you're just gonna keep rallying with them and try to keep the unforced errors down, you know, that's their favorite game to play, you know. That's what they love to do.

On clay, I think that's probably the only thing she does really, really good, is she can rally, you know, forever. I mean, she can just keep going and dictate the points from there.

So it was important for me to be patient at the right time, but to also, you know, when I felt like I had a chance, try to step in and not, you know, let myself get drawn back, you know, further and further behind the baseline because once you start going there, I mean, she can just move you from side to side. So that wasn't the good thing.

So it was important to go for my shots. I definitely missed a lot of them, but also made a lot. You know, that's why, you know, luckily, I made some good ones at the right time.

Q. In your two previous matches you had very quick starts. Today, little sluggish at the beginning for four or five games. Did you not feel ready to come out of the gate today?

KIM CLIJSTERS: No, I did. I felt, you know, ready to go. I was motivated to start the match and, you know, I just think I was a little bit surprised, I think, with the heavy balls that she was hitting. They were really deep. Just kind of looking for my position a little bit out there on the court.

You know, I think that's where my movement wasn't quite there yet. So I just ‑‑ it was a matter of adjusting a little bit to different style of games.

Q. One other question. With your retirement at the end of this year, is it possible that subconsciously you're not as motivated? Doesn't mean you're motivated, but as motivated?

KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, I don't know if you want me out of here that early, but it's probably next year, so it's not this year yet.

Q. Well, just announcing the fact that you're going to retire.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Next year.

Q. Yes.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Not this year.

Q. Yes.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Oh, okay.

No, I mean, I still have a lot of tournaments left, and I want to go for it, you know. There's nothing ‑‑ when I'm playing out there, I'm just thinking about what I'm doing at the moment and what I'm trying ‑‑ all the things I'm trying to do to stay healthy. That's what I'm focusing on the most.

Q. You've spoken about physically it's been a tough year; you haven't felt a hundred percent. Do you feel as good now as you've felt all year? Where are you?

KIM CLIJSTERS: I have to say now, I feel pretty good. There hasn't ‑‑ just my lower back, and I had some problems, you know, before I came here. I had just some problems.

But it's, you know ‑‑ things are getting, you know, better. I mean, I feel like, you know, my back, that will always be I think one of the parts of my body that if I get a little bit tired or when I play some more matches, that's probably the weakest part of my body, is my back.

But on the other hand, you know, clay is also a very tough surface so I'm going to be very happy if I get through the clay court season without, you know, adding ‑‑ having any more injuries.

Q. Also, there's a lot of talk here in France about Amélie, Justine has won here, maybe even Martina coming back. Are you pretty comfortable being the No. 2 seed and not having a whole lot of buzz going on around you? Are you more comfortable?

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I like it. I like it that way (smiling). I don't like all the attention too much, you know. I'm a tennis player and that's what I like to do, is play tennis. That's what I've loved to do from when I started when I was six. Everything else just adds on.

But, you know, I do ‑‑ I love playing tennis. Being the No. 2 seed or the No. 12 or 10, for me that's not a big deal. People are always going to have their favorites and it all depends on how well you've done before, the Grand Slam. Leading into the Grand Slam, people are going to name me as a favorite. But that doesn't change your own mentality at all.

Q. Next up, Daniela Hantuchova. Maybe not the fastest player, but those long legs cover a lot of ground on the court. Does that dictate some change in tactics for you when you play her?

KIM CLIJSTERS: Definitely. I mean, again, that's going to be a completely different match than the one I had today. Daniela is a player that if you play into her racquet, she's one of the cleanest ball‑hitters I think out there. She strikes the ball so well and so clean. That's, you know, definitely, like you said, her movement is not her strongest part of her game. So I have to try to break that down. I have to try to, you know, hit the balls, go for the lines and be aggressive, but then also make sure that I use the angles well.

So, yeah, we'll see. She had a tough match today, very close one. But, you know, I'm looking forward to play her tomorrow.