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By Scoop Malinowski
Indian Wells doubles champion and WTA no. 18 in Porsche Race to the Finals, WTA no. 59 and 13 in doubles, Su-Wei Hsieh talked with me at Miami Open about a range of topics after a practice…
Scoop: The Tennis Channel mentioned during the Indian Wells doubles final that you were an admirer of Steffi Graf which I had never heard before. I would like your comments on Graf as I’m doing a book Facing Steffi.
Su-Wei Hsieh: Sometimes I fall in the fashions. All the people like this person. Okay, I follow this person. But not after like that.
Scoop: So it was fake news?
Hsieh: Oh, you know the girls, they always change their mind. So today it’s Graf, tomorrow maybe Martina Hingis and other day was like the boys, we like the girls, change.
Scoop: So you like Steffi for a short time?
Hsieh: A little bit. Yes.
Scoop: Did you ever like Marcelo Rios? You have a different style and way of playing like he did.
Hsieh: Who?
Scoop: Chile. With ponytail.
Hsieh: Yes. He’s really cool but he’s not my favorite type.
Scoop: Who are your favorite types?
Hsieh: Oh, I like Marat Safin [smiles].
Scoop: Oh wow, I’m doing a book on him too.
Hsieh: You are?
Scoop: Facing Safin. Please share your thoughts on Safin.
Hsieh: You know, we read a lot of books about Greeks. Greek Gods. The way he look for me, I already imagine he’s from Greece. His style. That’s how I feel. And the way he plays, it’s really cool.
Scoop: Ever meet him?
Hsieh: I saw him at tournaments before.
Scoop: But never talk?
Hsieh: I’m not really that kind of person. Trying to talk with the people like that.
Scoop: What would you say is the best you ever played? Your best match? Some would think your singles matches in Australia this year because they were amazing.
Hsieh: I think a reason I get into the match I enjoy all the matches (are) really good matches for me. Because sometimes you’re there and there’s a lot of crowd and fans they cheer you on and sometimes when I’m really into a match I cannot hear anything. And it’s really in my world and I try to do my shots and I think that was an amazing moment and amazing match for me. And I have had many matches like this kind of situation. So I cannot say which of this.
Scoop: You began an association with former Australian great Paul McNamee about four years ago and you achieved your best results. He was a top ten player and won doubles majors. How did you begin an association with McNamee and how did he help?
Hsieh: I played Hopman Cup and I met him. His friend from the Hopman Cup as well. He knows I had no coach. He said, Oh, he’s here at Wimbledon. I said, Oh can you help? He said I can ask. And then he helped me for the Wimbledon. I didn’t win even a match but I was feeling good to do the tennis with him. And then, Can you come to the US Open and help for my career? We did Wimbledon and US Open. Because I really want to win a Grand Slam in doubles or mixed, I know singles will be really tough. Because it’s too much work for me to put in singles. And at that time I was not thinking too much about my singles. Too much work to win singles. I know it’s not going to be easy, all these girls are hitting the ball big and running so good. So I ask him and then he help me. So magic just happened.
At the beginning he helped me, I went to the tournament, I won the tournament (Malaysia 2012). Then my singles ranking went up and my doubles ranking was falling somewhere else [smiles]. Until I was ranking 103 at Australian Open. I twist my ankle during the match. And that year I have four months of treatment for both of my ankle more than ten times. And then I couldn’t do really well in the singles court. Then Paul says who is your best (doubles) partner. I said Peng (Shuai). Then he worked it out and then we played together again. That year we won Wimbledon (2013) was the year I hurt my ankle, I came into the doubles.
Scoop: So he was really a major help to you?
Hsieh: Really magic that happened, you know? I was thinking singles, (in) the doubles the dream come true. It’s what happened. Then he was doing a lot of communication and helping me a lot with singles and doubles.
