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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2017

David Ferrer

Cincinnati, Ohio

N. KYRGIOS/D. Ferrer

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A nice run in Cincinnati. Lost in two tiebreakers. I was wondering, is practicing tiebreakers part of your practice routine? Do you simulate them when you practice?
DAVID FERRER: No, no. I never practice a tiebreak. Tonight was the serve in important moments. He served really good. I didn't have chance in the second tiebreak. I played good, but I need serve. I'm missing all the match.

And in important moments with the second serve, he played aggressive. He serve, you know, up than 130 miles. But anyway, I happy with my match today and my game.

Q. Do you have a feeling if you could get into a third set that he was going to run out of gas? He looked very tired in the second set, I thought.
DAVID FERRER: I don't know. I was okay. I was -- my feelings was okay. I could play third set, sure, but, well, the truth that I lost in two sets.

Q. With Nick serving so well, you still had a couple of break chances. What goes through your head after he saves those break points and you know they are very far, few in between to get one of those chances?
DAVID FERRER: We have both players who had chances on the second set, in the second set. With 3-2, or 2-1 for him, he had chances to win points. Next game I got it, two breaks again, and was the same there.

But, well anyway, was very, very close. I can't broken the serve, and I'm broke because he doesn't broke my serve. So it's a good point for me, because, I mean, normally, you know, I don't have a really good serve. I have a lot of breaks on my serve tonight, I didn't have.

Q. You displayed tremendous mental strength tonight, as you typically do. You have your own academy. I'm wondering, for you, was mental strength something that developed over time, or was that a character trait you had all along?
DAVID FERRER: Both. I thought that the character is very important, you know. It depends of the tennis player. Not all the tennis player we have the same character, and you have to work the best, as tennis player, you have on your practicing or training. But you can work every day to improve the mind and the tennis.

I thought that is very important, talk a lot with the tennis player more than practicing a lot of hours. Is very important. Know the tennis player and talk to him for the confidence, and for the tennis player will have confidence with himself and improve his game.

Q. In the postmatch interview on court, Nick paid you a lot of compliments and a lot of respect saying he played you four years ago at the US Open. After that, you shared some thoughts and ideas about what he could do to improve his game. What, besides the serve, obviously, that's improved, what have you seen that he's incorporated that he's really excelling at now since you played him last?
DAVID FERRER: About Nick? Yeah, well, Nick, he improve a lot his serve. He's playing better with his backhand. You know, I played four years ago. He was a junior. Now he's not any more a junior (smiling). And he serve better, you know. He has a very good percentage serving, good percentage. He has all the serve: wide, T, everything.

Nick is young guy, also, but he's improving. I think that he's a nice guy. Well, he's improving every year, and he's the future. He will have a lot of chance to be No. 1 of the world and to win Grand Slams, but depends of his mentality.

Q. You have got a long career, great career. You had to work really hard. So at this stage, having to work as hard as you have over the years, what keeps you going? Why do you still play so hard?
DAVID FERRER: Well, I have worked but not any more than the other tennis players. No, I don't think so.

You know, for to be a Top 10, you need talent, you need good legs, good timing. You know, I have a very good timing with my ball, backhand, forehand, and I have a very good receive.

So I am trying to improve my game and my best weapons. My best weapons is my consistent and my receive. So I have that, and I am one of the best tennis players of the world about that and improve that, but I don't have that because I work hard work a lot or I work hard more than the other tennis players. I thought all the tennis players are hard work. Depends of the game, some tennis player. But everyone work hard every day.

Q. After Wimbledon, people were talking about if Roger Federer could play until he was 40 years old or beyond that. Do you feel like you could play for several more years yourself at the level you're at now, your condition now?
DAVID FERRER: I don't know. I don't know. You know, three months ago I thought that, you know, maybe after Roland Garros or maybe when I finish this year I will take a decision about my career.

And now I am 30 of the world, playing good tennis. I hope will play next year again. I think so I will play. I am 100% sure that next year I will play. But in only three months, so I don't know if we can play two more years or three more years.

I am going step by step and enjoying this moment, enjoying this week. Is a new role for me. I am not a Top 10, but I am still have motivation. And for me, now, is the most important will play in center court with crowd and because I am playing tennis.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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