TMS - MADRID

October 14, 2003

Feliciano Lopez

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yes. Seeing the central court, it's been great with me, playing matches. Yesterday, thanks to a tiebreak, I won the match. Today once again the crowd was with me in the crucial moments.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: You have to be ready for anything with him. I knew I was going to have very few opportunities with his serve. I couldn't lose the opportunities. First set, I played very well. I broke his serve. Later, a few chances during the second and third, I lost them. Finally in the third set I had a break that I took advantage of, and I'm happy.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Being it's an aspect of my game I've improved this year, and with Philippoussis, even if my return is good, the important thing is to be there all the time more than trying to return the ball correctly. I was trying to force situations for him to doubt himself.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yes, today two possible candidates have played. But I don't want to think about that only. The match wasn't only focused towards the Davis Cup. I wanted to think about the tournament and try to be in the tournament. My personal triumphs are the ones that are going to take me one day to the Davis Cup.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Of course, courts are not the same in tournaments. In Vienna, it was similar. But here there is more altitude. Well, different but almost similar.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: I'm upset. I have to say I'm upset. I've worked hard since I was young to be a good player. To be involved in something like this upsets me. I learned about it only yesterday evening that Sunday the English newspaper, I was mentioned. Friends, family that see this are worried. It does hurt my image. But I think this should not be commented without comparing the information with the player first. It has hurt Fernando Vicente.