DAVIS CUP - SPAIN vs USA

April 5, 2002

Jordi Arrese

ALEX CORRETJA: No, actually, I start to feel better like in the beginning of the third set when I start to return better. I think I was kind of returning pretty well both first sets, but he was just serving pretty well. And I was little (inaudible) with my serve, so I start to focus on my serve. I start to push little bit more harder with my second serve. And even though I made some double-faults, it gave me some confidence thinking that I will keep him on the back of the court. I start thinking to myself, especially at the beginning of the third set.

ALEX CORRETJA: Of course. Because tomorrow doesn't count as today, you know. So tomorrow, it's another day (laughter). Anything can happen in one day, you know. So for sure we are looking forward to play tomorrow. And it's nice for our team to have one point today, because it was our main goal to have one point and go into a doubles 1-all. Because we strongly believe that we really have good chances to win that. And it's nice to see that even if we lost the first five sets we played on this tie, finally we came through and we won a match and it's pretty satisfying for the whole team. And especially for myself, which was a nice victory. It's good to see that you came back from two-sets-to-love-down against Sampras on grass.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I think he start to slow down his second serve probably beginning of third set. And I felt like I had pretty good chances with my return. I was thinking to keep my serve -- to hold my serve, and it will be a good advantage. Because I was feeling like that I have a nice moment to broke him every time. So I felt like it was love-15 once, then 15-30, then 30-all, you know. So I was waiting for that moment. And I couldn't broke him one serve, but then we get to the breaker, and finally I get 6-0 and then I make a really good passing shot. And from that point on, I felt like I was going to have pretty good chances to win this match. Because I was returning well. And even if I was making some double-faults, I felt like I was pretty much confident with my serve.

ALEX CORRETJA: No, I always said I would like to play Wimbledon, but it's not my problem. It's a problem of calendar. And it's a problem, before it was another issue, as you know. I always said I didn't have anything against Wimbledon. But if you play through Scottsdale, Indian Wells, then you go to Key Biscayne, then you have to play Davis Cup, then you got to play Monte-Carlo, Hamburg, Rome, French Open, how come I can be ready to play Wimbledon? I need some time to rest. And then, I need time to recover myself for a big season like from starting like March and finish in June. So I don't regret anything to myself, thinking, "Oh, I could have gone to Wimbledon and done it better or just play." Because if you play a lot of matches on clay, then you need a rest to recover. And because French Open and Wimbledon is only three weeks in between, or two weeks in between, I cannot just get ready for grass.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, absolutely goes in a high position, because -- pretty high position. Because it's always nice when you win tournaments. But beating Sampras on grass after losing first two sets, it makes something special, and especially when it's in Davis Cup in US. So I don't know at this stage which position it's going to take because I'm just focus on my match for tomorrow. And then I will see if I could put it even higher. But of course as a professional tennis player, this is something pretty satisfying.

CAPTAIN JORDI ARRESE: Alex was down. Although he was down in the first two sets, he had two games where he was actually up. And after the first break, even though he hadn't played a lot on grass, he was starting to move forward and improve. And I said, "Just stay focused," and that he would be on grass and with the break that he would be able to move forward.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, no, I was just focus. I mean, I felt like I had good chances, and I knew that he was serving pretty well the first two sets. But I think he kind of slowed down his serve in the third. And not maybe in the third, but of course absolutely in the fourth set. So we went to a tiebreak. If he would have beat me that tiebreak, we would have said, "Okay, was a pretty close match." But nothing else. But in the tiebreak I get focused thinking that I have really good chance if I can get through to that tiebreak. And then fourth set and fifth set I feel like I was pretty high in his return -- in my return game. And even if I get some trouble with my serve, I think it was possible to make some double-faults.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah, only one (laughter). Yeah. Was my first time highlight. Yeah. No, no, I mean, you're nervous when you have to serve for the match sometimes, or when you have to serve for the fourth set, as you notice. He broke me back. But you also have that when you play for a regular tournament, you know. Because you want to close down and just win the set. But, unfortunately, sometimes you can do it, sometimes you cannot -- you can't. But I think I managed pretty well, especially when I broke him the fifth set, I felt pretty confident with myself. We were talking now in the locker room that 4-3 I was serving really well, and then 5-4 I didn't have any doubts on myself because I felt pretty - I don't know - pretty hard on that. Even if I had to make a jump, whatever you call that, it was good to do it, because I couldn't reach it otherwise.

ALEX CORRETJA: I think I have a good volley. I don't use it, but I do have it, so... I should consider going more to the net. So I think I played pretty deep in my volleys. Even though I think he played some good passing shots, especially first two sets. But my chances were to keep him at the -- try to keep him on the baseline and try to move him a little bit and try to mix it up with my serve. And sometimes come to the net with my slice. And of course put -- I mean, pushing his backhand, which for sure it's a little weaker than his forehand side.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I understand Patrick's point of view, and I'm happy to see I make a big effort physically and I won. Imagine if I would have been there four hours and I lost, you know (laughter)? So that would be terrible. So I do understand his point. And I'm capable. Because I've been doing that on clay for many times, and playing on clay is much harder than on grass. So I don't think -- I don't have to think like I'm going to have any trouble physically tomorrow or something.