ATP MASTERS SERIES- MADRID

October 20, 2004

Alex Corretja

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, not really well, not really comfortable. I don't know. My stomach was a bit delicate today. I was feeling weak. I wasn't as comfortable as I would like. I wasn't moving fast. I was really feeling weak. My game was worse. It wasn't a great match. It's a pity.

ALEX CORRETJA: If I weren't motivated, I wouldn't be here. My defeat today isn't because of me feeling mentally weak. Today wasn't like that. Sometimes mental aspects have an influence, but not today. Yesterday my stomach was hurting. Today it was the same. I don't want to give excuses anyway. It's sad, that's true. The first day I was playing well. I was comfortable after a tennis year that hasn't been too good. I wanted to gain confidence, but things are like this. I'll try to end the year as well as possible.

ALEX CORRETJA: I have no opinion. I just play, and that's enough for me. Don't have time to worry about that.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, maybe to enter a tournament next week. I've asked for an invitation in St. Petersburg. That would be great. If not, I would play the qualifying rounds of Paris Bercy maybe. Well, I'm waiting. I'm still waiting. If I do play Paris, I need time to rest, to make new goals for myself for next year.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I'm still fighting. I'm still trying to find my way, to have more victories, more triumphs, to be more stable in the ranking, and to be able to decide about the tournaments I play in order to be more comfortable with myself and choose the tournaments I play. I don't know how the year is going to end for me. I have several points to defend. It depends on that. Whether I go to Australia or start in South America, I don't really care about ending in the Top 100 or 110 in the ranking. The main thing is to be motivated, and I am. I am going for a weak period. I'll try to recover my way with results.

ALEX CORRETJA: I guess the only way I can find it is with time and patience. I cannot change the rhythm of my career and my pace in a week. But sometimes you have to wait in order to climb in the rankings. I think my level right now is the one I showed last week, for instance. I know I haven't done today what I am capable of doing. I just need to carry on. As long as I'm strong, I'll carry on. And mentally I'm recovering strength, too, because I've been in tennis many years, and that's something to take into account. But I'm feeling well mentally. My goals are to keep fighting and see what happens.