DAVIS CUP - SPAIN vs AUSTRALIA

December 9, 2000

Alex Corretja

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

ALEX CORRETJA: Nothing went through my mind. When you're playing a five-game set, nothing can come to your mind until the game is over. So nothing really came to mind until we won, regardless of having a break, if you start with a break, better, but nothing went through my mind at that point.

CAPTAIN DUARTE: For a Davis Cup final, I think the fans were great. I will give them an 11 out of 10 score. They were very good from the first point to the last point. They were educated. A point here and there, we had some comments, but they were quiet. We have also played in the road ourselves. After that, enough finals. After that, I think the crowd was very, very, very good.

CAPTAIN DUARTE: We've been focusing a lot on getting concentration. You need to win three points to win the Davis Cup, no matter which is the order. We have two games tomorrow; we need to win one to win the Davis Cup. That's the approach we're taking right now.

CAPTAIN DUARTE: This is the job of a captain. There are two jobs. The first one, of the four captains who are directing the Spanish team. The first job for us is to be with the players 35 weeks during a year, be in hotels, talk to them, know our team and know who are the better players to play the games. The second part is to know our players and know of them needs, support and to have the players know, as well. It's not important if I stand up or not because I know what to do to get the support for the players, who I know that needs support.

JUAN BALCELLS: I don't know. I think both Alex and I played very, very good today. We took advantage of our opportunities at all the time during the game. That was the key to winning, to capitalizing on our opportunities. I'm not sure if I played a better game than today.

ALEX CORRETJA: Can I tell you something? Do you think they really disturbed the Aussie players many times during this game after three sets, after five sets yesterday, after four sets with Ferrero and Rafter?

ALEX CORRETJA: I'm a little surprised with all this stuff you're talking. I believe they didn't whistle? What, twice in the whole match after three hours.

ALEX CORRETJA: We played in much more worse places, and they really behaved like pretty bad people, you know. They were telling us they wanted to kill us. They said we were going to die if we win, and nothing happened. There was like millions of time. That was terrible. Today our crowd was great. They didn't disturb your players. If they didn't play better, it's their fault, not the crowd's fault. Don't try to find any excuse with that. I don't agree with that.

CAPTAIN DUARTE: Just wanted to make the point that since we have a really good relationship with the Australian team through the circuit. But when they came here, it started with the balls issue, then it was the court issue. We're playing the court we want because we are in Spain and we are the home team. If somebody goes to Australia, they're not going to be asked about cutting the grass. The Australian doctor has asked our doctor for help. Our doctor has solved all the problems, even helping Patrick Rafter yesterday, regardless of what could be thought after that. We've always been friends with the Australian team. I was very surprised and I cannot tolerate what Hewitt comments on the fans that I read this morning in the papers. I would tell the Australian people they can still win this thing, and that this thing is still up in the air.

ALEX CORRETJA: Okay, we got you.

ALEX CORRETJA: I really understand what you're talking. I'm not going to talk more about the crowd because I think they respect the player, even if they booed to them twice in the whole match or whistled three times in one set. I believe they didn't disturb their serves, probably twice in the whole match or three times. I don't want to say that the people behaved pretty bad to them. I don't want to see the crowd saying anything to them. I think they didn't tell them anything. They behaved pretty well. I saw some of the Aussie bench making pretty bad things to me, probably family people, which is even worst, you know. The crowd was behaving well. If you believe they behaved too aggressive, I don't see that they behaved too aggressive. They were enjoying the tennis match, and that's all.

CAPTAIN DUARTE: I know Juan Balcells won't be playing. He did his job today, and earned a 10. We're going to use the ruling and not announce who is going to play yet. We have three players who can play but we have to talk about it at our hotel.

JUAN BALCELLS: We need to wait until tomorrow. Today's game was very important, the win was very important, after everybody talking of them being favorites. But we spoke with our game today. It's a very, very important win because it puts us in the driving position to be able to win tomorrow.

JUAN BALCELLS: I think the court was very good for us. This is the court we were expecting, not too fast, favoring our returns. We knew we were going to give everything today. Regardless of the scores, we (inaudible) we were going to give everything, and that paid off.

ALEX CORRETJA: They don't need to play, so that's why they can relax. Balcells, he's very happy. He doesn't have to play tomorrow. I don't know if I'm going to play, but I have the chance of playing. Tomorrow will be a very, very long day. We're 2-1 in our favor, so we have two games to win it all. We're in an advantage, but still everybody has the option. This is my way of being. I do not let it go until it's over. Whoever works with me during the year knows that. Inside I'm very, very calm, I'm very, very happy. Outside this is what I'm showing. There's still work to do. We need to be very, very motivated, but we cannot say it's over until we win it.

ALEX CORRETJA: No, they're two different things. At Sydney, it was great, because we weren't counting on it. Today was marvelous, a win against the best and the third best player in the world who have done great things for Australia in their careers. Playing with Juan, the way we played, demonstrates we can do great things. The win today -- I mean, if we win tomorrow, it would be even a greater win than winning the Olympic Games. But still I remind you there's two games to be played tomorrow.

ALEX CORRETJA: We were hitting hard and we were up all the time. We were very close together, Juan and I. We had many chances until it was 2-2. I got the -- they broke me. It was 3-2, a little unlucky. But we reacted. I since really think it was a key, that turnaround, reacting at that point. They were serving with new balls, got the break, that was the key to the game. At that point I agree we were serving hard, returning long and doing good volleying on the net.

ALEX CORRETJA: No, I don't make the choice, I don't select who is playing what. I will be ready to help as I was yesterday and today. Our captains will decide. It's important we're 2-1. We had a great game and lost yesterday, a perfect game then to tie. We played very, very good today. I don't care who I'm facing, but it's not going to be easy. It's going to be hard. Everybody needs to realize that.

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