TMS - HAMBURG

May 20, 2001

Albert Portas

ATP: Ladies and gentlemen, your Tennis Masters Series Hamburg Champion, Dragon Drop Shot racket, Albert Portas. Questions in English first, please.

ALBERT PORTAS: Yes. Give me a name, I am very happy for this. If everybody can tell me Dragon, so Dragon for me, it is okay.

ALBERT PORTAS: I don't know. You must ask him. I don't know.

ALBERT PORTAS: Because of the dropshots.

ALBERT PORTAS: You must ask me what happened with Ferrero in the third set. So I think that he played unbelievable. I don't know, I tried to do the same like in the second, but he played really, really good. So 6-Love, 3-Love and I am thinking to win one game because it was 6-Love 6-Love. So after I think that I play a little bit more strong and he was a little bit tired in the fifth and end of the match I think it was very, very close and it was maybe a little bit lucky of him. It was so close the match.

ALBERT PORTAS: So, yes, when I was 6-Love 3-Love, so I was thinking to try to win a game because he was playing unbelievable and I couldn't do anything. But I think that from then, from 3-1 I played my game again so then the match was another completely.

ALBERT PORTAS: I was trying to do it all the match, but he played really good in the third so he returned all my serve with a lot of topspin and a lot of power and I couldn't do anything.

ALBERT PORTAS: Maybe, yes. I don't know, so I was trying to put the ball as long as possible because he was playing inside of the court and I was running in one set and a half, so I was really tired, but he -- maybe he was with a lot of confidence and he couldn't keep up to play like this.

ALBERT PORTAS: So I know -- I think that four years ago I played really good in Barcelona as well, but from there I think that until this season clay, this clay season from Estoril I didn't feel the same, so now I think that I am in the same way that four years ago and a little bit better. So now I am -- I have to change my mind for my objective because at the beginning of the year I was trying to win my first title and to try to improve my ranking. So now I obtained this both objectives and I try to improve in other surfaces, I think.

ALBERT PORTAS: So I change my coach from one month ago and my physical trainer also at the beginning of the year. Maybe it was -- I don't know if it was the reason, but for me now I am very, very quiet with both men and I don't know. I know -- I don't know if he is the reason or not. So I am doing almost the same because my new coach from one month ago can tell me almost nothing because I play like everyday from three weeks so we cannot practice with special shots or something.

ALBERT PORTAS: Yes, I didn't feel this sensation from Barcelona so if I play at home I feel like this. So for me it was very important crowd all the week and especially today it was a big match and I have to give thanks to all the people here. And for me Hamburg from now will be special, for sure.

ALBERT PORTAS: No. No, I play with -- it is not -- I am not practicing this shot, so I have to do it because in clay court almost all the players run, run a lot and you must -- you cannot do any winner. So you must try things to, I don't know, for he has to volley after this shot and for me I think that if Ferrero is not in the line, for me it is okay because he has -- for me he has best tennis in clay court for sure. So maybe I won today but I think that he is, for me, at the moment, he is No. 1 for sure. So he won almost all the matches, won all the matches in Roma; he won Roma, Barcelona, Estoril and he reached the final here, so he is the No. 1; not me.

ALBERT PORTAS: I think that I was -- yesterday I spoke with my coach and I have to -- I had to try to do my game with a lot of strong forehands and I was trying to put Ferrero or outside the court or maybe inside with drop shot. So I was trying to do this. I don't know if it was the reason of the win, but I don't know, I was trying to do it.

ALBERT PORTAS: I think that from 3-1 was the key maybe was the first break that I give you from 3-1 to 3-2 because after this break the match was again close. So 3-2, I was serving again, so the match was Open completely. So I think that the key was not 3-Love 3 -1- after 3-1, 3-2.

ALBERT PORTAS: I think that in the fifth set the level of the match go down a little bit for him and for me as well because I was really tired. I play qualies here and I play more time than him in all the matches. But I think that in the fifth he was a little bit more tired than me. I think. I was tired too, but if I put a good shot, he cannot move like the other four sets.

ALBERT PORTAS: I think that I lost 6-Love, but it was for because he play really great tennis and if no for because I play bad, so I think that he played better than me and couldn't do anything, I think, in the third.

ALBERT PORTAS: I have to go to St. Poelton because I am in the draw and I don't know if I am going to play or not. I have to speak with people. So I am really tired and I don't know if it is better that I make a week off before Roland Garros, but any time I have to go and we will see if I am playing or not. It depends.

ALBERT PORTAS: For me it is incredible. I cannot tell you in words. For me it is the best day of my life, for sure, in tennis, and I couldn't think in the beginning of the week that I can win today. So for me it is an excellent week.

ALBERT PORTAS: I am playing with a lot of confidence so I think that all the players know that I am playing good so I think that this is important. But I think that there are many players that they can win there, so Ferrero, Kuerten, many players, so I try to do the same or similar level like this week and we will see.