TENNIS MASTERS CUP

November 18, 2005

Gaston Gaudio

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English or Chinese.

GASTON GAUDIO: I was thinking the same that everybody here: that I was done (smiling). I don't know how I came back, but finally I did it. Then I was like 4-3 with serve, on serve, and he break me back. There was a lot of situations, so emotional. It was fun for the crowd. Not fun for me, but... Anyway, I'm so happy about it (smiling).

GASTON GAUDIO: Well, facing that situation, I think that no one here could be a little bit more, you know, expressions, being positive. I was almost three times to lose the match. That's why I was a little bit disappointed. Then when I came back, I think that my mind change a little bit and I was a little bit more positive. I was showing my emotions. Finally at the end I think that my attitude was pretty good.

GASTON GAUDIO: Well, first I would love to enjoy this situation, being in the semifinal in a great event like this, you know, in a Masters Cup. Playing against him is always so difficult and tough. Even worse playing on this surface. So tomorrow's going to be pretty difficult for me. But you never know. You know, every match that you play, and every time that I get into a court, I would love to win. I think that I have a few chances. You never know what can happen. So tomorrow, it's going to be one of those days.

GASTON GAUDIO: Yeah, a little bit more exciting than fishing (smiling). I prefer to play golf, you know, when I have the time. I think that is my hobby, when I am free, on holidays.

GASTON GAUDIO: Well, I was playing better at the end of the year in Bercy, that I reached the quarterfinals and I was a little bit more confident than the last year. When I arrived there in the Masters, I was a little bit, you know -- I wasn't playing my best tennis on that surface. And here I play against Puerta and González. It's not the same as playing against Federer, Moya and Hewitt.

GASTON GAUDIO: Yeah, I know. That's why I was almost losing the match, and I was one point away to lose the match. Of course, it was tough. I'm happy about it. It give me a lot of confidence to face Roger tomorrow. I will see.

GASTON GAUDIO: Could be. Could be. Maybe mentally we are not prepared enough. But the results doesn't lie. You know, that's the way that it is. So I didn't win not even a title in any surface like this. Against that, we cannot do anything. That is the way that it is.

GASTON GAUDIO: Yeah, of course. I think that it's great to keep in the same ranking than the last year, and this year I didn't win the French Open, like you said. It's tough to stay in the same level. So I feel so comfortable now that I trust in myself that I can be in the top 10 without, you know, like a huge event like I won last year. So give me a lot of confidence to now believe that I can be in the top 10 for the next years.

GASTON GAUDIO: No, I don't think so. He was injured before coming here, and then I saw him play, and he was running like always. I don't believe that tomorrow he's going to suffer any injury again.

GASTON GAUDIO: Yeah, of course, sometimes I don't feel to play. It's normal. I don't know if everybody here wants to work every day. Sometimes you don't want to work. But being in a situation like this, you know, playing the Masters, I think that all of the players in the ATP would love to be in this situation. The motivation is so big that just keep in my mind not being motivated in this situation today.

GASTON GAUDIO: No, I think that on clay I would put more pressure than in here. But I don't know. You know, playing against him, I told you before, is so difficult, and even worse in this surface. I'm going to tell you after the match tomorrow what happened (smiling).