WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2005

Feliciano Lopez

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: I think it was an easy match. I don't think Mario played as good today. He maybe was a little bit nervous, not serving as he's serving usually. From my part, I play a great match. I serve very good; I play my best strokes today from the baseline. I return good. So for me was a great match.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, a little bit since the beginning of the match he was not serving like with confidence, no? He was doing many double-faults. But, you know, something happens. It happens to me also sometimes when you don't find the way to play yourself. Well, I'm quite happy, no, because he played -- he didn't play his best level and I play my best level, so...

FELICIANO LOPEZ: I think they say today is in quarterfinals now. No, I'm serving good. I'm playing good volleys also. But the only thing I have to think is to focus in the next round, which I'm going to play probably Lleyton Hewitt, which is one of the best players in the world - even more on grass. He's a grass specialist, I think. He won the tournament here. So I don't want to think in semifinals or finals, I just want to focus on my next round.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: This is the way I play, no, since many years now. Probably I'm not the typical Spanish, no? But I like to play from the baseline as well, no? But for sure, one of my best weapon is to come in and to serve and volley.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: What do you mean?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Well, the thing is that when you serve ace, for sure you win the point. But sometimes, for example, for me I'm not serving that many aces, but I'm serving good percentage, and then I win the point with the volley, no? So it depends of the game, no? For me, especially for me, I didn't serve that many aces in this tournament, but I'm serving very good, no? So, for example, if you see Karlovic, for sure he's playing 51 aces, but he lost the match. But is not that important only the ace; it's also important the way and where you serving to play the next shot.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: No, as I said before, I'm going to play probably Lleyton Hewitt, which is one of the best players in the world. For sure now I'm quarterfinals, no? It's easy to dream. But, you know, I just want to play the next round as well as I did today and try to play my best tennis, same I've been doing to this week, and that's all.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Well, for sure it's going to be a tough match, no? He is one of the best players in the world. He's returning unbelievable. He's playing today against Dent, which is a guy who is serving and volleying all the time, as I'm doing. Well, it's going to be tough, no - today, as the day before, as always. Probably with him you have to be all the match there because he's fighting every ball. But, you know, I'm going to try my best tennis and hopefully I'm going to go in the semis.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: If I have to play the same way as I played today?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, I will try. I have to play my tennis, no? Doesn't matter which is the opponent.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Against Dent?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Similar than the match of today, no? Serving and volley as Mario, as I'm doing also. So it's going to be quite different match. If I play Lleyton, it's going to be different.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Probably a little bit. But it's not only for the game, no? It's because of Lleyton, he played many quarterfinals of Grand Slam, no? This is a very important thing also.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, this is because why I play in Court 1. It was my first time against Safin. I didn't find the way to go out of the court. No, but now I know everything here.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, it's okay.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Because of my game. I think I have a good game for grass, better than clay, better than any other surface. That's what I think, my serve and volley is good for this surface. That's why I'm playing good always here.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: First time I played on grass was my first Wimbledon actually. I reached the fourth round. After this tournament, after my first Wimbledon, I realize that I can play good on grass.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: No, I don't feel any extra pressure, no? I just try to play every match as good as I can. This is very important for me. For example, now if you will see tomorrow all the newspapers, they will talk about my match, probably because I think it's 33 years already that there was no Spanish guy in the quarterfinals here. So it's probably one thing that makes the people dream a little bit, no? But I don't like to dream, no? I just going focus on the next match and try to beat Lleyton Hewitt or Dent, that's all.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, maybe a little bit, no? When you won your singles match, the next day you used to have a day off. I've been practicing yesterday a little bit. We went for dinner in London. We've been quite relaxed, no? Maybe if we play doubles yesterday, it would be different, no? I'd be more tired today.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: We've been in a Spanish restaurant, very nice one.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Kensington.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, sure.