US OPEN

August 30, 2004

Carlos Moya

THE MODERATOR: First question.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah. The beginning I played really bad, you're right. I guess always first rounds are difficult to play. And I was playing a young American, which is very motivated playing here and playing against me. So the beginning I played really bad. Then the key, it was when I won the second set. After that, I start to play much better, and he was cramping little bit. I not happy the way I played but, still, a win is a win.

CARLOS MOYA: No, it's good. Like I said, as long as I'm winning...(smiling). For sure I'm gonna play better the next match. I mean, I have experience in this kind of situation and I know that I gonna play better for sure. So I usually play like this the first rounds, and it takes a while for me to get used to the court and the speed of the court, the balls, everything to get into the tournament. So I happy that I won, but like I said, I not happy the way I played.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't know. Usually when it happens, it happens at the beginning of the matches. Then you get the rhythm again, you start to play better. And it happened little bit today. I try not to get too frustrated. I realized that I was not playing good match, but still it was a very tight match. So I knew that when I starting to play better and better, I will have chances to win that match. But usually the forehand is my best weapon, and today it didn't work at the beginning. But I tried to be patient. This is best-of-five sets, so I knew sooner or later it was going to work.

CARLOS MOYA: Maybe, maybe.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, probably. Probably I tried to adapt to the speed of the court, the ball, and also he was hitting hard. But I should see the video because when you are playing, you don't realize what you are doing wrong. So maybe if I could watch that first set, I could say what's wrong.

CARLOS MOYA: I been practicing in these courts all these last days and it was okay. Maybe the courts are fast. The balls are not that fast. So I think for my game is good. I like to play in these conditions, and I had good results this kind of surface and these kinds of conditions so far, so that's not the problem. So I like these conditions here.

CARLOS MOYA: It's true it was really hot and very humid. I was feeling little bit weak when we finished the first set. Like my legs were slow, and I needed to eat something. It was not that windy, so that's not a big problem. But to play in these conditions, it's really tough.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I think that everybody can do what they want. I think -- I don't know. What I know is not doing any bad for tennis, so if they think they can motivate all the players to come here and play more motivated, I don't think so. I don't think you need that extra money, because probably who's gonna win the US Open Series, Federer or Roddick. I think these guys, they don't play for money right now.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't know. You're right that my year has been excellent so far. Most of the matches I am winning lately is because I had a good run and I'm very confident, not because I played great tennis. But I know that if I am able to win few more matches here, at least I know what it takes to win a Grand Slam; I know what it takes to play well here. So that's something positive that I have to -- that I have. So right now there are still 128 players in the draw. You cannot predict anything right now. But for sure at the end all the big names are gonna be there.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, he's probably the hottest player on tour right now. We all know what he can do and how good he can be. I don't agree that last couple of years have been bad - last year only. Two years ago he finished No. 1. So last year he had some problems and maybe he didn't win many matches - or not as many as he used to win - but we know that he's a great champion and that sooner or later he was going to be playing well again. Looks like he's dangerous right now again and he's playing his best tennis. So, to me, he's one of the big names here and one of the guys who really has chances to win here.

CARLOS MOYA: Not really. Now that you mention it, I didn't realize that maybe it was my highest ranking (smiling).

CARLOS MOYA: I didn't know that. So I didn't pay attention to that. I just try to go out there and enjoy. I know my first goal will be to get in the Masters Cup in Houston. I think if I play a good tournament here, my chances are going to be really high to be there. So, like I said, I'm trying to do my best, enjoy on court, and not thinking about these points and my ranking, all of these things.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah. I think yeah. It's my biggest goal for this year. And I never won Davis Cup so, to me, it would be a dream come true. I think we have good chances this year. If we play well and everything goes the way it's supposed to go, we have chances. We gonna play home, and probably if we win, we should play at home the final. I guess that when we play home, we are the favorites, and we accept that. We respect all the other countries because they're in semifinals so that means that they have very strong teams and they're going to do their best. But I think we have good chances this year. It would be great for me if we could win it.

CARLOS MOYA: It would be good. Three times we played each other; two of them I served for the match and I could not beat him. So I guess on clay, I should have more chances. But still long time to go.