TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS

May 9, 2004

Carlos Moya

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I play very well this week, the whole week - very solid. The only match I had trouble was against Karlovic because he doesn't give you a rhythm, he serve great. So that match I was close to lose. But after I won that match, I realize that I was playing well and got so much confidence. Has been a perfect week. The conditions were not easy for me. It rained a lot, I was coming here a few days at nine o'clock in the morning, leaving eleven o'clock at night. But still I was very focused and everything was perfect this week for me.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I don't know. In that year I played very well Monte-Carlo and then didn't play very well here so...(Smiling).

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, is different. I thought was gonna be different last week when I lost early in Barcelona, because the tradition said that I was doing very well there, and so... I lost the second round. I said, "Okay, maybe in Rome, where usually I play bad, it changes also." So it looks like I was right. I played bad Barcelona and very well here. So, hopefully, it's gonna be the same thing as '98 in terms of French Open. So now I'm very confident, I'm playing well, but in two, three weeks, everything can change. You have a bad draw and you have first rounds very tough, and then you tired, it's nothing to do there. So it depends on so many things. So now I want to enjoy here, enjoy this week, enjoy this final and this title, and then I have time to think about that.

CARLOS MOYA: Not really (smiling). You don't plan a shot like that. The ball was coming and I, you know, I didn't know what to do. I thought about hitting between the legs, but that's not very usual. You know, it worked very well, it was a great shot, and then I won the point. So I think when you're winning and you're confident, these shots usually are going in, so... (smiling).

CARLOS MOYA: Well, at their best, I guess Coria and Ferrero still are the biggest favorites . I would say even Ferrero, being at 100 percent, I think he's the best player on clay. But, you know, now looks like they are not 100 percent. They have been suffering injuries. That's really unlucky that the injuries came during this clay court season. But now I have to try to take advantage of that and, you know... So I still believe that they are the biggest favorites - Coria and Ferrero. But on any given day, there are a few players that still can beat them.

CARLOS MOYA: Not at all. I think he was a little bit tired today. He is very talented, you know. He's gonna be an even better player in the future. He already is great player, but he's gonna be even better because he is young and can play well everywhere. For today, I got to the court believing in myself, believing that there was a good chance to win here. Given the conditions these days, I thought that I was maybe more favorite than he was. So, you know, believing that when I get to the court gave me so much confidence. And after I won the first set, I thought that, "This is my chance, I have to take it." But he's still a great player, and he's one of the contenders for the French Open.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't know either. I don't know. I knew that sooner or later I was gonna play well because usually the tournaments I like, I feel well, I used to play well. So, here, it was the exception I would say. So this year looks like I play well since the beginning and I got confident. And when I'm confident, this can happen. But I have no reason why I didn't play well here before.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, you have to adapt to the game, to the opponents, to improve a little bit. So I think that's something that I've been working on the past years, and maybe that makes little bit the difference now. As you said, I tried to change little bit things, to try to be more aggressive, to change the serve little bit, try to hit hard, and sometimes to kick little bit. So all these things I think for the opponent, it's difficult to read my game. And that's what I'm trying to do, change a little bit. Because if you keep playing the same way as I been playing five years ago, the opponent knows you better and so he can adapt his game. So it's matter of changing little bit everything.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, maybe Wimbledon (smiling).

CARLOS MOYA: Well, it just comes, you know. There is no reasons. Sometimes you try to prepare for a tournament and then you expect something happen and you not ready for that. For this week, I got here on Sunday afternoon. I hit for half hour. I played Monday morning, and, you know, I won that match and suddenly I moved very well, I played very well, very confident. So sometimes you don't know why, but everything comes together. And, you know, that's the good thing of tennis - when you don't expect something to happen, it happens. And when you prepare 100 percent, you very focused, sometimes something is missing. So I'm very happy the way my legs moved this week, and I was very quick. You know, I was reading the opponent's game very well, so that helped me a lot. And try to move around to hit with my forehand. So as you said, my footwork was excellent this week.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, maybe I have to change a little bit my goals. The beginning of the year, was to be in the Masters Cup and win Davis Cup. Davis Cup is still my first choice. And then, first, I want to make sure that I'm gonna play the Masters. Still I have to win few more matches. And then if I am there, try to finish the year as high as I can. But there are many good players now. And, you know, last years I been having some ups and downs. This year so far has been great for me - no downs at all yet. So maybe soon they are gonna come, but I hope not (smiling). But if I am able to keep playing at this level, I don't know what can happen. But now I want to be focus on my next week, and work hard and, you know, try to play as well as I have been playing this week.

CARLOS MOYA: I'm very shy.

CARLOS MOYA: Well... (smiling). I'll try to improve my Italian. I can speak little bit but, you know, not...

CARLOS MOYA: Little bit shy (smiling).

CARLOS MOYA: Well, that's something that I have to see. I have to see. Because I didn't have a break since last year at Wimbledon because we played Davis Cup final last year, and I had maybe a week off and then start practice again for Australia. Then I got injured, then I had little bit break but, you know, is not the same thing to have a break, forget about tennis for a while, and I couldn't do that. I was focused on my ankle and to get ready again. So I don't know. When you win, you have power, you have endurance, you quick, you fast, you confident. So I didn't need to rest now. When you lose, maybe you have to start to think about taking few -- taking time off. But I don't know, I have to see how the next weeks are going, and I'll decide later.

CARLOS MOYA: No, possibly I'll be there.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, why not (smiling).

CARLOS MOYA: More than "possibly." I would like to say something, to dedicate this win to friends of mine, tennis players that have been injured lately, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Vincente. They have been suffering different injuries. And from here, I would like to say something nice to them and, you know, for them to be back where they belong and to play well again (applause).