NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 30, 2003

Carlos Moya

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, the way I played and the way he played, maybe. But I think I didn't play a good match at all. He put a lot of pressure, he played great, but if I wanted to win this match, I had to serve very well, and today, I didn't. Also, my return has been very bad. When we were playing the points, I think, you know, we were very tight. But the key has been his serve and my serve. I'm supposed to serve better than him, and today, I didn't at all. So I had nothing to -- he didn't give me any chance.

CARLOS MOYA: I have no idea. So, I don't know, maybe was very early in the morning. I don't know, he played great. I mean, there's no question about it. He didn't give me any chance at all. But I have to say that today I didn't serve as well as I have been serving the last matches.

CARLOS MOYA: Thanks.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, I think so. As I said before, I think my return today has been very bad. I've been returning better serve than that without no problem, and today, I don't know what reason, I have not been able to return at all. So, I mean, he gets many free points with his serve. He plays very relaxed. There's no way that I can beat him.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, when was it?

CARLOS MOYA: In the first set?

CARLOS MOYA: What happened there? I didn't get the...

CARLOS MOYA: Okay, okay.

CARLOS MOYA: I mean, I knew he was gonna serve there but still didn't get to return the ball. But he didn't give me any chance with his serve at all. In the second set, I have 15-40 but, again, I didn't even put the ball in so... No chance.

CARLOS MOYA: It's a great achievement. It's great. This is not a small tournament at all, so he won six times a really big tournament, Masters Series. Is great what he's done.

CARLOS MOYA: I felt okay, but not -- I mean, nothing special. To be honest, I thought that I had a chance to win this match, but I didn't expect to lose 6-3, 6-3 in one hour. But, you know, I am disappointed but looking back at this week, I had a wonderful week, good wins. But today, I didn't expect to lose that easy.

CARLOS MOYA: No, because, I mean, this is the only tournament that you have a Friday semifinal and one day off before the final. The other Masters Series that he won, he played four, five matches in a row, in every consecutive day. So I don't think -- that doesn't surprise me at all because he's in good shape, he's feel healthy. Maybe if the match yesterday against Albert was going to third set and very tight match, maybe, because he had a tough match on Friday. But I knew that he was gonna be ready today and 100 percent.

CARLOS MOYA: At least we still would be playing out there (laughter). But I thought I had more chances at best-of-five because he played two consecutive matches and I had day off yesterday. But I just found out yesterday it was best-of -- I mean, when I beat Srichaphan, that it was best-of-three. I thought it was gonna be best-of-five. I was okay with that. I found out it was best-of-three. That's the way it is. There's no excuse, best-of-three for both of us.

CARLOS MOYA: That was the only game I had really served well. But the others, I can't remember serving that well. Maybe it's because he puts a lot of pressure that you have to serve 120 and the right spot. Otherwise, the ball is coming in faster than you hit. But only the first game I felt comfortable with my serve. The others didn't work out really well today.

CARLOS MOYA: When I was playing or...?

CARLOS MOYA: Maybe not, I don't know. I have no idea. I mean, with Andre, it's not easy to play a long match because he hits the ball very hard. But, you know, I feel that he won, he was not that easy, but he was one break in the first and two breaks in the second. Has not been like 6-1, 6-1; 3 and 3, and I didn't have many chances. But, you know, just one of those days that you don't play your best and he play very well.

CARLOS MOYA: Not really.

CARLOS MOYA: I have Spanish habits, you know... It's not easy for me. I mean, the final should be played, I think, later. But, I mean, I'm not gonna complain at all. It's not that early, either. It's no excuse. Indian Wells was supposed to be played at 9:30. I think that's crazy. But here, 11, it's still early for final, but you have to get used to it.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I think I am one of the favorites. Clay court is my best surface. I'm in the Top 5. But no question that there are so many favorites right now that you cannot -- I mean, I looking forward to that tournament, but it's still, you know, far from now and still many things gonna happen and many tournaments to go. But is great for me to be in the Top 10 in Champions Race coming to the clay court season. It's gonna give me good confidence.

CARLOS MOYA: I think he's Top 5 right now, in the Champions Race. Somewhere there, 5, 6. And the best tennis for him is still to come and the best surface, his favorite surface. So he's fit and healthy. He's gonna be Top 5, for sure.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I think the best player in the world right now is Hewitt because you have to follow the ranking. In any given match, maybe I'd rather play Hewitt than Agassi. But, I mean, Hewitt proved that he's No. 1. He has won so many things. You know, you have to follow the ranking and you see who is the best right now. But I think Agassi is there also, and maybe in one month he's No. 1. But they both great players, and both really difficult to play.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't think so. Besides my serve and return, I think my ground strokes were good. I cannot say that I play awful today, but not at the level that I been playing lately. But it's still a final in a Masters Series. I lost to one of the best players ever. I mean, is nothing I can say about it.

CARLOS MOYA: No, Davis Cup, Monte-Carlo, Barcelona.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't think so. I don't think so because I don't know how many tournaments he's gonna play on clay. I don't think he's gonna play many tournaments. But he's a good player and even if he's playing just one tournament, he can win it. But to win the French Open, you have to get used to the clay court and play a few tournaments at least. I don't know if he's gonna do that. But if he takes the clay court season really serious and focused and very motivated, he will be one of the players to beat.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I think I follow playing on baseline and sometimes coming to net. But if you serve well, you have more chances; you get easy balls and easy forehands. Today I didn't get many of them. Also, you return, you put some pressure on him and he serves maybe little bit worse. He was very comfortable with his serve and he was doing whatever he wanted. But, you know, I had the experience to play him last year in Paris-Bercy, which is supposed to be, I mean, a really bad surface for me, and I still managed to play pretty well because I served well and I returned well. So today I have not been able to do that. And with Agassi, you don't do that, you lose for sure.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, it's very easy to play when you're 6-3, 5-3, love-30. You do anything, it's gonna work out for sure. He was playing with a lot of confidence. He came from double breakpoint down and, you know, he, for sure, whatever he did that moment, it would have been good for him. So is easy to play like that.