TMS MONTE CARLO

April 21, 2002

Carlos Moya

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Carlos, please.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, I think so. I think so. It was a very close set and I was holding my serve pretty easy. And then suddenly he got the break and he got the first set. I knew it was gonna be difficult. Was tough to play best-of-five set when I finish last night late and, you know, I had some problems with my groin. But still I think he had a great week. He deserve to win, and he's a great player.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I still -- if I was playing the semifinal today, the final was gonna be today, too. So, yeah, that's what they said yesterday before the rain stop. So I don't know what was the best way for me to win the tournament. But still, looking back at the week I had, is -- I mean, I'm very happy the way I been playing. Disappointing because I lost today. I never want to lose in a final. But to be honest, I think I had a great week. I beat some of the top players, and, you know, I feel like my game is back where it was a few years ago.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I can't tell if it was pretty close or not. The thing is that it was frustrating because nobody knew what the real problem was, and I was trying to come back and practice again and the pain was there. I did it like for seven, eight times, tried to come back and I was not able even to hit more than ten minutes. Mentally, it's tough, you know. Because after, you don't know how your body's gonna -- if your body's gonna recover, and you cannot trust your body anymore, you know. And was really tough. But, you know, so also you have to get the good things from that. And I learned a few things. And, you know, as I said, I'm still young and I think I have still time to be up again.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, that's what I hope. Monte-Carlo '98 was a turning point in my career, and after that I won the French Open. And I won here, I won the French Open, and I was able to get to No. 1, and everything started here. So why not? I mean, this is a very important tournament for me. I played final. And the most important thing is that I felt that my tennis was there again. You know, you never know what could happen if I was fit today, if I was 100%. But as I told you, hopefully is gonna be a turning point again and after this week my career's gonna go up again - and hopefully to the Top 5, but I don't know.

CARLOS MOYA: No, now is 100% I would say. I'm traveling with a guy, he's a chiropractor and he's a specialist on the back, you know. And he's helping me a lot. I'm traveling with him since January this year. Since he's with me, I don't have any problem with my back... Not in my back. So I have to travel with ten guys - one is leg specialist and a shoulder specialist, a back specialist.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, groin. Everything (smiling). But so far the back is okay.

CARLOS MOYA: To me he does. Because I play him six times, counting the one today. He beat me five of them, the last five. The thing is that I don't feel he has a weak point where I can attack him. That is really difficult to play. And you have to be really patient, and that's something that I don't have. I mean, I try to make as many winners as I can. And with him, he all the time the ball is coming back, he runs so fast. He has like two forehands, you know, his backhand is pretty strong. You cannot attack his serve because he puts a lot of spin on it, and... So I cannot tell you how, what is the best way to beat him. But to me, is really difficult to play him.

CARLOS MOYA: I think the situation is different, you know. And my worst ranking since I had this problem was like 60 so that means that I was able to get in all the tournaments in the main draw, you know. And he was really down, you know. When he had the injury, he was like 7, 800. He could not play in the main draw even in the satellites. So I think the situation was pretty different.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, yeah. I always thought it was like a second career for me, like second chance that God gave me, you know. Because if it happen when I'm 28, 29 years old, would have been much different, you know. I was 22, 23 when it happened to me and I was still Top 10. And, you know, after the six months off, I was -- it makes you think about the things that you've done wrong and take the good things from that injury, you know. And I was lucky, too, that the third tournament I played after I was back, I won the tournament in Estoril. So it really helped a lot. But, yes, I saw like it was a second chance for me and I was still young. And I thought that my best tennis was still to come - and still is, I think.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, it bothered. I cannot tell you that I was gonna win the match if I was healthy, because the last four times I never beat Ferrero and I was 100%, still a great player. But also mentally was really difficult because after the set - the first set was for him, you know, I realized that I have no chance to win the match. I just try to do my best. But, you know, he -- I mean, he's not the kind of guy that I can attack, let's say, his backhand, I go to the net and I know the point is going to be for me. There's no way to attack him. Sometimes I felt like I wanted to cry on court, you know, because it was the moment that I was expecting for a few years, you know, to play a final in Masters Series or even Grand Slam, you know. I was here today and I was feeling that I was not able to give my 100%. But these things happen in tennis, and you also have to be ready for it and you have to be healthy. And there's something like it counts, you know. Today was better for him. And sometimes I won a match when the opponent was injured - like yesterday, I think Henman was not at his 100%. So sometimes it is your turn to win and sometimes your turn to lose.

CARLOS MOYA: He can wait, don't worry (laughter).