MONTE CARLO OPEN

April 25, 1997

Carlos Moya

Q. Carlos, was it part of the plan from you or your coach to put a lot of first serves in? I noticed you held a bit back on your first serve.

CARLOS MOYA: Put first serve in was one of the tactics to play against him because with second serve, he put a lot of pressure on you. He comes to the net very often. When he gets to the net, he's very dangerous. He's tall, he knows how to play on the net. With first set, is more difficult for him to get to the net. I tried to put the first serve in. I think I've done it very well, maybe not very fast, but good percent of first serve.

CARLOS MOYA: To the net?

CARLOS MOYA: I think when I'm playing on hard or indoor, I get the net more often than here on clay. It's true, this week I am not very comfortable with my volley. I'm not with confidence. Last week I was. Two weeks ago I also was confident. But here, I not confident. I not comfortable when I get the net. Not because I won one point, I'm going to get the net more often. I think it is one of the things I have to improve in my game, the volley.

CARLOS MOYA: I think maybe it's true. Sometimes I'm playing defensive, but I'm able to play aggressive as well. Maybe this is one of the difference with the other Spanish players. But they also are improving their aggression. They play more aggressive now than a couple years before. I think for my forehand, I can play aggressive, defensive. I have to improve my backhand, to play more aggressive. Today my backhand has worked very well. In the return, it's one of the keys I could return him very well. From the baseline, no; one or two meters behind the baseline.

CARLOS MOYA: I think it's solidarity because I'm very happy when another Spanish player wins a tournament or is playing well, no? I know them and I want a friend of mine to success career and success life. I think we have improved a lot on hard because I realize to get more money, to get more points, it's hard and clay and indoor court. We realized of that. We were good players on clay, but we have improved a lot. Because of this, because we know where is the money and where are the points. It's true (laughter).

CARLOS MOYA: I think that is the way, how I am. I mean, if the ball is good, it's good. Next time, maybe he is going to miss the ball or I'm going to make a winner. But if the ball is good, nothing to do, he has done it well, point for him. I know and understand maybe other players who, when they have the chance to say the ball is good, the lineman called out, maybe they see they have a chance to overrule or say the ball is good, they don't do it. I understand them. But normally I not like this. It's not good for me. It's bad.

CARLOS MOYA: On clay or hardcourt? (laughter). Clay you have nothing to do, the ball is there. Maybe on hard. I don't know. I have not been in this situation. I don't know. I'm going to check the mark. If it's good, it's good. Nothing to do.

CARLOS MOYA: Where was that?

CARLOS MOYA: Wimbledon?

CARLOS MOYA: It's very difficult to make an overrule against one serve. If one serve is good for, say, Krajicek, on grass, say I'm playing him on grass, one serve is good, the linesman called out, I saw the ball was in, maybe I'm going to say, "It's good." Then he's expecting all the times when he sees the ball is good, maybe he's going to expect me to say, "Okay, it's good," even when the linesman said out. It's very difficult. If you are like this with one ball, you have to be like this the whole match. It's not easy. Because of this, if you do it once, maybe he expects you to do more times. Much more difficult in Wimbledon, hardcourt, grass, whatever, than on clay. On clay is easy to check the mark. I don't understand. It's nothing to do. The mark is there. You cannot change the mark.

CARLOS MOYA: No. I not played to him. All I want to do is play my best. He's a very good player. If I win, very good. If I lose, maybe next time I beat him.

CARLOS MOYA: With us? With the players?

CARLOS MOYA: The players or with the people?

CARLOS MOYA: I think he's shy. He has a way to - I don't know - maybe he's strange. Particularly with me, he's very nice. I think he's trying to become No. 1. He's going to do all his best. It's true, sometimes he's not nice with the people around him, with the journalists, with the people who is coming to ask him for an autograph. It's his way to be, and I respect him. Particularly with me and with the other players, he has respect and he's nice with us.