TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS

May 7, 2003

Wayne Ferreira

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

WAYNE FERREIRA: Not really anything substantial at the time being, no.

WAYNE FERREIRA: No, I believe there's something being sent, but I don't know exactly what it is yet.

WAYNE FERREIRA: We're waiting for a response from the request that we sent in to them. And then obviously, I believe there's some meetings going on with the ATP and the Grand Slams. But that's nothing to do with us; that's just the players in general.

WAYNE FERREIRA: Well, right now, the request we've asked for is just financial stuff, just to look through the books and see what's going on. There's nothing else about any problems with what they're doing with the Grand Slams. All the players are happy about that.

WAYNE FERREIRA: No, actually, I feel like I'm playing very good tennis. I played a good match today. I didn't serve very well, but I feel pretty good in my efforts. So, no, I mean, I've been off for the last two weeks and went away and didn't do anything with -- in regards to the IMTA or tennis. So I've had a nice break the last two weeks, and it's been pretty good for me.

WAYNE FERREIRA: I don't know. I have a lot of other things going on in my life that take a focus, not just the IMTA. I have a family, I'm moving a house, I'm doing a lot of things. So there's a lot of aspects to it. It makes a difference. It's stressful, everything that goes on in your life, it's just how you deal with it, yeah. I don't think it's a factor for me at all. I mean, I played well in Monte-Carlo. I played well -- I've played well this whole year. So I can't really say that it's affected me in any way.

WAYNE FERREIRA: Yeah, you know, I worked really hard about almost a year and a half ago. I kind of assessed my game and looked at what it was that I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to give myself a year. If I was playing the same way, I'd give myself a year, but I'd try and improve. I didn't ever look at improving my game. I worked pretty hard on fixing my backhand and changing it around and fixing it to be more aggressive and worked for six months on that. That's basically been the change in my game - my backhand is a lot better. It's almost at the level that it can compare to everybody else on the tour. That's why I'm winning now, because I can stay in points on my backhand and then use my forehand, where beforehand I was getting beaten badly because they would always attack my backhand. So that's helped me a lot.

WAYNE FERREIRA: Yeah. Look, I mean, I don't hate it. I play okay on the clay, and I do win matches.

WAYNE FERREIRA: But I definitely have to work harder, and I definitely don't win matches as easily and do as well as I do on the grass and hard courts. I come in here and actually use this as preparation. I try and work on my serve, I try and work on my volley and my movement for the grass courts. But, definitely, my focus is for the grass courts.

WAYNE FERREIRA: I always feel like I have a good chance, yeah - always. There's only a few - I wouldn't say a "few " - 10, 12 guys who can possibly win the thing. I'm definitely one of those. The draw is a very big thing. It works its way, you can get in a nice section and get through pretty easily, save yourself for the second week. I've had some good draws and done really well and come short. I've just come short every time. But I feel that I have the ability and the game to win it, definitely. Last year I could have won it for sure if I got through that match. I felt if I'd got through that match I would have made it definitely to Hewitt, where Tim got. Then who knows what could have happened from there.

WAYNE FERREIRA: I think it's great, yeah. I think it's really nice. I think they do up the prize money every year, I think in bits and pieces...

WAYNE FERREIRA: It's a lot, yeah. I think it's really nice of them.

WAYNE FERREIRA: I have no clue. I can't answer that one. I have no idea what the ATP are asking for or are going to do in the negotiations with the Grand Slam or what their intentions are; I have no idea.