TMS MONTE CARLO

April 15, 2005

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, before the match I was thinking that I have to play a solid match without mistakes because he is playing so, so well with his backhand, you know. He dominate a lot to the other players. So, you know, I was moving so well in the court, you know. I arrive perfectly to almost all balls. I could make my game perfectly.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I tried with his second serve to start dominate the point. You know, I did almost every game that he served. So, you know, was perfectly for me.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. Maybe yes, maybe not. I'm playing well, and I'm with a lot of confidence again. Tomorrow I know is going to be interesting match and very tough because Coria runs a lot and he has a lot of talent. So, you know, I played a lot of times against him; sometimes he beat me, and sometimes I beat him. So we'll see tomorrow. Is gonna be a tough match for sure.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think he start very -- a little nervous. He did a lot of mistakes at the beginning. I think also I was in the whole court moving so well and he didn't find any side to make a point. So both things are together, and makes me feel better and I go straight on this court so easy. And also I think he's today -- he was today a little bit tired from the match of yesterday that was really tough. But anyways I think he's a wonderful player. He has a lot of good shots, you know, and very good backhand. He can do everything he want with the ball. So anyways I play really good match.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: For sure this semifinal is given to me injection of confidence. You know, I'm playing good again since long time ago, that you said. But, you know, I work since a lot of time for this, you know, to make a good result. And then after this tournament doesn't matter if I win or if I lose, I know that I'm playing good again and I'll be ready to make good results in the next tournament.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Mentally, is important to not play every week. If I had to play Davis Cup, I had to play a lot of weeks. I play Rotterdam, Marseille, Dubai. And then if I play Davis Cup, it's four weeks in a row. Then Indian Wells, Miami, and here. So I had to make a break, you know, and was better to make it this week.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, no, no.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no. Nothing about this, no. If I had to play, was two matches, so doesn't affect to me.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, the match of last week doesn't affect to me so much because I didn't play any point good, you know. Anyway, he played a normal match. He came with a lot of confidence. He did normal match. But anyway I played so badly. Of course he's playing so good, and he's so up in the ranking. He has a lot of power and confidence, I would think right now, because he's winning a lot of matches anyways on hard court or clay court. So he is very good guy, and I don't want to take a revenge because I know that we gonna play a lot of matches during the year or maybe next year. So if I have to take a revenge any match that I lose again, so it's gonna be, you know (smiling)...

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: (Through translation from Spanish.) I consider myself as an important player. I played well here. I've been fighting during the former tournaments to reach that level, and I won against very good players like Canas, Safin - that was an important win - Volandri. So I believe now I'm an important player and, yes, I can consider I'm one of the favorites.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Luck. Very lucky (smiling).

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, last week I was playing very well. I was practicing well, and I was playing before that match very well. But this match, you know, I feel some pression of my public there in Valencia. I have to play very good, I have to show that I'm playing well, I have to show that I can play with Nadal, I have to show a lot of things. This give to me a lot of pression, and I didn't play any point good, like I said. But before the match I was playing good. I was playing with a lot of rhythm, feeling good. But that match, you know, sometimes happen that you can't make any ball. Also because he's a left-hander and it's very unusual, the spin and everything. So, you know, was happening this. But I will tell you, I was playing good. It's not like one day I play good and tomorrow I play unbelievable, you know, I play so bad. That's not happen in tennis.