AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2005

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course. Yes. You know, to win a match in a Grand Slam always gives you a lot of confidence. Also because I think I didn't play my best tennis today, but, you know, I was running all the time, you know, and fighting until the end of the match. So I think this gives me a lot of confidence to try to find my good tennis.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I knew that the match is the best of five sets, you know, so I can lose the first and the second and also I can have chances to win the match. So of course I was a little bit disappointed to lose the first set, but later I was fighting all the time until I win the match.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I think Carlos, maybe he didn't play his best match in his life, of course. But also I think Guillermo played really, really good, and he did a lot of chances to try to win, you know - with his forehand, backhand, he played very solid from the baseline and he serve pretty well, passing 200 kilometers per hour. So I think he play a really good match. And, you know, I think he play better than Carlos.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Do you think there is -- I don't know if there is a lot of difference between this year and last year. Maybe a little bit. But I find that the center courts, Vodafone and the other ones, are a little bit slower than the other ones like the court I played and the other ones. So it's that, I think. So I don't know. When I play in center or Vodafone, I will tell you if it's better for me. But today, you know, I play a good match in this court.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not absolutely frustrating, you know. I had two big problems, you know, that keep me out from the competition like five months. Then I try to come back playing well and I couldn't. So is a bad year, you know, and this year I start to feel better and find a way to get up again.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I always try to find the way to play good tennis, but not always it's easy. I'm starting to play a Grand Slam, and of course I'm trying each match to play my best tennis. It's, as I said, that today was not, you know, that -- I wanted to play the best tennis.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Physically, I'm very good. Form, you know, I have confidence in me that after this match I will play much better in the second round. Who knows if I win, if I lose. But I think I feel mentally very strong again, you know. So if I lose early this tournament, will be doesn't matter for me because a year is so long. I feel that I'm Juan Carlos again like in the past, you know, so I feel good.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Why not? I am the same Juan Carlos as before. So I have the same tennis as before, and I think I can play against him with my best form, of course.