AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2004

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: English questions first.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, is so-so right now, you know. I feel some, you know, stress at the beginning of the match, you know, when I was 4-3 with a break. But then with the tape and I take also ibuprofen, it's like aspirin to feel less the pain, and I was going well, and I could finish the match good.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: In the abductor, you know. It's like, I don't know.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, it's a little bit broke, but...

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Hamstring, yeah.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Groin, yeah.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I will see. I will see how is going tomorrow, you know. Today we will do some ultrasound or we will put ice. We'll see tomorrow if I'm good, you know. I will practice just calm, you know, hit some balls, and after tomorrow to be ready to play.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course. I feel a little bit of pain because, you know, I put the tape, but anyways I feel a little bit the pain. But I could play my game.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I don't think this, you know. I just go to play my matches, and that's it, you know.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I see the people is focus also in me, you know. I'm 3 in the world, so of course the people is thinking of me.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, because today was two Australian guys playing, so it's more normal to play in the Vodafone, of course.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm playing very good, you know. I start to play today with a lot of confidence, hitting the ball pretty good. I feel very comfortable in the court, hitting the ball very good from my forehand, backhand and serve, you know. After the injury also, I hit the ball very well all the time. Of course, I'm with a lot of confidence because I won a difficult matches, you know, also with injuries. So I'm with a lot of power.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not really. You know, not really. Because I finish the year playing the good matches. I lose these matches, but I played against the best in the world, you know. I played Davis Cup, you know. I went to Sydney, I lose first round. But I was practicing very good, and I was with a lot of confidence that I can play very good here. I'm doing well.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, against anybody. But of course it's more difficult to play also, I don't know, Federer, Hewitt, you know, these kind of guys, Agassi, Safin, Nalbandian, the top player. They are top players because they are pretty good.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Is not easy to say. Not easy to say because I'm playing very good, not right now, but I don't know if tomorrow, after tomorrow I'm going to play much better. But it's very difficult because I'm playing good. I'm like a hundred percent.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not yet, you know, no. I will play the same tournaments as the last year, but maybe I will do a break in the summer.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, I will.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, always is the same question. It's no compare. Olympic Games is one thing. Is not a normal tournament. And the other tournaments, it's completely different. So it's very difficult to compare. I can't tell you which one is more important, to win a Grand Slam or to win Olympic Games, you know. Maybe you have all the years to have a chance to win a Grand Slam. It's four years you have the chance to win Olympic Games. So maybe this year it's more important to win the Olympic Games than the Grand Slam.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. You know, they have to put in some number. It's like driving lessons. You know, when you do five mistakes, you know, you're not confirmed. So they have to do it. They don't have election. Because if not, the draw will be a lot of players. It's impossible.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. Was funny. Is not important.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I was serving very good. Is one of the key of the match that I win it, because I needed a lot of free points. But to serve, when you do the point serve. And today I need it because I couldn't move a hundred percent. So I think I was serving so good. And also was very important the second ball. When he return the second ball, I try to win each point because I didn't want to do a rallies.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. We play a lot of times. So, I don't know.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: 2-1? For who?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: For me.