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TENNIS MASTERS CUPNovember 9, 2003Juan Carlos FerreroHOUSTON, TEXAS THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Juan Carlos Ferrero. Q. How do you feel the conditions are here? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The conditions, it's okay. You know, the weather is okay. It is not too hot. It is not like in Spain. In Spain now it's cold. But the weather is okay and the courts, you know, it's like this. Q. What is "like this"? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. Like this, seeing the center court, I didn't practice there yet. But the court is like, you know, is like this. Q. A little slow? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. You know, I speak with some players and they tell me that it's not so good. I have to test, of course. Q. What about the speed of the courts? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I say slow. In three or four games, the ball is like this, you know. It's slow. Q. Is it good for you, or is it too slow? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I think it's good for us, maybe Carlos and me. We hope - not we hope - we expect that maybe the court has to be more faster, you know, because we are here in States. We expect like the courts like at US Open maybe. But, no, it's slow. Q. There's no prospect of you - you've got a very big event coming up after this - there's no prospect of your concentration being a little like that because you've got a big event coming up? You're very focused? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I am focused right now on this tournament. I have a big event in next two weeks, you know. I have to be ready for both things, you know. It's hard to be ready for both things. Q. Last year you played in Shanghai. This year in Houston. What do you think about the two cities? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I never been in Houston. Shanghai, you know, we were walking the street, you know, and everything. Here, I think we are far away from the downtown. I never been there yet so I can't tell you. Q. Last year you played and unfortunately you lost in the final. So what about this year, do you want to win the championship? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: What do you think (laughing)? Of course I want to win, but I know it's very difficult. We are very good eight players. Everyone has to want to do very well, you know. I think we're gonna fight all together. Q. I know you were very disappointed last year in Shanghai. Are you pleased how you've recovered from that and had such a good year this year? That was a real blow for you, wasn't it, losing that final? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I think I take a lot of experience from that final. I take from that final that you can go to sit down and I go through and still playing good, you know, and go through five sets with chances to win. And I take also from that final that, you know, I take the experience to play a big final like a Masters Cup, you know. Q. Was it an inspiration for you, in a negative way? You lost, but you wanted to drive on and really make this year a good year for you? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course. Of course, of course. I think this final helped me a lot, you know, to take a lot of confidence in me, you know, and of course in difficult moments. And also I wanted to win this tournament because last year I was very close, you know, to win. I'll try it. Q. Do you have any thoughts about having had two months playing indoors, now you've got the final match on the outdoors here. Could that be a problem for everybody or what? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't think so, you know. Because every tournament, only we are playing two months in indoor court, the rest of the year we are playing in outdoor courts. So we like to play in outdoor courts more than indoor courts. Q. How do you feel? Do you have any problems? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm okay. Yeah, little bit, but I'm okay. I'm okay. Right now, you know, I take some rest last week and I came here without problems. Q. How would you sum up your year so far? I mean, breaking through with two Masters, one Grand Slam. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I think I played great this year. Fantastic year. I won a Grand Slam, I won two Masters Series - one on hard court and also indoor court, and I won on clay court. I played very, very well the whole time. I think it's the reason that I am in the Masters again. You know, I got the No. 1. That was very important to me, you know. So I want to finish the year like I played the whole year. Q. You seem to have a very calm and controlled attitude towards life as well as your tennis. Is that something you've always been good at? Is there a temper we haven't seen? You're always so cool and concentrated. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I try all the time. I think to play good in tennis, you have to be low key. Always my coach told me that about playing good tennis, you have to be very concentrate, very cool, you know, all the time if you want to play good the next point. So, you feel happy, you can play good. Q. You said the courts were not too fast. But have you been disappointed by the draw of the groups? You, Roger and Agassi are all playing in one group. Should it have been done differently? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The only difference from the last year is Novak, you know, in the second group. Last year it was very difficult. I think that this year is gonna be the same, you know. Q. Do you feel the Grand Slam champions should be spread out? You have four Grand Slam champions. Should there be two in each group? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know what you mean. Q. Roddick is one of the Grand Slam winners. The three others are in your group. Do you think there should be two in each group? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think is lucky, you know. We can't do anything, you know. It's like this. We have to play like this. We don't have to think if maybe it's better to be in the other group or something like this, you know. Q. You've got to beat them anyway if you're going to win it? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah. That's the way I feel. I have to play with anyone, you know. If I want to win the tournament, I have to play with anyone and I don't have to think about it. Q. Do you think the best thing would be, for the final, would be you against Roddick again, with everything on the line? That would be the perfect final match? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, because maybe in the final, deciding who's gonna be the No. 1. So for the crowd, for the tournament, it will be perfect. For me, if he lose early, that's okay (laughter). Q. You are the kind of player who knows exactly how many points you have to win in order to get No. 1? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. No, no, no, no. I ask my coach (laughing). Q. The favorites, there are so many Spanish-speaking people here. Do you hope to have some support here or do you feel everybody will be in favor of Roddick? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course everybody's gonna go with Roddick and Agassi because we are in the United States. But I think, you know, maybe it's there, you know, some Spanish people that are gonna support that. Q. A lot of Spanish-speaking people here. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: But is not Spanish, you know. Is Latino. Q. There's a big flag. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Huh, yeah (laughing). Q. How much do you think getting to the US Open final helped you to be recognized in America? People knew you in Spain and France, they knew who you are. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: In the final, the people here know me. I feel it right now because I am practicing and everything, you know. Before the US Open final, I think nobody knows me here in the United States. Now, everybody respect me a lot. Q. Even though you won the French Open, that doesn't necessarily equate to being known by Americans. It's great in view of the support in Spain, etc., but doing well in America perhaps gets you known in America. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course. Q. Are you aware of that sort of thing, or is it something that is incidental? As far as you're concerned, does it matter where you win Grand Slams, or the more Grand Slams you win, the better? Is there a feeling that you need to make it in America as well? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, you have to do very well in America because America is pretty big, you know. It's one of the cities, with the tennis, is very big. It's not the same as NFL or NBA but, you know, if you don't do very well here, maybe it's very difficult that everybody knows you. Q. It's interesting, actually. There's something like three times as many journalists from outside America than inside America coming here this week. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Q. It shows you how the game in America doesn't really get the support you think it gets. Only one Spanish journalist. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Only one? Everybody goes to Melbourne, so I think they didn't have enough money to go two weeks in a row. Q. Nice grass courts out there on your way in? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah. Q. They don't look like they've been played on at all. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no. Q. Have you got the grass court in Barcelona yet? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I didn't practice yet, but I think guys have practiced there. Q. What is your main goal for this tournament? To win it? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course. I mean, the main goal for me right now, being No. 2 in the world, then to finish the year No. 1. If I do better than Roddick, you know, my goal right now is to win the tournament. Q. How was your preparation? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I was practicing in Spain, and one court, they have the same surface as the US Open. I expect that the surface is like the same as US Open. But anyway, it's slower than I expect. But that's always better for me. Q. You saw the draw. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Q. What did you think? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's very difficult. I think is like the same group like in Shanghai. The only difference, Novak, you know. It's gonna be pretty difficult. Q. The people in Spain, are people interested in this tournament? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think yes, you know. Everybody is talking about this tournament before I came here, you know. I think everybody is waiting for it. Q. Can you talk about the ranking. During the year, which one do you check, the race or the entry ranking? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Entry. Q. Why? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Why, because I think it's, you know, every year we have this one, you know. And every time we get more important ranking. I don't know why, but... Q. I agree with you. But it's the right one? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I think it's the real one. Q. You should be No. 1 at the entry this week. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I know. Q. You know that? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I know that, but... Q. The only week in the year... JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I know. I know, I know. Q. Would you like to win a Tennis Masters Cup or the year-end No. 1 ranking? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think it would be No. 1, you know, because it's one thing that I fight for in my life, you know. Masters Cup, you have the opportunity to win the whole year. To be No. 1, it's not easy. Q. In terms of if that's something you achieve, the No. 1 year-end ranking, what would your goals be then for next year? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Try to still be in the same way as this year, you know. I played very, very well, playing very good in important tournaments, you know, like Grand Slams. I think the tennis is very aggressive all the time and very regular, no mistakes. So I want to be in this same way. Q. In terms of if people could see you, an all-court player, hard court and clay... JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I showed to everybody I can play pretty good in most surface. So I don't have to show anybody that I am only a clay court player, because I am not. Q. What about playing a little bit on grass? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: We only have two tournaments in a year, so it's pretty difficult to play the best tennis that we can do. But I think I did well this year, fourth round in Wimbledon. Maybe some day, I don't know if I can win it, but I can play very good. Q. It's definitely something you would like to do? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Q. What about the end of a long year, with the Davis Cup final? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, it's one more event, big event, you know. We have to try to be very good there. We have to try to fight. We know that it's very difficult to win there because it is on grass, you know, and they are specialists on grass. They have one Wimbledon winner and finalist player, you know. But also we know that is final, you know, and in the final can happen anything so... Q. In terms of Grand Slam, No. 1 ranking, Davis Cup final, what is the difference? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The only difference of the Davis Cup is you have to play for Spain, you know, and you don't have to play... Q. But more pressure, less pressure? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: More pression. More pression than if you are playing for yourself. Q. (Inaudible)? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's very difficult to say. I think Davis Cup, it's a very big event, you know. If you win a Grand Slam also, it's for yourself and it's very important. Q. Can I ask you just a couple quick questions regarding the court surface and speed of the court on center court. How is the speed of the court compared to the US Open, slower? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Slower, yes. Q. It's a coarser surface? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not really. Doesn't take to the spin, no, no, no. Slower. And the ball is, after three or four games, it's like this, you know, it's bigger. You have to be strong to play good. Q. Do you think that gives you a little bit of an advantage against Roddick? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. Maybe for his serve, it's worse. If the court is faster, with his serve, it's very difficult to break him. But with this surface, maybe it's easy. Q. Finally, just in terms of the year-end No. 1 ranking, how difficult is it to concentrate on your own matches while also keeping your eye on what he is doing? Obviously, if he loses, there's a much better chance of you being No. 1. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You have to be focused on your matches. You have to win your matches. Then, maybe you look over there to the other group, if he lose a match. But first, you have to be very focused. Q. I heard that when you finish a match, sometimes you look up at the sky. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah. Q. Is that for your mom? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Q. And when did she pass away? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: 16 years old, I was 16 years old. End of FastScripts…. |
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