TMS - MADRID

October 17, 2003

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I try to when I get on court to forget I have to keep my No. 1. If every time I go out and play I remember that I'm losing my ranking or whatever, I wouldn't be relaxed to play. I just try to defeat the player I have before me just for the fact of winning the match, not because of the No. 1. That would be a mistake. Taking into account how things are right now, 1, 2, 3, the places are very close to each other. That would be a mistake.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's very important to me to keep being No. 1 in the world, and also because I'm in Spain, I try to show to everybody I'm in a great form and I'm playing a good tennis. For this reason, I'm No. 1. So was pretty difficult.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, it's not because I'm No. 1. I need to play better every day. But the first day, I was not used to the court. The court was fast. You need some time to adapt, and I did it match by match. Today I think my level was very high.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: They're very similar players. Their serves are great. They come to the net constantly. Maybe Federer is a more complete playing behind the baseline. But Feliciano is playing brilliantly. He's in Madrid. He's in the quarterfinals right now. He proved to us yesterday. I think it's going to be a difficult match anyway, but I hope Feliciano wins the match.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Nico has been improving. Right now he's at a great level. He defeated Kuerten, for instance, in this tournament, Roddick, today Chela in a very tough match. I think he deserves everything he's doing. He's achieving more and improving every day. The fact that he wants to play the final against me makes me happy and pleased. It would be nice for both of us to be in the final.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, no. I try the same as before. I'm so close to lose, you know, you have to try to give your best like the other day. I don't have to liberate anything. If I do this, maybe I'm going to lose, because I'm going to fight a lot. I think you have to try to play at the same level all the time.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm happy with my serve especially because in the beginning I had problems with my foot. Right now I'm feeling better. To serve well here is important because of the altitude especially. I've improved. That gives me points that I need actually.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: For the Davis Cup? It's very difficult to talk now about my impressions for Davis Cup, especially since we play on grass. I'm willing to play. We all want the Davis Cup to take place. But it's still far away from the present. It's in our subconscious, but still far away from us.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: For me it would be the same to play against him or against any other, but not because he's at home I need to change my game. It's the same to play against him or Federer.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, not for the moment.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes. I hope to win the tournament because it would be great to be No. 1 by the end of the year, especially because things are tough now. We're all very close to the top. Yeah, it would be good to have some advantage over the rest - Roddick, for instance.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I could try that technique again, but the room service had nothing else to eat (laughter).

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, yesterday we got so late to the hotel, there was nothing more than sandwiches. The ham sandwich was great.