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US OPENSeptember 7, 2003Juan Carlos FerreroNEW YORK CITY THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You said earlier in the week that it's an ambition of yours to prove yourself as a champion on all surfaces. Three successive days you've beaten Todd, Lleyton, Andre, three players who have tremendous credentials on the hard courts. By merit of your appearance in the finals, you will be No. 1 in the world. Can you look back on this week and say you were content and, indeed, successful? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I did all the way two weeks. At the beginning of the week, of the tournament, I didn't expect to be No. 1 and be in the final, of course. You know, I think I was working for that, you know, to play the final, to beat big players like Todd Martin, Hewitt, Agassi and also Roddick. But today was not my day. But, you know, right now I am a little bit sad, but I have to think that I did a great job these two weeks. Q. What, if anything, surprised you about Roddick's performance today? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Was not surprise from me. If he serve so good, it's not easy to beat him. You have to serve so good as him to go to a tiebreak. Then we'll see. When I start the match, this I was thinking. You know, I think I played a bad, a really bad match today. I didn't do my tennis. I didn't hit the ball like aggressive like yesterday. Maybe because he served so hard all the time and I didn't feel a rhythm in the court. Q. What did you expect on his ground strokes, and how did he do in your estimation? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, nothing about, you know, I didn't expect too much. I just, you know, was thinking I have to try to play my game and try to return his big serve. That's it, you know. I don't think in any more. Q. Did you have extra pressure against Andy? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. No, no, no. No pression. I didn't feel the pression. Just play a bad match, but not for the pression, no. Q. It seemed you were a bit impatient from the baseline? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Me? Q. Yes. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I think in his games there isn't rhythm, you know, in the whole match. Always was ace or means of return. So in my game, I had the pression to win it. If not, I knew it's not impossible, but very difficult to break his serve. So, you know, I had to play better my games, my serve games. And I didn't. Q. Were you surprised that he was playing serve-volley on the second a lot of times? He didn't play serve-volley on the second so often. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. No, because I didn't play against him, so I didn't feel the difference like in other matches, you know, so... Q. In America a lot of people, for a few years now, said Andy Roddick is going to win a major, he'll be a force, a great player. Have players on the tour thought the same thing, "Some day that guy's gonna pull it all together and he's gonna be a force to reckon with"? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I would think he's one of the guys that he's playing good. You know, in fast surface, you know, it's pretty difficult to return his serve. If he's playing good from base of the line, you know, it's very difficult to play against him because, you know... But on clay, you know, I think is different. You can return, you know, you can play more rallies, you know. So I think he's gonna be in the top, in the Top 10, Top 5 for sure. I don't know if he's gonna be No. 1 or win four Grand Slams. I don't know. Q. Along with the media and tennis public, fans, there's always a desire to lock in to find the "next great rivalry of players," a rivalry that will last eight, nine, ten years. Does that ever come into your mind as a player? If so, do you see this as something that possibly could happen between you and Roddick? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Say a little slower. Q. Sampras-Agassi, Borg-Connors. We in the media and public are always wanting another great rivalry in tennis. We have two young players playing phenomenally. Do you, as players, think about possible opponents that could be great rivals to you for eight, nine, ten years. If so, is Andy a player you look forward to playing for the course of another 10 years? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course they gonna come. I think they gonna arrive like us, we arrive. We were playing against Agassi, Sampras and every players like they are older, you know, than us. So this is normal that people practice a lot. The young guys arriving, you know. This is the life. Q. (Translating the question into Spanish.) JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think always there is a special matches like Sampras or Agassi. I don't know if right now it's gonna be. Because right now there is a lot of players that we can play so good like Andy, Roger, Safin, Hewitt. There is a lot of guys, young guys. So there is not two special guys that is gonna play all the finals for, you know, like Agassi or Sampras. Q. In your entire career have you ever stood that far behind the baseline against any other opponent before? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No (laughter). Q. Is it just Andy hits it that much harder than the other players? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You mean serve or forehand? Serve? Q. Serve and also ground strokes, too. JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, ground strokes is normal. It's like all the players serve. It's very big serve, yeah. Q. Were you affected by the four days of playing today? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. Q. The fear in your mind? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, nothing at all, no. Q. Have you ever faced anything more daunting, more difficult in your career, four days in a row with Todd and Lleyton? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no. Never happen to me like this, four days in a row raining, you know - playing Todd Martin, Hewitt, Agassi and this final today. No, never. I hope it's not happen again (laughter). Q. As a follow-up, did you learn anything about yourself in doing that? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I learned that the only thing that I can play pretty good on hard court and I can play against everybody, you know. And, you know, the life is coming, that is coming. If is raining, we can't do anything. If it's -- I don't know. Everything, it's coming. Q. You get the qualification of Masters Cup in Houston. Does it motivate you? JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I am in Houston, so it's pretty nice, you know, to be in third year in a row that I'm gonna play a Masters Cup. You know, it's fantastic. End of FastScripts…. |
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