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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2001

Juan Carlos Ferrero

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. Charlotte James, Tennis.Net website. First of all, why is your nickname The Mosquito?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Why, I say 1,000 times. Because two years ago I played a team in Germany. I made friends there. They say to me mosquito because I go so fast for the court it's like mosquito.

Q. What do you think it's going to take for you to overtake Alex Corretja and become the Spanish No. 1 by the end of the year?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. I am 21 years old. He is 26. I need long time, big win. He did so much in the tennis. He's a star, and I'm beginning of the year, you know, I have only two years in the professional. And I think I have to do some more for to be with the same of Alex, no?

Q. You played two Australians now here, both had very strong crowd support. Do you think the Gods are paying you back for the great support you had in Barcelona for Davis Cup?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not really. I think Ilie's a good guy here, and it's happy for the people. It's normal to the people support really because he's Australian, and it's normal because he's playing good.

Q. Do you know much of Ilie? The way he behaves on court, do you know much of it?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, yes, I know him long time ago. I know how he play, and it's difficult to play with him because he plays all the time and is always strong, no, off the court. Maybe today I didn't play so good with not much confidence because, I don't know, because I don't feel so good today. And normal in the tennis some days, it's happen.

Q. Do his expressive antics bother you at all at various stages during the match?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, because I know him and it's normal to do. So I go with thinking my tennis only and my game.

Q. Spain has drawn Holland in the Davis Cup. What do you think of that match?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: That match is difficult right now because Spain is playing good on hardcourt. But I think it's difficult to everybody, you know, because it's so fast and we have so much preparation for to play there. But I don't know what's happen. I hope to Spain is gonna win.

Q. Krajicek is playing or he's not playing. Do you think Holland has a chance when he's not playing?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Maybe, yes because Krajicek is played so good in indoors. In Holland, it's maybe he's gonna take confidence with his people. And maybe if Krajicek is not playing, maybe we have more chance.

Q. Paul Malone, there was a time, I guess the third game of the fifth set, when you went up and spoke to the chair umpire. Can I ask what that was about?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I say that in one game I have three balls on the line and he says out and I say what's happen. No more.

Q. Philippe Bouin, L'Equipe from France, what happened on the second break point you had against Andrew on the fifth set when you saw the second serve and you simply let it go?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think it's gone out and then it's gonna go --.

Q. Did you think it was out or it just fell on the line?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. It's so close of the line. I don't know exactly if was out, if it was good.

Q. What happened to you in the second and third set? You looked very tired out there.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I didn't feel so good because he plays good. He plays so strong all the time, and I can too take some confident with my forehand all the time. And maybe I didn't serve so good today also. And with the Australian people and with Ilie's playing good, I didn't feel so good. Finally, I lost, no.

Q. Do you have the feeling you had enough time to recover from the Davis Cup final coming here, or do you feel tired from the final?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I didn't have so much time to prepare for here, no. I feel very tired right now but I started the year here and I had to start the year here. So I didn't know what's gonna happen here if I won some matches or I win three or four matches. Then I lose in second, don't worry because I have so much time for to play good in this year.

Q. Do you find Ilie's shots confusing? Do you find them harder to read than some other players?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I don't think so. He plays like that and it's normal, you know. Every player is playing like he is -- I don't find strange his game, nothing.

End of FastScripts....

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