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NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 24, 2006

Carlos Moya

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How much did your win have to do with the way you played and the way he played?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, I think I played a very good match and the fact that we know each other very well is better for the one who has a lower ranking. In this case, it's me.
No, I tried to play my game. First match, you know, I didn't take many risks and I lost 6-2. Then I decided to go for the point and to hit the ball hard. I guess he didn't play a great match, and I played great. So when this thing happens, you know, anything can happen.
Q. Carlos, Rafa was in earlier and said that he didn't want this to be an excuse, he wasn't trying to make an excuse, but his ankle was not perfect and he was a little afraid to run for some balls. Did you get that sense from him out there?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, not really. When you are playing, you just try to focus on your serve. I just, as I said, tried to play my game. Obviously, you never see Rafa losing 6-1, 5-1 or 6-1, 6-1, so probably something happened to him.
But, no, as I said, I just tried to play my game. You know, I know he had a problem with the ankle last week. I don't know how bad it was. You know, knowing that we were going to play each other, if I was winning the first match, I wasn't asking him how his foot is or how his ankle is. You know, I just tried to play and, you know, I think I played a good match.
Q. What do you have to do when you play Rafa? What is important to do?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, you have to play perfect. You have to wish that he is not gonna be at his best. I think today these two things happened (smiling).
Q. Do you try to avoid his forehand as much as possible?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, my weak stroke is my backhand, so if I play to his forehand, most of the times he's gonna come to my backhand. That's what I try to do today.
But I try to do this the last time we played and he beat me. So, you know, every match is different. Tactics not always work the same way.
But, you know, I just try to play well and I think I did.
Q. Do you feel a lot of pressure playing against somebody that you're close to, someone you're friends with?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, I think, obviously he has more pressure today. He is No. 2 in the world, I am 35. Look at the rankings -- he is going up, I am going down. We are from the same place. The situation is similar, the first time we played each other, he was 15 years old, I was No. 5 in the world, he was 100-something. He was gonna have the pressure, I had the pressure. Today he had the pressure. I tried to take advantage of that. I knew that, I got to the court very relaxed. Although I start very bad, then I was able to play much better.
But for sure the pressure was on him today.
Q. On breakpoint in the first game of the final set, you hit a backhand lob. Was it intended, or did you miss it?
CARLOS MOYA: (Laughing). I wanted to do that. It was a great shot, but I wanted to do that. I meant to do that. It doesn't mean that every time I do that I hit such a good shot, but I wanted to do that.
Q. So there maybe was a little bit of frame on the ball when you hit it?
CARLOS MOYA: Not at all. No.
Q. You hit it perfectly the way you wanted to?
CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, too good. Much better than I thought it was gonna be.
But I meant to do that shot (smiling).
Q. How do you feel about the challenges?
CARLOS MOYA: I think it's great for the game. You know, I don't think it slows down the game. Just take five seconds to check what the ball is, and I think it's great. It helps a player to play much more relaxed. You know, I think it's great.
Q. Were you surprised that you were wrong on that challenge you made?
CARLOS MOYA: No, no. I mean, was a -- I mean, you have the chance to see how it is and, you know, it was on the other side. It was not clear that it was gonna be in, and I just tried.
Q. When anyone plays Rafa, the longer the rally goes, the more chance he has of winning the point. Today, your patience seemed to be there, you seemed to be waiting for just the right shot to play aggressively. Do you think that was the case today, more so than when you last played?
CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, maybe. But normally I like the points to be short and try to dictate with my forehand.
No, I was not patient because from my backhand side, I was okay, I was fine. I was feeling that I could put the ball in, down the line, crosscourt, and then hit winner with my forehand.
So I was waiting for that chance with my forehand and go for the point. But I don't know, today I was feeling comfortable. I wasn't afraid to keep the point going. I just wait for my chance.
Q. And there was the running backhand crosscourt passing shot in the third set.
CARLOS MOYA: That was a good one. I didn't hit with the frame. I meant that shot again (smiling).
So it's not that always is working that shot, but is one of these days that you feel comfortable with the backhand and with the forehand and whatever you do looks like is working well, so, you know, I was expecting this day and it happened today.
Q. When you hit a shot like that that you normally don't hit, are you thinking, "I can do anything today"?
CARLOS MOYA: More or less, yeah. I mean, you just try to hit shots that you don't normally do. It looks like everything is going in. So, you know, that gives you a lot of confidence.
Q. How close are you to your best? Can you get back into the Top 10?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, you never know. I wish I could play every day like this. But even when I was top 10, so many times I wasn't playing that well. I was having lot of ups and downs.
So, I think, this year I been playing very well, and I was unlucky that I had to play Safin last week first round. But, still, I played well.
Here, you know, I nearly went home the first day against Hanescu. So, you know, these things happens. I won that match. I play very well. Maybe I might lose next round, you never know.
But I'm happy the way I'm playing so far this year. I am 21 in the race, and still the clay court season to come. I am fit, I am in good shape. Mentally, I am fine. So you never know what could happen.

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