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NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 30, 2006

David Ferrer

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Part of your plan today was to take Andy's serve very early, inside the baseline sometimes. Was this effective for you today, do you think?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). I do it all the time, not only against Andy. I return serve inside the baseline.
It was a very technical game today. I knew that I had to be ready and play well the big points.
Q. Were you surprised to win the first set?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). I wasn't surprised that I won the first set. I knew that it was a complicated match, like all the others. But the only other time we played I lost 7-6 in the third against him in Paris-Bercy.
Q. In the last three or four years you've been primarily a clay court player, but now this year you have played no clay court matches. You could have gone to clay but you've chosen to play hard courts up to this point. Is that because you wanted to get better on the hard courts?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). On the last two years I didn't play too badly on hard courts, so this year we decided to change my schedule a little bit because if you want to go higher in the rankings you have to play well on all surfaces.
Q. Can you talk about your speed a little bit. He seemed frustrated in trying to get anything past you. How well do you think your speed translates from the clay to the hard court?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). That's my way of playing. I've always been quick on the court. Obviously, I can understand that that can frustrate him, but I get frustrated when he serves well. So everybody has got his weapon, and it's always been my game. I've always been very quick on the court.
My game is very physical.
Q. When you were broken late in the third set, the way Andy was serving so well, it looked like he was going to win the match. What was your level of concern at that point?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). Yes, I mean, because when you lose your serve against Roddick, you know it's going to be difficult to break him again.
But I didn't lose my faith. At 4-All, when he served a double-fault on the first point, it kind of helped me.
Q. Andy likes to play very deep behind the baseline during the point. Does this play into your favor during the long rallies?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). I really don't know how to answer this one, because I try to play my own game. Obviously, he likes to play behind the baseline, so I can't really answer the question if it helped me that he was playing well behind the baseline.
Q. How do you exploit Andy's backhand, which is not his strong shot?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). I think that both his forehand and backhand are good shots. The way I try to play, I obviously try to insist on his backhand to open up the court and then finish on his forehand side.
Q. Do you feel like Andy has been struggling? He has said even that he's struggling this season. Do you feel that he's the same player that you played today as he was before?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). I can't really answer that question. Maybe he's in a better position than me.
Maybe today neither one of us played the perfect game. Like I said, it was a very tactical game out there today. Maybe you're saying he's going through a bad patch, but everybody does. And who knows, I mean, maybe next week he can win Wimbledon. I'm sure he will win titles again.
Q. In the third set today, the sideline linesman got up from his chair, went to the chair umpire and complained that you were being coached from the stands. How can the linesman, looking at the court, know who's saying anything from the stands?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). I don't really understand because, you know, he was saying like, "Vamos," "Venga," "Come on," trying to encourage me. That's not really coaching. Maybe the umpire himself, he can hear that himself and he could cover that.
Q. Can you comment on the strength of the Spanish players these days. Rafael, obviously doing so well. What do you think you are doing differently in training?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). It's been this way for quite some time. We've had good players for quite a long time.
It's not like we're doing anything different right now. We also have a very good young player coming through the ranks now, Carlos Boluda. Maybe he's not gonna be as good as Rafa, but he's very promising as well.
Q. In your mind do you consider yourself to be the No. 2 Spanish player right now, regardless of the ranks?
DAVID FERRER: (Through translation). No, I can't consider myself as the No. 2 player in Spain. There are a lot of good players as well like Robredo, Moya, Ferrero. So it's really difficult to consider myself.

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