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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 19, 2006

Juan Carlos Ferrero

CINCINNATI, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: Juan Carlos will be appearing in his 25th career final, the first of this year. Also trying to win his first title since winning the ATP Masters Series- Madrid in 2003. It's also his second career final in the U.S.; he reached the 2003 US Open final.
Questions for Juan Carlos.

Q. How does it feel to be back in a Masters Series final?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I felt very, very happy, you know. You know, I have confidence that I could win this match, but maybe not in these two sets. It was a little bit easier than I thought because, you know, Tommy, he's playing pretty good, and he was winning also his matches in two sets during the whole week. He won yesterday very good match against Ljubicic, who is a specialist on hard court.
So I expect to have a very hard job today, but finally I think I start pretty good with this first set. You know, I felt pretty good in the second, as well. Also in his time-out with the official, you know, I have a little bit, you know, doubts the way I play, if I have to play aggressive or not, he's gonna miss or not, you know. But finally I play good.

Q. You've been very consistent this week.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I think I'm playing very aggressive and not doing mistakes. That's very important. Winning also a lot of points with my serve, and I think it's been very important, this week, the serve.

Q. Which did you think were the important moments of the match? He got an early break, and then breaking back straightaway, was that very important?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, was very important, also like yesterday, I did it same. But, you know, it's very important when the opponent breaks you, you know, break back very, very fast. It's very important. If not, you have to win, you know, two games in a row to get that again. Mentally, to stay positive, it's very important to break back always.

Q. Have you ever finished a match on a HawkEye decision like that?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah, I spoke with my coach. Was, you know, a little bit disappointing finish because it's a little bit doubts over there. You know, but it's one kind of finish we can have in tennis, no? Not the best, but...

Q. Did you go to dinner with Tommy last night?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no.

Q. You didn't?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, not last night. Maybe tonight, who knows? I went only with my team and, you know, try to be calm. Normally, the day before, we don't go. But, you know, before the first round, I saw Ferrer and Moya having dinner before they play, so sometimes happen.

Q. Andy Roddick talked last night about how when you tend to get overlooked or maybe written off for a while, he uses that as motivation to come back. Do you use that as motivation, as well?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, well, you can use it, but sometimes also it's difficult when every week the people is talking about you, that you are not recover so good, why you are not playing so good, and why you are not in the final in three years, and something like this. Always is difficult because they are remembered to you all the time.
So, you know, some time is very positive to be very motivated, but sometimes it's not easy.

Q. You seem as fast as you used to be. When you were world No. 1, you were the quickest player on the tour. You seem to be moving like that again.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I'm moving very well. I didn't have any problem in the whole week, any pain. So physically I felt in the court a hundred percent.
It's long time ago that I'm feeling pretty good in the courts physically. I mean, I didn't have any problem that I remember so hard. You know, I think it's very important to be very, very good physically, very important in that moments at the tennis. It's, you know, you have to be very powerful to play.

Q. You think even in three years it's become more important?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: A little bit, yeah, because, you know, there's some guys like Rafa or like Monfils, like some of the guys, Joachim Johansson, he's with shoulder, but he's also very strong. So, you know, you have to improve day by day, I think. If not, you go back.

Q. Did your coach, Perlas, bring you something like extra motivation when you change coach in the beginning of the season?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Who? My new coach, you said?

Q. Yes.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I didn't finish at all with my old coach, you know. He's in the academy practicing there and with the other guys helping them. And, for example, last week he was with me in Toronto.
But, you know, Perlas give me like a new world, different things, a new experience, you know. Always when you change a little bit of coach, you want to show to him that you play good. Maybe some time the changes are good.

Q. As an unseeded player coming into this week, did you expect that you would reach this final?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, you always expect to make a good result, but always is pretty difficult to see that you gonna play the final.
Anyway, when I saw the draw, I knew that I have a tough draw: second round, Blake; quarterfinals, Nadal. So I saw very difficult the final.
But, you know, I always know that if I play good, I can reach any result.

Q. You had a lot of matches over the last few months that you played very well but lost in three sets.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

Q. Now you've beaten three top 10 players.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I know. It's what I'm talking these days, that I played really good matches, very high level against the best, you know. I always lost in three sets. So, you know, this means that I can play with them very good and I have the level to play it, no?

Q. You said it was difficult at times when people are talking about you not reaching finals. How much do you doubt yourself in times like those, or how much did you doubt your ability?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, not too much. But when you still not having a great result, it's tough, you know. You work so hard and week by week you are not getting that result, so you think that it never is gonna come.
But, you know, my team and my friends and everybody was very confidence in me, and they told me all the time that I can reach any result, that I can do it. And, you know, finally I was very, very positive in the last three or four months to get the result.
You know, like I said, the results in Roland Garros, Wimbledon, I played against very tough guys like Gaudio, Stepanek and I reach very good results against them. I know I lost, but these results give me a lot of confidence to get that result of this week.

Q. Has the success come this week because it's for the first time in a long time that you are fully fit and you're feeling a hundred percent?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, because I was very good physically in Roland Garros and the other tournaments. I don't know why this week, it's just, you know (smiling)...
You know, the players some weeks make the finals. The strange is to make it any week like Federer or Rafa. This is very difficult, you know?

Q. A few years ago you lost over here in semifinals against Carlos Moya, right?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes.

Q. Do you play similar tennis this year compared to previous years?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's difficult to compare. I don't remember what was in 2002.
Yeah, I think I'm playing at same level as I was when I was No. 1 and I have that result. I think I'm playing very relax on the court, you know, very relax. The shots are flowing very, very good. I don't have to think too much to make a winner, to make a ace.

Q. Whom do you prefer to play tomorrow in the final game? What is your record against those two players?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I think I prefer to play against Roddick maybe. González, he's playing very strong, and he's playing very aggressive and I don't have a lot of chance to make some rallies or something like this. He try to make so fast the point, and it's not easy to play.
I know Roddick, he has a very good serve and everything, but, you know, the two times I played against him and I lost I think I had chances to have a win.

Q. You lose badly against González in Toronto. It means González is so strong, quite fit.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I was playing last week very good, but González, he make a winner in anywhere in the court, and I couldn't make my game. So if I have to play against him tomorrow, I will have to try different things.

Q. If you do play Roddick, you played him in the US Open final in '03. What do you recall about that match, and would you think about that match at all going into tomorrow?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Big memory of that match, he serve unbelievable, you know. He make first serve like 130 miles all the time, and he put it in all the time. I remember that with 1-1 in the first set I have a breakpoint and I didn't have any one in the whole match, and I return good. So it's means that he serve unbelievable.
And I have also memories from last year here. I played against him in second round, and I have a lot of chances. Was 7-6, 4-3 and breakpoint and he make a shot in the net and pass, so I was very close to win.
So it's what I said. I think if I play against Roddick, I will chance, and if I play González, I will have to work hard.

Q. You see big changes in González's game since Larry Stefanki became his coach?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not a lot. Not a lot. I think the way he play was the same as before. He try to make the point with his forehand, and he has a big serve.

End of FastScripts...

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