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NASDAQ-100 OPENMarch 30, 2004Agustin CalleriMIAMI, FLORIDA THE MODERATOR: Agustin advances to his third ATP Masters Series quarterfinal. That was his 7th career Top 10 win and the second on hard courts. He beat No. 4 Marat Safin in Madrid. Questions for Agustin. Q. You're serving at 4-5, second set. So many second serves. Were you lucky to get out of that game? AGUSTIN CALLERI: I think I was lucky because in two of the breakpoints, Agassi missed a couple of shots by himself without me forcing him to make the error. I felt that the other two I played very well. One was a backhand down the line. The other one was a forehand that I attacked him. But the most important thing for me was that I was always concentrated in the match. I never got upset with myself. I was just focused on the match. Q. In the final deuce in that game, did you just decide, "I'll just spin in the first serve just to get the first serve in"? AGUSTIN CALLERI: I always try to hit it and, you know, that's the way I do business. But of course it depends on the strategy during the match. Q. In the first set, you got fewer than 50 percent of your first serves in against the best returner in the game and you win a set. How do you explain that? AGUSTIN CALLERI: Even though I didn't make the first serves, I was very intense during the whole set and, you know, I kept to my strategy. And I had the perfect strategy to beat him in that set. Q. When was the last time your backhand down the line was this good? AGUSTIN CALLERI: I've always said the backhand was always my best shot so... Today, I felt it was a weapon against Andre because I feel that Andre stays always a lot on the backhand side. So I could use the down-the-line shots. Q. Where does this rank among your wins, beating Agassi here? AGUSTIN CALLERI: I feel that one ranks right with the win that I had against Ferrero in Davis Cup. Q. There seemed a point in this match when there was a little friction between the two of you, when you questioned the first serve call and Andre walked up to it, as if there were a mark in the clay, and rubbed it out. Were there words exchanged during the match? AGUSTIN CALLERI: No, you know, I didn't think that was anything there. I just, you know, I thought the serve was in because I felt the ball had skidded and, you know... Of course, at that point, you know, nobody would give you a shot like that, you know. They will not just give it up to you, you know; you've got to earn it. Q. You and your countrymen have been playing so well of late. Is there any prevailing reason? Is there one thing that Argentines are doing well now in tennis to foster this much success? AGUSTIN CALLERI: Well, I think right now the success in Argentina is not surprising. It is the fruit of a lot of hard work individually and as a team, you know, of one pushing the other to do better. Q. Are you the "old man" of that group, then? AGUSTIN CALLERI: Yes, unfortunately (smiling). Q. Coria spoke of how he feels very comfortable at the moment here because there are so many fans that are behind you guys. Can you talk about that as well. AGUSTIN CALLERI: Yes, it's good to play here in Miami. You not only have Argentines, but you have people from Latin America, South America in general, that will come and support you. Q. Was the match easier than you had envisioned? What did you envision the match would be like compared to how it was? A straight-sets win over Agassi, would you have thought that going in? AGUSTIN CALLERI: Well, I went on court to do what I had planned, which was to move Agassi. I was glad that it was in two sets. We had played in a very intense manner during the whole match. If it was three sets, probably it would be difficult. End of FastScripts…. |
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