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SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 1, 2007

Guillermo Canas

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Fantastic performance. I guess this was maybe a bit far for you?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Yeah, I'm very happy I'm this far in the tournament. I think today I played a good match, and I think today I do everything I can to try to win. I think Novak played very well tonight and just played better than me. I had a few chances, not a lot, but a few, and he played very well that important moment. For that I think I don't have any set or any chance to do hard work.

Q. In that very critical seventh game in the second set, very long game, did that game drain you emotionally and/or physically?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Yeah, physically, yes, because it was also a very long game, but for both. And that game was maybe at one point I break him, but for the machine they have a chance to play again the point. I did my best like in that game. But I think he played very well that important point. He served very well today in the important moments. I think it was one of the keys to him, because he beat me.
I think I do my best in all the three sets. But today I can't. I can't.

Q. You've beaten several Top 10 players since you've returned, obviously not today. Is it too early to say that Novak is someone that could be challenging Federer and Nadal?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Yeah, I think. I don't know, it's tough to say. But he's a great player. He's very confident. He played great tennis in these four weeks. If he continues like this, they're going to be one of the top players, one of the top three, four players very, very soon.

Q. Can you express what it meant to you to make a final on this level after the events of the last two years?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: For me it's important to be here today because after the suspension, and I start six months ago, and to be in the top level for the final for me is very important. It's very important for myself to prove I'm again in the top level. It's very important for my game to get more confidence. And for the rest of the year, I think it is going to give me a lot of energy to continue playing and continue -- I don't know, try to go to my goal. And now I'm very close to my goal.
In the beginning of the season, it was to finish Top 20. I'm very, very close. I'm trying to do it as soon as possible.

Q. Novak did more than give you the usual handshake; he gave you a big embrace. Did that mean something to you personally? Do you feel he accepts you as a legitimate competitor?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Really, I have before this matches, I didn't have a very good relations, I said hi. I didn't know him very well. I said before I didn't met him very often because I just played two big tournaments.
But I know he's a nice guy. I'm very happy for him because it is the first big tournament he won, and I think he played very well. He is very honest on the court. Yeah, I think so. I'm very happy for him, too.

Q. This has been a very momentous week for you both on and off the court. Very recently following your appeal, the Swiss Supreme Courts have overturned the ruling of the Court of Arbitration of Sports that originally confirmed your doping ban, suspension. And this will lead to a possible reexamination of your case. Obviously you are very pleased about this?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Yeah, I'm very happy for the result. I'm very happy because before I started there in the Supreme Court, Swiss, everybody say I'm crazy. But they say before I'm starting the case, too. And I'm fighting the law, I'm fighting the court. I'm very happy for the appeal.
But really, it's not a moment to talk about that. Just I want to talk about my excellent week I have. Maybe my lawyer can talk more about that.

Q. You've had nine matches in 14 days. Davis Cup is right on the horizon. How many days are you going to need to rest before you feel like you can get back on the court?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Really, I don't know. I try to recover as soon as possible because I want to play the Davis Cup. So for me it's very important to play for my country, and just I'm going to try to recover tonight.
I'm going to try to do my best to be ready if I need to be in the court Friday. Tomorrow I take a plane to go there and just I'm going to make the team, and I'm going to start practicing, I think maybe Tuesday.

Q. Do you hurt at all? Do you hurt in your body, are you tired?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: I'm old (laughter).

Q. Come on, Willy, come on, Willy.
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: I'm old. After nine matches, all my body hurts. But I'm happy. No, really, I have a little bit of pain in my legs. It was in the end of the first set, but just sometimes when I have some movements, I feel it. But I think they're going to be good for like two or three days recovery, and they're going to be good.

Q. Your excellent play this month, and particularly your two wins over Federer, what does that say to the rest of men's tennis, leaving this event?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: What it say to what?

Q. What does it say to men's tennis, particularly your two wins over Federer these last two weeks?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: What I say to them, to men's tennis?

Q. What does it mean?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: What does it mean? I don't know. Just it means one more player fighting to go to the top. It's just I don't know what it means for the men's tennis. For me it means a lot. It means I'm here again; for this I'm fighting a lot.
And just it's, again, live in the top level of the tennis and it is great, because after maybe two years was the last big tournament I played, or close to. To be here again for me, it means a lot.
I don't know for the men's tennis. Just one more player is fighting for being in the Top 10. But for me it means a lot more.

Q. You were picking on Novak's backhand. Was there a reason why you weren't following that more to the net? Is that something you regret considering your leg issue? Did you want to keep the points shorter? Because you were comfortable staying on the back and so is he. Should you have followed that in more?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: Yeah, no, not really. Just I try -- when I get into the court, I try to be everything. In the beginning of the match I couldn't, because I was just not very -- I didn't prepare well in the beginning.
And then I have this historic call, foot fault. And I was a little bit -- just concentrate. Then I try to go the more aggressive I can, because I know Novak is a great player. If I play solid, they're going to be long matches.
I tried to do my best, but I think today I have a great player for me, and he played better than me.

Q. You've gone through the wrist surgeries, gone through the suspension. When is the last time you had a moment as happy as the moment you're having right now?
GUILLERMO CAÑAS: I don't remember. But I know that the happy moment didn't come already. I think they're going to come very soon. I'm very happy now, but hopefully more happy moments they're going to come for me. I try to do it. And just now I enjoy the moment I live.
For me it's great to be back on the tour. Now everybody knows I'm back on the tour. I played very great tennis, and just for me, this moment is to enjoy life.

End of FastScripts

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