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PACIFIC LIFE OPENMarch 18, 2008Juan Carlos FerreroINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How satisfying is it to have pulled out a match like that? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I'm very happy about my game today. I played very well. I think whole match was a good match until the end. I couldn't finish, I think, first because I had a lot of chances in the third set, 15-40 and also to advantage to try to break his serve. And at the end, I was 6-4 down in the tiebreak, and was funny to play. I think I enjoy it. Q. Juan Carlos you're 28 now. Ten years past Roland Garros junior final. Five years will be your anniversary for the win. What keeps you motivated and going on a day-to-day basis? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Sometimes it's difficult, for sure, because you travel a lot, and sometimes the matches are going the way that you don't like. But, anyway, I love tennis, and I enjoying playing tennis yet, so it's the key to keep working. Q. Do titles matter to you as much as they used to, winning titles? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course it is. But, you know, I'm not thinking about it so much. Just wanted to work, to try to win some tournaments, sure. Q. The older you get your perspective changes just a little bit to keep yourself mentally fresh? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Not -- not a lot of change. The only matter to me I try to keep the motivation so high and be physically very good, because I think it's very important, and be fit the whole time. Q. Do you feel like you're a better player than you were five years ago? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I think so. I think so. Mentally I'm so much better, I think, so much stronger. And physically I think I'm so much better than before. I don't know, maybe I improve a little bit my serve, also my backhand, so I don't know why I'm not winning tournaments. Q. Do you feel like a lot of the same guys you were playing in 2003 are... JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I play finals I think, you know, I had a little bit of bad luck, because all years I play finals so I could win tournaments, I could still win tournaments. So if I do not play like in five or six years of final, of course I'm going to think what's wrong. But I'm still playing finals, important finals, Masters Series last year in Monte-Carlo, so keep going, just keep going. Q. Is it sort of strange looking around the area and seeing all these young players and you're a veteran now? Does that seem a little funny to you, almost? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I'm not like veteran at all. I'm 28, so not really. Of course, I'm, you know, I look to Rafa or Djokovic or some of these guys, and of course they are so young. But I pass through this age and I'm thinking of me and not the others. Q. So you're saying you're better now, which is understandable. But you were No. 1 in 2003. During that summer, except for the US Open final, you were a pretty dominant player, no? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Q. So you feel you're better now, but then you were winning more, so the connection is where? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: It's all about, I think, confidence. You're allowed to win a lot of matches, you know, and it's like the people has a lot of respect to you and a lot of matches you're winning, like, you know how to play. Right now I'm not seeded in a lot of tournaments and I have to play against the best players in maybe second or third round, so it's not easier as before, that I have to play against these players in semis or finals. Q. Does it amaze you a little bit that Rafa has been able to win Roland Garros three times in a row? You went to the final, you won it, you've been close to the top. Three times in a row is not so easy. JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Of course not. It's not easy, but I think he's very strong, and, you know, on clay he's one of the best in the world, or maybe the best. You know, what can I say? Q. Can you talk a little bit about the next round. Playing against David. What's going to be the key for that? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: The key is for me very important to recover so good for tomorrow. I have a little time to recover. I play second, so, you know, I'm going to recover fast. I have to play very aggressive as in Australia I play it. I try to be very aggressive with his second set and try to take the point before him. Q. Can you talk about the hotel you bought, that's yours, your hotel you bought, Hotel Ferrero? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. The hotel, it's open like seven months ago, and it's working very well. It has 12 rooms, 8 rooms different, I mean, the design is different. We have, like a big place for party, weddings. It's going good. Q. It's not that common for tennis players to go do that, especially while they're playing. Why did you decide to do that now as opposed to maybe when you retire? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Because I don't have to do it when I just retire. I think I have time to make some business, as well, right now. I have people that I have a lot of confidence with them, and, you know, I bought the place, and it was the time to make it. Q. So is it close to the beach of Valencia; is that right? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: It's in the interior. It's like 40 minutes from the beach. It's like 40 minutes to Valencia and 40 minutes to Alicante. Q. Is it in the mountains a little bit? Very pretty, nice place? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Q. Are you planning on putting up more hotels, or just that one? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Just for the moment that's enough. Q. How much does it cost to stay there? Can we get a deal? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. There's different price. (laughter.) Q. Friends, one thing, journalists? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: We can make a deal. Don't worry. Q. Really? Are you going to advertise your hotel -- will you ever advertise your hotel around here at the tournaments? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know, maybe. Q. So a tennis court, is there tennis court there? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: There is a grass court. Q. Seriously? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, it's just to enjoy. It's not to... Q. So it sounds like a Wimbledon grass court. You didn't bring in the groundskeepers? JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: No, no. End of FastScripts |
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