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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 16, 2009

Fernando Verdasco

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

F. VERDASCO/D. Ferrer
6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very impressive win. Did you expect such an easy win?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Of course not. With David, you never expect a easy win, no? I woke up this morning so early and we play -- I woke up at 7:30, and we went to the court at 3:30 in the afternoon. So the expectations was, you know, hard today. It was a tough conditions. You know, is hard to prepare one match like this because you never know when you are going to play.
You know, at the beginning of the match, the first game and a half with 1-0 down and Love-30, I didn't play so good. I made mistakes. I was a little bit slow in my movements. But after the 2-2 in the first set when I break him, you know, I start to feel much better. I start to play so deep.
I think that was the key a little bit because he was not able to go into the court and to be aggressive like he likes to play.
So, you know, I think it is these kind of matches you have very good day and the other one have bad day. If not, is not normal, no, one victory 6-2, 6-1 against David, for example.

Q. The deep ball, is it something you work on?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No. You know, when you play, you try to play deep, but sometimes is not easy and you play short, or when you try to go deep, goes long. But there is some matches that you are with good feeling. You hit, and everything you hit is going deep, no?
Tennis is like this. But all sports are like this: some days you have good days and another one bad. Today I have a good day. I was feeling good in the court. You know, almost everything I was trying was in. So like this, is easy to play. Is hard to play when you don't have a good day.

Q. Do you feel like you're having those good days more and more?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: You know, I don't know. I think that I won matches in Miami, for example. Against Feliciano, I didn't play so good and I didn't feel good, and I won. I think that matches, when you win them, you feel better, no, than when you play unbelievable or when you play so good and you win. Because if you play so good and you lose, then the things are bad, no? Normally when you play very good, normally you need to win. And important is when you play bad, win also, no?
So, you know, of course, I am trying to play good always, but is not possible always to play good.

Q. Your best surface, is it still clay or hard court? What would you say?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: When they ask me this question, I don't know how to answer. I feel good in all surface. I always say that, no? Also when I was 50 in the world, I was saying that I was feeling good in clay. When I have time to prepare and when I have confidence, I feel good in clay, I feel good in grass, I feel good in hard court. So, you know, I feel so lucky to feel good in all the surface, no?
But is the truth. I don't know. If I need to choose one, my favorite, the one I better feel, I don't know. When I get used to the court, I feel good in all.

Q. You must know that everybody is expecting you to play well here because of the results you had in the past. Do you feel like you have no pressure because last year you didn't do so well here, or do you feel pressure because people want you to win more matches?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, you know, they was asking me also this, about the pressure also after I won the Davis Cup in Argentina, if I would feel the pressure because I won the Davis Cup and a lot of people will watch me play after that. They also tell me after the Australia Open.
And here, you know, I feel the pressure, but the same like I was feeling before. You know, I just feel the pressure to go to play and to think about the matches and how is the match gonna be and everything, no? But when I'm in the court, I don't think that more people maybe is watching me or less people, no? I don't know.
Is one thing that I don't think about. I just think about what I need to do and try to keep playing good and try to win the most matches I can, is the most important for me.
You know, the pressure I think is not good, if you put a lot of pressure on yourself. This is what I'm trying to do. No because I don't have nothing to defeat [sic] here. Also is important for sure that I am winning matches. Indian Wells, Miami and here was three Masters Series. Last year I didn't do anything. In Indian Wells I won one match. But in Miami and here I lost first round. So I knew before these tournaments that it was a good opportunity for me to get points, no?
I don't think I'm gonna feel pressure in the week of Madrid because I need to defeat quarters from Hamburg last year, or Paris. Then after you can win or lose. But I don't think I will feel different that I'm feeling here.

Q. You are without a coach here. When you want advice...
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, you know, like everybody knows, I am in contact the same like in Australia. I was with Gil Reyes and Darren Cahill and Sven Groenefeld, and all the coaches from adidas. You know, I'm in contact every day speaking with them and speaking about with who I play, how I need to play and everything. I don't have a coach here, but I have a coach speaking with him, or them, every day, no?
I think also in the court, you know, every player is different, but in the court you cannot have this help from the coach so much because in the court the coach cannot speak about how you need to play or what you need to do because if not, they will tell you, Coaching.
Is for me more important to speak with my coach before the matches and what I need to do and what I think I need to do and evening. So I can do this also by the phone.
Of course, I would like to be here with Gil and with Darren, no? But is not possible. I also happy to have them anyway.

Q. So yesterday you phoned to Darren Cahill, Gil Reyes, Sven Groenefeld?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Yeah, with Sven I was texting on the phone, just texting. With Gil speaking. And with Darren, yesterday, no. But I'm almost speaking every day. I try to be in contact with him every day with them, no? Sometimes because of the change of time is not easy, no, to find the time to speak with everybody. But I try always to speak with everybody of them.

End of FastScripts

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