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U.S. OPEN

September 8, 2011

David Ferrer

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

A. RODDICK/D. Ferrer
6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A completely crazy day. Can you explain just what was happening, first of all, out on Armstrong and your mindset and wanting to go to the next court? What was your thinking?
DAVID FERRER: Well, I think especially on the court it was not good. Had a little bit break. Nothing else, no? We stop, come back to the locker room, and after the referee talk with us, with Andy, with me, and we try to -- you know, they saw the court, no? We cannot play in this court because it was not good.
And after this, you know, ask for play in the Court 13 and was set.

Q. How difficult is that? This is a Grand Slam tournament, it's very big, a lot of money at stake, a lot of things are at stake. How difficult is it to have these conditions bubbling up and then having to go to a smaller court?
DAVID FERRER: It's difficult for us, no, because, you know, two days raining; today it was not raining, but the court is not at good performance, no?
So it was not easy. But, you know, I can't do anything like this.

Q. Once you were both on Court 13 and the match began, to play such an important match on such a tiny, intimate court, what was the most charming delightful thing about that? What was the most frustrating?
DAVID FERRER: Bonita? (Laughter.)
Well, it was not nice playing on Court 13, but it was nice when you are junior, no?
But nothing special, no? We have back lucky because they close the court, it was not good, and we play in the Court 13, no?
We have bad lucky this week in this tournament. Two days raining, and you know, you can't do nothing.

Q. For example, not having the replay system, was that upsetting, not having Hawk-Eye? Are you okay?
DAVID FERRER: No, yeah, of course I prefer Hawk-Eye. And with Roddick in here, of course I prefer Hawk-Eye.
But, you know, what can I do? Referee, he's the boss, no? This is the Grand Slam. The players, we cannot do anything.

Q. Do you think the smaller court gave him an advantage because he had the big serve? Would you have had an advantage on a larger court?
DAVID FERRER: No, I think he won because he was better than me. And if we play in another court, for Roddick, he won the same match.

Q. There was a photographer on the court. There was a guy on a fence. It was crazy conditions. Were you distracted by all these differences?
DAVID FERRER: No.

Q. Was it okay?
DAVID FERRER: No, no. I don't have problem. No, really, you know, it's the conditions. We need to play in the Court 13 because we stopped two days and we need -- we are going to try to play in this court. So it's normal, no? I hope next year we can play in indoor court.

Q. Just similar to that, when you walk out there and you see everyone on top of you and the atmosphere, I mean, what was that like, the first time you see everyone kind of packed in? How does that all feel instead of, you know, something like Armstrong?
DAVID FERRER: No, because last year I play in the same court and I don't have problem. It's normal the people support to win. He plays in his home. We play in Spain, it would be different.

Q. When you went back out to Armstrong to check the court, had they told you it was dry? Do you think Andy went overboard in his reaction? You were fairly calm about the whole thing, but he kind of he went off.
DAVID FERRER: I understand the aggression of Andy, no, because, you know, we stopped one time and the referee talked to us. He say, Come back in 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, 10 minutes more. When the referee talk, we are ready to play. We went to the court, and when we show -- when we saw the court, it was no good, the court, no?
It's normal reaction of him. I don't have this reaction because I don't speak very good English. (Laughter.)

Q. I asked Andy Murray if he felt that at this tournament, particularly based on the events of yesterday and today, if he felt that commercial interests were more important than player well-being. He said without hesitation that, yes, he thought that commercial interests were...
DAVID FERRER: Yeah, I agree with him.

Q. Would you comment a little bit in terms of is there more so here at this particular tournament, or do you think that that is a problem in tennis in general?
DAVID FERRER: I don't know exactly. Maybe it's in all the Grand Slams, no? It's very commercial. Maybe here, you know, maybe is different, but I think it's in all the Grand Slams, no, it's most important. It's more important the event, the people of the boss of the events in the Grand Slam than the players.
But, you know, we are talking every year the same question. This one is not new.

Q. When you were on court, when you went back out on court, I think it was Brian Earley who was out there, were they trying to convince you the court was playable after you left and came back out? Were they trying to convince you that the court was playable?
DAVID FERRER: Yes, yes. I don't have problem for playing... (Through translation.) No, no, no. They asked to Andy and me, and we agree, no, to play in this court. No convince.

Q. Did he try to convince you to play in Armstrong?
THE MODERATOR: He said no.

Q. You walked off with no shoes on. Is that normal for you?
DAVID FERRER: Yeah, because I was a little bit pain in my foots and the shoes was broken.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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