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DAVIS CUP FINALS, USA vs. SPAIN


December 5, 2004


Rafael Nadal


USA vs. SPAIN, SEVILLE, SPAIN

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) How are you? It is quite difficult to find a question for you in a situation like this. Rafael, you have made a point in this tie. How do you feel?

RAFAEL NADAL: (Translated from Spanish) I feel really happy. We are all very happy with this victory. It was an historic victory and we are truly happy with it.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) The US team has mentioned a few times the role that the crowd played, the role that the noise played. You are all professional tennis players. Do you think that is the case? Do you think it puts a lot of pressure on you or can you manage to block it and not hear it? Do you think it might be an excuse? Carlos, you also mentioned maybe the noise was in a way against you. What do you have to say about this?

CARLOS MOYA: Not at all. The noise is not against me. They just are supporting us. Of course, you can feel the pressure from the crowd. It's different to play with 25,000 people with you or against you. Of course, the crowd is a factor, one of the many factors that play a role in a victory or defeat, but it's not the only factor. It's just one important factor. The crowd was supporting us, and that has been extremely nice for us.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) It seems that this tie has brought many historic records to the world of tennis. We have the youngest tennis player to win a final, and we have seven captains for a team. How many captains will the Spanish team have next year?

CAPTAIN ARRESE: (Translated from Spanish) The number seven sounds really good. You can think about the great seven, for example. Why not? We have four captains plus three very good players with us.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) Rafael, we all know that Carlos has a lot of experience in the world of tennis, has played for a longer time. Has Carlos ever asked you what is the formula to beat Roddick during these days?

RAFAEL NADAL: (Translated from Spanish) No really. He has already played Roddick three times. He watched the match. He did not ask me anything. He has his own opinion and he also has been advised in this matter. So, no, not at all. He is a good champion and he did it himself.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) For the whole team, do not tell me that everything is wonderful, you won the cup, but answer about your personal feelings. How do you feel after winning this tie? For example, Juan Carlos, this is your second Davis Cup, it must be great for you. Rafa, you are the youngest player to win this trophy. You're the only people from Catalonia, for example, as well. Everybody has their own way of feeling unique about this cup. What do you say about it?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: (Translated from Spanish) This is the second Davis Cup that I have won in my 24 years of life, so it's a major feat for me that I have managed to get both. It is very important for my professional career, to get my second Davis Cup. Maybe there are very few players in the world that have managed such a feat. I also hope it's not the last one. I hope I will be playing more Davis Cup ties in the future.

CARLOS MOYA: (Translated from Spanish) It really is a great feeling. Last year I was very close. For many years this has been my goal, and it has also been my dream. So for me now it is a dream come true.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Translated from Spanish) I personally have to say that this is my first Davis Cup, of course. I've just arrived to the team and we've just won. This is quite a lucky thing for me. I feel very lucky because my debut was with such a wonderful team. We have had our tough moments during the season, and we managed to overcome them. I feel really, really happy because I do love this type of team tournament, so I've truly enjoyed it. For me, the Davis Cup is the most important trophy of my life. I'm just truly happy to be here and have won.

TOMMY ROBREDO: (Translated from Spanish) Well, me, as the only person from Catalonia, as you said before, I'm truly, truly happy because I have had many achievements during the year. There were also dreams come true, as well. I personally won the Conde de Godo trophy, which is the Catalonia tournament. Winning at home is a great feeling, is possibly -- not possibly, was then the most important week of my life and I was very happy to go through that. Then two weeks ago I also won a very important trophy, and now the Davis Cup. If you add them together, you realize that they truly are major achievements for my professional career.

CAPTAIN ARRESE: (Translated from Spanish) From the sports' point of view, you would like to say this is probably the most important trophy we have had together with the Silver Medal. Even though if we win this trophy again, it will never, ever be the same as in this occasion because we are here, we are in Seville, we have 27,000 people in the crowd, we have probably won the Guinness record for the amount of people in the crowd. The atmosphere was unique. It was terribly, terribly exciting. As a member of the G3 team of captains, I want to tell you it truly has been a tough week, luckily with perfect results. We have had to make tough decisions during this week. If you take the whole week in perspective, I'm sure you will realize that it was difficult for us, that we have also suffered a lot. We have done things the way we thought we should have done them. We have managed to win, and I'm sure there would have been other ways to win, but I'm happy that we won because of the decisions we made.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) After all this happiness, all this excitement, how do you see the day after?

CARLOS MOYA: (Translated from Spanish) Well, a major hangover really. Well, I'm not going to have a hangover because I'm definitely not going out tonight. Well, no, seriously, we will have a practice session tomorrow at 10. No, we will surely get some rest. In less than one month, we have to travel to Australia. So we will celebrate, but not that much. We don't have such a long holiday because we have to get back to the circuit, back to work, and back to playing tennis.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) I apologize for the question, but, Juan Carlos, you don't seem very happy. Why aren't you happy? Is it because of the singles match? Have you forgotten all about the singles match? Why aren't you happy?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: (Translated from Spanish) Well, I don't think any of us are unhappy. It's not that we all must have a major grin on our faces. I have been jumping out there. I'm happy. I have absolutely no reason to be unhappy.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) Have you forgotten about the singles match?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: (Translated from Spanish) Yes, of course I have forgotten. I forgot a while ago.

Q. (Translated from Spanish) Jordi, in less than a month's time, there are elections at the Spanish tennis Federation. Are you thinking about the seven great or what is in your mind about the forthcoming elections?

CAPTAIN ARRESE: (Translated from Spanish) Well, that's truly another issue. We are in a way away from that at the moment. We shall see what happens then. Now I am not thinking green, as I said yesterday. Today I'm truly thinking silver. All we have in our heads now is to enjoy the victory, to enjoy the team, to enjoy the party, and a very good night out that we will all be enjoying shortly.

Q. Carlos, let's pretend that one day you are a father, you have to talk to your child, you have to tell him only one thing. Would you start saying, "I was No. 1 in the world once," or would you say, "I won a Slam once," or will you say, "I won the decisive point in the Davis Cup once"?

CARLOS MOYA: None of them. I would say I enjoyed my career, and that's the best advice that I can give him.

End of FastScripts….

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