US OPEN

August 29, 2001

Carlos Moya

MODERATOR: Questions for Carlos.

CARLOS MOYA: I mean, finally I could play my game, you know. I had a few tournaments where, you know, I played those guys who were serving big, and I wasn't able to play my game. But, I mean, right now the difference is clear that Roddick is the best of them. They have different games. Fish has a very good serve, but he's playing from baseline more than the other two. I think Fish is going to be a Top 50 player for sure in a period of two, three years. He's going to have a lot of ups and downs because he's not that consistent. But he has a very high level and he's going to be up there for sure. Roddick is up there already. And Dent, for sure, is going to be there, too. He has a huge serve. When he puts the groundstrokes with his serve together, he's going to be a very tough player to beat. I think is a great future. The three of them have a very good future. You know, they're going to be good, for sure.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I don't want to think in that way. I've been playing very well lately. I'm confident again. I'm fit. I'm healthy. But it's been like this a whole year. You know, I don't want to think that I am the same player as I play the final in Australia five years ago, four years ago, because I'm only in the second round. But I think I'm improving every tournament I'm playing. You know, I'm being more aggressive. Hopefully I'm going to play the same level as '97, the Aussie Open.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, my clay court season has not been as good as I expected to be. I'm happy the way I played on hard courts than clay. On clay I've been playing well not the big tournaments. The big tournaments I just got to the second round, and that's it. On hard, the I reached the fourth round in Miami, quarters in Australia. I'm feeling very comfortable on hard. I cannot say I'm a better player on hard than on clay because it would not be real. But, you know, I think I'm feeling comfortable here. I mean, I've proved that I can play well on hard courts, on fast courts. I reached the semifinals '98, fourth round last year here, had match point to get to the quarters. This year I'm playing well again. I'll see how it goes.

CARLOS MOYA: This is special tournament, first of all, because is a Grand Slam. Second, the atmosphere here is maybe different than the others. You can see so many people. You know, the city is wild and everything. I have many special memories here. In '98 I got to the semis. I saved match point second round against Chang. I had very good matches here. I also have good memories of last year playing against Martin. I think was a great match. None of us deserve to lose, but has to be a loser and it was me. But still, when I play well, I have chance, I did all my best, I happy. That's what I did last year, so I have good memories, although I lost that match.

CARLOS MOYA: This is shot I have improved lately. I've been practicing a lot on my backhand. You know, seems like is working out well now. But every day is different. Maybe tomorrow I wake up and I cannot hit a backhand in. Today, and the last couple of months, I've been hitting some good backhand side. That's maybe different from last year, you know, when I was feeling when the opponent was coming to the net on my backhand, you know, I didn't feel comfortable. Now I'm feeling fine. I think I can hit the very good shot. It makes easier, you know, to feel like that.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, very good.

CARLOS MOYA: Besides the French Open, I think I've been playing very well the others. I had high expectations to do well in Paris. I was playing very well. I was practicing hard, very confident, then I lost the second round. So besides that one, I think I've been playing very well. In Wimbledon I lost to Ivanisevic second round, then he won the tournament. I think I played a good match. Australia, I got to the quarters. Here so far I've been playing well. I always want to play well in Grand Slams, just like everybody. All the 128 players who are coming here are expecting to do their best, to play a good tournament. That's what I expect, too. You know, I got to the weekend in three out of four Grand Slams. I think that means something. You know, that means that I can play well in any surface. Maybe Wimbledon doesn't suit my game very well, but it's okay. But the others, I've been feeling very comfortable in the Grand Slams. I always want to play well here.

CARLOS MOYA: Maybe. It's what I said before. I think he's going to have a lot of ups and downs in his career. He can play amazing and then, you know, he's not playing that well for some games. The longest the point, the better for me because I'm more used to him to play the long rallies. You know, maybe he's not moving to well. He doesn't like to move because usually he controls the point, he's the opponent who is moving. Today I was moving very well, I was moving him. This what he doesn't like. But he's going to be in the future a tough player to beat and very good.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, even when I was No. 1, it was good to get to the first weekend. The first two, three rounds are not easy. I would be happy to get there and see what happens. But I still have a few tough matches to get there. For all the players, good to get to the first weekend, then you see what's going to happen, how are you playing. But at least that means that you won three matches and you got the rhythm, your strokes are there, mentally you're there, then you see what happen.

CARLOS MOYA: Thousands.

CARLOS MOYA: I would say he's my best friend on tour. He's never easy to play a match like that. So far we play like four or five times. I think I always beat him. So I hope is not going to be different result this time. He's playing well. He had a tough match today, and he won in straight sets, which I think is good for him. I'm just going to play my game and try to forget about friendship and all this stuff, try to win that match as it was against someone else.

CARLOS MOYA: His forehand. His forehand is very big. Actually, he has a good slice. He likes to play around. I'll try, you know, to put pressure and serve well, which I think is going to be important, just to play my game. If it doesn't work, then I'm going to have to change something.