NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 12, 1999

Carlos Moya

GREG SHARKO: Carlos is now just one match win away from becoming the 15th player in the history of the ATP rankings to become No. 1. He'll be playing another former French Open champion, Gustavo Kuerten, in the semifinal. First question for Carlos.

CARLOS MOYA: I just don't want to think about that, you know. Every time comes to my mind, but I have to be focused on every match I play. At the beginning of the week, I thought it was almost impossible to get there. Now, I'm just one match away. I'm just trying to be relaxed, even knowing that it's not possible. So I'm just trying to do my best. I know I am young, and if it's not tomorrow, hopefully I'm going to have more chances in the future. I have to be optimistic. If I do it, it would be great. If not, it's not the end of the world.

CARLOS MOYA: When I'm at the hotel, you don't have to think about that. You talk to your family. They remind you. But when I get to the court, so far I've been very relaxed. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I'm feeling pretty comfortable with my game. I've been winning all these matches in straight sets, so that means I'm playing well. So when I'm playing well, I can beat anyone.

CARLOS MOYA: Yes. I mean, I don't have to think about that because it would be more disappointing, you know. If I already have the idea of, "I'm No. 1," and I'm not yet, it's just one match. But if I am, I don't know what's going to happen, you know. But I just want to enjoy on the court, be the most relaxed I can, you know, try to not be nervous.

CARLOS MOYA: No.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, he didn't call me yet, but maybe he's busy. I switch off the telephone, you know, when I don't want to get any phone call which can disturb me. I just want to call my family to tell them I'm winning the matches, and I'm just one match away. For sure they will be more nervous than me. You know, it would be great if I win tomorrow, and for sure I have all the support from my friends and all of my family.

CARLOS MOYA: This, I think, is more than a final for me. I thought winning Grand Slam was the most important thing I could ever made, you know. Then I lost the final in Hannover. It was the most disappointing day of my life, and I was second in the world. Now I think this is the most important one here, even more than a Grand Slam or World Championship final, you know, because there have been only 14 No. 1's in the world, the whole history. Every year there are four winners of Grand Slams. That means it's more difficult to get No. 1.

CARLOS MOYA: No, because last time I play was three weeks ago, then I went one week skiing. I took it real easy. I came here. I was like 400 points behind. I don't know, Sampras lost some points from I don't know where. I was just 200-something. I saw that I have a chance. But I was not playing that well. Kafelnikov was playing much better than me. He was even closer. So I didn't think that. But then after first day I won, and all the others lost, it came to my mind, you know. But I didn't want to think much about that. But now I cannot -- I'm just thinking about that. I try to take it easy, you know.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't know. If I knew, he wouldn't beat me four times in a row. I don't know. He's hitting really hard. He's playing great this week, you know. He beat such good players. When he's playing like that, you just have to pray, you know. I don't know. I try to keep him behind the baseline, which is not easy. He's very tall, too. He doesn't like to move. He's so much in that it makes it really difficult to send him behind the line, you know. But I'm going to do my best, you know, try to beat him. It will be great.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I hope so. I made better results than him on hard. Every time he beat me, if I think the right one, was 7-6 in the third, another one 6-4 in the fifth, another one 7-6, 7-5, something like that, and the last 6-3 in the third. They've been always tough matches, I always had a chance. If Davis Cup wasn't two sets, I would be the winner of that match. I have to think I won one match against him.

CARLOS MOYA: Not right now. Most important thing for me is tomorrow, then the Lipton. When Davis Cup is going to be the most important at that time. But right now I don't even think about that.

CARLOS MOYA: I knew that Kucera is always up-and-down. You think it's easy to beat him. I mean, I was 4-Love up. I thought I was playing against the 900th player in the world. Suddenly he's No. 1. He's up-and-down, up-and-down. It's not easy to be concentrate with such a player. But when he's playing his best, I mean, no way to beat him. On this court, you know, he has beaten a lot of good players. When he's playing that way, from 5-1, to 5-4, 3-Love in the second, I mean, I could not do anything. But he went a little bit down, I start to play better, put some more pressure on him. It work out. I'm very happy to be the winner.

CARLOS MOYA: Yes. I think I served great. He's a very good returner. He's leading most of the standings returning serve, you know. I knew it was going to be tough. But I kept fighting, you know. I was 3-0 down. I knew that he doesn't have such a big serve, so I had a chance to break him back, and I did it. I happy that I finish the match, you know, with my serve in the first chance I had, which usually I don't make it. Today I did it, so I'm pretty happy. I was very focused.

CARLOS MOYA: Me?

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I always considered myself as a good hard court player because I play final in Australia, semifinal of US Open, I won the title, played final in Indianapolis. I beat most of the players on hard, Sampras, Kafelnikov, Rafter. It's obvious that my best results were on clay, but I don't feel uncomfortable here. I feel pretty well. Maybe not indoor courts, you know. I have to improve there and on grass. But hard court, I like it very much.

CARLOS MOYA: Why should I, you know. He's a great friend of mine. Yesterday we went to dinner. I just congratulate him. He played a great match, you know. If Sampras is not doing well, it's his business, you know. I was very happy for Mantilla because I think he needs this kind of victory. He has better level than his ranking shows, so I was very happy for him. But, of course, I was happy that he beat him because also help me, you know. You know, you just congratulate him, that's it.

CARLOS MOYA: No, no, no. We had fun, you know.

CARLOS MOYA: In the way I played pretty well. I would like to know what happened if I didn't have that problem in my shoulder at the beginning of the year and also the flu. Probably maybe I wouldn't need to win tomorrow, because I played so bad in Australia. I don't know how far I am from No. 1 right now. But if I could have played a little bit better, for sure I would be No. 1 now. But also if I had won that Masters, I would be No. 1, too. But I don't want to think about that. I have the chance tomorrow. But I'm playing pretty comfortable, pretty well, moving well on the court. I had some good practice last two weeks in Barcelona. I was very focused because I knew here I had no points to defend. If I cannot reach No. 1 here, the clay court season is going to be difficult, tougher, because I have a lot of points to defend. So this is my chance.

CARLOS MOYA: Some of them wish me good luck. They wish me good luck, you know. Yeah. I didn't see anyone on the court, but I think is normal. They are already out of the tournament. Some of them went to Miami already. Some of the others are playing golf, which I respect. I think it's not odd what they did.