ATP Tour World Championship

November 24, 1998

Carlos Moya

Q. You were extremely offensive today, 34 points on net from 41. Is another Spanish national record?

CARLOS MOYA: Well, is the way you have to play here, otherwise you are lost, you know. I play too defensive first set. I lost it. I decided to play more offensive at the net. Today it work out, you know. I've been practicing so much this year to improve my net game. Today has been paid off. So I'm very happy to be the winner of this match. I hope it's going to give me a lot of confidence. It's very important to start the tournament with a victory.

CARLOS MOYA: Perhaps I played better in these important moments where I'm very concentrate. I have always said that my weak point is that I cannot keep the level the whole year. I came here very fresh. I didn't play many matches lately. I was really focused to play well this tournament. Today maybe I didn't play perfect, but I won, which is the most important thing today. What I said before, I think when is a big tournament, I play better.

CARLOS MOYA: I've been practicing on indoor court, you know, really hard, because I knew this is a very important tournament, the last of the year, and is important to play well here. So I was practicing every day, like two hours tennis, one hour fitness. I played every day soccer last week, so I think I came here really fit. I was always playing with two guys in Barcelona, two junior players, so I think I've done a really good job practicing last week. I work really hard. I don't know, that's why I think I win today.

CARLOS MOYA: I think for me is never enough, you know. I am very happy with my volleys today, but I think I can get even better. So, I'm going to keep working. I think today I won because of those volleys. Otherwise from baseline, I was lost. So I'm happy, but I just want more and more. I'm not going to be happy if I don't win the tournament. So I hope I'm looking forward to play good tennis the next days and try to win some more matches.

CARLOS MOYA: He's a very talented player. When he plays well, I think he's one of the best players in the world. He makes amazing strokes, you know. But sometimes when he has an easy ball, he misses. I think when he's a really good player, I've been lucky in important moments today. We both deserved to win that match, but there's only one winner, and it's been me. Maybe next time it's going to be Karol. He plays well from the baseline. He has not such a big serve. He plays well everywhere. So he's a very dangerous player.

CARLOS MOYA: I think it helps, but last year was my first time, was like ten times for Pete here or nine or whatever. I won that match. So is important. Is not the most important thing maybe. In the 5-All today, maybe he felt a little bit of pressure, and 6-5 in the second set, last two points were mistakes from him. But I think it's very important my experience from last year. I don't have much experience, but at least a little bit more than him. So I think it's been really important today.

CARLOS MOYA: You always have pressure, you know, when you play here. Even if the people say you are not the favorite, just being here where only the best eight players being here, you feel a bit of pressure. So many people are watching you, and you want to do it well. So you feel the pressure. I felt the pressure last year. I felt the pressure French Open, US Open. So I think I have, for my age, a lot of experience. I can have much more, but for my age it's not bad.

CARLOS MOYA: Me?

CARLOS MOYA: Well, I'm trying to. I know right now my favorite surface right now is clay court. I proved that I can play really well on hard court. I reached the final in Australia, semifinal US Open, I won a tournament in Long Island, four finals I played on hard court outdoor. Now what I have to improve is the indoor, you know, also on grass. It's going to be a bit difficult to play well on grass for my kind of game. I think I improve really much. I still young, I have so much to improve. So I'm looking forward to play well in the future in Wimbledon and Paris Bercy, and Stuttgart, where I didn't do that well lately. My next goal will be to become a good player indoor and grass court. I know I can do it.

CARLOS MOYA: I'm used to coming back when I'm really down. I think I didn't learn this year. I've been always a fighter, you know. Maybe doesn't look like, but I'm fighting almost every match. To reach the final in Australia, I had to come back two sets to one against Becker, two sets to one against Bjorkman, so I think I've been always a fighter. Is very important. What I learned from last year is that I can win matches even playing bad, you know, not playing that well. Maybe last year is when I was playing bad, I was always losing. Is what I learned from last year, that even playing bad, you can win a match. You know, that's why I'm fighting every match.

CARLOS MOYA: Well, we are two players, so it is going to be 50 (laughter). I play him two times. I beat him once. He beat me once. I will have more chances if it was on clay court, but is indoor, hard court, so I'm going to do my best. I cannot tell you how many chances I have, but he should be careful.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, he's been probably the best player ever, even if Roland Garros is missing for him. But he won like 10 or 11 Grand Slam, five times here. What can I say, you know? He cannot be best from baseline. I'm going to try to keep him there. For sure he's going to try to come to the net. But here is different than Paris, you know. Here the surface is a bit slower; I have more time to think. I can say what I can do is just do my best, play my best, and try to beat him.