ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 11, 1997

Carlos Moya

Q. Carlos, you were happy to find the right rhythm again, that you used to have?

CARLOS MOYA: I didn't hear, sorry.

CARLOS MOYA: Of course, I happy. I think I play pretty well. Maybe I didn't expect to beat him. When I saw the court, I knew it was not going to be easy to beat me also. Of course, I happy I played my best match than I played lately. Is the right time to play well here, the Masters. This victory is going to give me confidence, for sure. But I know that I just won a match, and I have more matches to play.

CARLOS MOYA: Sampras practicing is another player. He's not playing when he's playing matches. It's totally different. I knew these days when I practiced with him, I beat him, but I knew it was going to be totally different in the match. But maybe I realized that when I beat him these days, even practicing, I realized that he was not playing very well. The court was really slow. I was going to have a chance to beat him. So finally I did. But doesn't have to do with Sampras practicing or playing matches; another player.

CARLOS MOYA: I think it's spectacular how it looks. It was very big court. All the crowd there, playing the song when you went to the court, was really an impression for me. I think I like this court. I like everything here. I feel pretty good here playing. I'm enjoying the game, atmosphere, everything. All together, I put all together, it makes me feel very good, very motivated.

CARLOS MOYA: What?

CARLOS MOYA: I think Sampras is always Sampras. Maybe he didn't play his best ever. It is also better for me to meet him first round, not third, fourth day when he is getting the rhythm and he is playing better and better. I knew I had the chance to beat him first day. Maybe second or third, it was not going to be easy. But maybe he did more mistakes than he used to do. Also because I was not making mistakes. I was playing every ball. He had to fight for every point. I didn't make easy mistakes, stupid mistakes. For sure, he's going to play -- he's not out of the tournament yet for sure. He's able to win matches and even the tournament. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. Maybe he told you he didn't play his best. But what I know is today I was better than him, and I took advantage.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah, that was yesterday. It was practicing here.

CARLOS MOYA: Yeah. But I mean, nothing to do with I beat him. Practicing he's a totally different player. But today, I play well. I was very concentrate, very motivate. Finally it worked out.

CARLOS MOYA: I think he was very tired. I think it was the first game of the third set. Usually if I have match points, second set maybe I go a little bit down. But when I saw him doing what he did, it's not normal of him, complaining, waiting there, maybe to have time to recover, that helped me a lot because I thought it was not normal what he was doing. Keep fighting, try to beat him.

CARLOS MOYA: It was good signal, yeah. It's not normal for him to do these things. He's very professional. Even when the things are not going good for him, he doesn't complain. He keeps going. What he did today, it wasn't used to do it.

CARLOS MOYA: It's hardcourt, but it's still indoor. It's different. But it's true that the ball bounce high here. I can play my game more than last tournament where I didn't do that well. But this is still indoor. He's No. 1. He's the best player, his surface. Maybe you can say you see him at the U.S. Open, Australia, he won the U.S. Open, Australian Open, indoor, Paris last week, two weeks ago, Masters. The mix. It's indoor, but it's not that fast. And he won everything on this kind of surface. So I think it was good for me. But he's still No. 1 in the world, so it's a good victory for me.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't know what to think anymore. For sure, it's not indoor, my best surface. This year I play four finals in hard court. I won one of them. I played just two clay. I think I improve my game on hard court, I still have to improve indoor. I cannot say I'm a claycourt specialist. I was. I think now I am maybe playing good on hard court. Was a goal for this year to improve my game on hard court. I think I did it. I still can improve much more. For next year, I would like to improve my game indoors, so I don't want to be a good player just clay or just hard court; I want to be a good player all kinds of surface.

CARLOS MOYA: I don't know. Maybe grass, I don't know (laughter). No, I don't think so. Hard court, I like hard court. Clay also. I don't know what to think anymore.