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TMS MONTE CARLO


April 20, 2003


Juan Carlos Ferrero


MONTE CARLO

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Thanks.

Q. Apart from anything else, you played well enough, it seemed, that it wouldn't have mattered if it was five sets today. Did you feel that, too?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Could be. Could be much difficult because I had to win one more set, of course. But, you know, for the conditions, was easy for us to play best-of-three because if we start best-of-five and it's still raining during two days, it's impossible to finish the match. So we spoke with the referees and we thought, both players, we thought that it was better to play three sets. Is better, much better for us, because physically for the next tournament as well we have to think. That's okay.

Q. How would you sum up what's obviously been a very good week for you?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course, of course a very good week for me. I start playing normal tennis, normal level when I finish the match against Mantilla and Gaudio. You know, I think the key was my mentality was very strong all the time when I went down with Gaudio, you know, and Mantilla. And I keep going all the time, you know, fighting and fighting. Finally, you know, you win a tournament and you feel very, very happy.

Q. Is that as well as you've played in a final, do you think?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I played the last two finals, I lost. So today I wanted to win, you know. I think I play unbelievable - no mistakes, a lot of winners all the time. I didn't leave him to come up, you know. I keep going, playing very well all the time. So I'm really happy for my tennis today.

Q. When you saw that he had beaten Moya, did you think that you had to be right on your game straightaway today?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think Moya, you know, when Moya is playing good, he's very difficult player to win. His forehand is one of the forehands, you know, very fast, you know. You run a lot. Coria, I think he plays more like me, you know. He hit the ball strong with backhand and forehand, you know. He serve like me. So for me, it was better to play against Coria. But for Spanish people, of course was better to play Moya, me. So I have to think was me, so it's much better.

Q. The fact that you had to impose your game on him straightaway, did you think that was very important?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I spoke with my coach and, you know, we thought that we have -- I have to start very strong all the time, you know, and keep going, keep fighting more than him, you know, and play from the base of the line. Don't go back, you know, any time. I think I play all the time to try to go to the net to finish the point. I think I play with a lot of speed all the time.

Q. To defend a title of this status, is that very special?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It is special because it's very difficult to win this tournament two years in a row. It's special because you have to defend a lot of points against the same players, the same good players as the last year. And, you know, you never know when you gonna play bad some day or, you know... It's pretty difficult more on clay court because you have to fight more than hard court. So it's special.

Q. Were you expecting a tougher match than you actually had?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Maybe yes, because is final. But when you see the match, I think I play one of the best finals I played. So I think was difficult to play good for him because I did a lot of winners, you know, and no mistakes and was difficult to follow me.

Q. Last year you won here, obviously. Did you feel when you got to the final at Roland Garros that maybe you just had run out of steam a little bit in that match against Albert?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know, you know. I don't think so. I want to win the final, I wanted to win the final. But that final was strange because I had a lot of problems. I didn't feel 100 percent, and he was playing so good. But, you know...

Q. How much restricted were you in that final by your ankle?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: That time in Roland Garros?

Q. Yes.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I have to put - how is the name - anesthetic, in my ankle and some other part of my body because when I start to feel problems in my ankle, I start to feel also problems in shoulder, abdominal and everything. I think of course was the key to lose the final, and also the key was because he was playing so good.

Q. What lesson did you learn from last year's final in Roland Garros? Did you learn a lesson from that, and are you going to change anything this season to prepare for the French?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, I gonna prepare the French Open the same as the last year, but I hope to be there without problems with my body. I will go there and I will try to play the same level as here and the last year in Roland Garros, and that's it.

Q. The fact that you lost that final, and, as you say, the Masters Cup as well, has that made you more determined for this year?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I have more experience in the finals. And when you lose that finals, that big finals, you take the experience and you learn that there's losers. So this year I will try to improve in this finals.

Q. How much of a surprise was it for you that Nadal beat Albert Costa, and why do you think he lost?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Nadal, he has a body like us, you know. He has not the body like 16 years old. So I think this thing helped to him a lot of. He's playing a good tennis, strong tennis. He moves his racquet with a lot of spin, you know, and his forehand. He's one of the guy that's gonna be very up in the ranking. Albert Costa, I think he hasn't play his 100 percent level, but Nadal played so good. I think Nadal is gonna play very good in a few time.

Q. Nobody will be very surprised if one day you will win Roland Garros. Somebody may be surprised if you would win, I don't know, US Open or even more if you win Wimbledon. What is your goal? What would you like more as a major goal of your career to do, I mean, to win a tournament nobody's expecting you to win, or to win the one you always thought you wanted to win?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well... I want to be No. 1 in the world, is one of my goals, you know. And then I want to win Roland Garros some day because it's one of my goals. Of course, I want to win US Open because it's on hard court and I would shut up the, you know, the other people saying that the Spanish people is not playing good in hard courts. So I have three goals (smiling).

Q. Before Roland Garros, what are you playing before then?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I will play Barcelona now, Valencia, Rome, Hamburg, not play Dusseldorf, and Roland Garros.

Q. Barcelona is more important than Monte-Carlo for you?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Monte-Carlo is very important because it's Masters Series. It's different, because it's in Spain and it's important as well. But I am not gonna compare, you know, both tournaments.

Q. Since when have you been feeling as well physically and mentally? You look very fit and very happy to play. At the end of last year, you didn't feel good.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Last year I had the problems in my adductors in the final and I had to put some injections last year to play the final. Moya, as well. So I think we play with the same problems. This year I felt very good all the week. I didn't have problems, I didn't have many problems in outdoor. So I felt very, very good.

Q. Did you do any physical work before this year better than last year to prevent injuries?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. Last year I didn't have a physio with me, you know. Maybe I stretch little bit less than I am doing now because it's with you all the time. So maybe. I don't know. Maybe.

Q. From the program that you gave us, it seems like you're playing every week between now and the French Open?

THE MODERATOR: No, he doesn't play the week of Dusseldorf.

Q. What is your popularity in Spain compared to football players, basketball players?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know, you have to ask to the other (inaudible). I don't know. For the tennis world, I think I am very popular.

Q. Are you frustrated that the football players, even basketball players are more popular?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no.

Q. That's okay for you?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

Q. It's better?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Better, yeah.

Q. Can you still retain some privacy going about your business?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Sometimes you do. You have the privacy, but not like you want.

Q. You're very well-recognized?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

Q. You still live close to Valencia, or you never think about going to stay in Barcelona because you like there, because is more private?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, no. I will stay there because I have now the academy there. We put everything there. I have all I need there. I have family very close. I have the academy. I have the people that I love since 10 years ago. So I'm very good there.

Q. How many people work and play in the academy?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Like we have 20 players, 24 right now. You can ask to my coach, he is the director of the academy. He can sit here and tell you some things (smiling).

Q. Is there something you don't know about now with the experience you have, some years in the tour, some big level, something you really feel but you don't know about tennis? I mean the moment of tennis, the difficult moments of tennis or not? I mean, you know everything? You have a feeling that you can win wherever, you can beat whoever?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I hope to know everything, I hope. But I think you can learn something always. So if I need to learn something, I will find it and I will try. If not, perfect.

Q. What surprised you in some way the last months?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know.

Q. No surprise?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, not yet.

Q. I'd just like to say, as a sad Englishman who doesn't speak other languages, thank you for speaking English. You've done very well.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Thank you (smiling).

End of FastScripts….

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