TMS MONTE CARLO

April 21, 2002

Juan Carlos Ferrero

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Juan Carlos, please.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course it was very pleasing to win that first set. It's always very important, and it's always a key point in a match that could have lasted very long, as it could have today. We both fought a lot. He took my serve, I took his. But in the end I was more aggressive, and it was good for me. It was profitable. And I was able to win that first set, which was a very good thing for me.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: We never know. Against Safin, it appeared he would retire early and he finally played a fantastic match. So you never know what is going to happen. So I tried to remain at the same level and give it 100%.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, of course for me it's a very important victory. I tried to win here two years in a row, and this victory today gives me a lot of trust and confidence in myself. Here the best players in the world came, except Sampras and Agassi and Kuerten. I'm very pleased with the level I showed in my tennis during the whole week here.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I think it's very good for tennis that he's coming back, and it's also very good for him. He's coming out of a very difficult situation. Having a surgery is always a difficult situation for any kind of player. I wish him the best. If he plays Mallorca, Rome, Hamburg, it's clear that he will come out as one of the favorites of the French Open, clear-cut.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. Whatever the preparation, I try the best and either I win or sometimes I lose early, it depends. I always try to come to a tournament with the best preparation possible. When I came here, I had played Estoril. I played more or less well - not quite at the level I wished. But in the match against Mantilla, I saved a matchpoint on a volley, and after that I played with a lot of confidence. I knew for me it was a very important tournament, so now I'm very pleased. But I didn't do any special preparation for this tournament - nothing different from the other years.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's clear that on clay against the Spanish guys it's even worse than against a foreigner, because it's going to be a very difficult match every time. Once I lost against Portas on clay. But it's a good thing also because I know them very well, on the other hand. But I know it's going to be a very difficult match. I believe the Spanish players are the best clay courters in the world.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, of course. It's very good preparation for the rest of the season.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I had a lot of time to prepare myself physically. What I could do was go to the gym. I could work on the top of my body and my legs, but I had a problem with my knee and my ankle so the only thing I could do was to go to the gym. Because there, I didn't have to run or move at all. I started the season a bit late, that's why it was not so good in the beginning.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I tried to be myself. I'm not trying to be a typical Spanish or a typical foreigner. On hardcourts I try to play as best as possible - maybe with topspin. And on clay I try to be aggressive, but I am Spanish.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, this victory gives me wins. And I showed here that if I play well I can beat anybody on clay. If I can win here, maybe I can win the French Open. The difference is you have only one match that is best-of-five sets here, whereas in the French Open they are all five-setters. But anyway, I'll try to arrive at the French Open fresh and I'll try my best.