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ROLAND GARROS


June 2, 2014


David Ferrer


PARIS, FRANCE

D. FERRER/K. Anderson
6‑3, 6‑3, 6‑7, 6‑1


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in English, please.

Q.  Can you just talk a little bit about the match today?  It looked a lot tougher than the match against Kevin last year here?
DAVID FERRER:  It was tough.  I think first and second set I played very good.  I think I did not too much mistakes.
In the third, he played better, no?  He get up his level.
Nothing else, no?  I played consistent.  When I lost the third set I tried to play more obviously with my forehand, and he was more tired than me in the final of the fourth set.

Q.  You have Rafa next.  Obviously you played him in the final last year.  But how different do you think it will be playing him this time when you've just beaten him in Rome?
DAVID FERRER:  Is different, because is another year, is quarterfinal and is not one final of Roland Garros.
Anyway, every year is different, the feeling is gonna be different, and last year the weather is gonna be different.
Well, I will try to do my best.  I will try to play aggressively with my forehand and try to finish the points on the net.
But of course it's gonna be difficult with Rafael more in clay court.

Q.  Do you take any confidence out of the fact that you were able to beat him on the clay in Monte‑Carlo?
DAVID FERRER:  No, no, I don't think so.  Because in Monte‑Carlo was three sets.  Now here is gonna be Grand Slam, five sets.  Is gonna be different.

Q.  I know you don't like this kind of thinking, but looking at the record this year, he's more vulnerable, Rafael, than he has been in other years, hasn't had as good results on clay.  Do you think he's more vulnerable this year here than in the past?
DAVID FERRER:  I don't understand the question.

Q.  (Through Spanish.)
DAVID FERRER:  I don't think so.  He's No. 1 in the world, in the race, he's No. 1.
So is difficult always winning all the tournaments in clay court.
But anyway, Rafael won one Masters 1000 in Madrid, did final with Djokovic.  It was a close match.
Rafael is always the favorite and is always difficult to beat him.

Q.  I want to have your reaction to the fact that the king of Spain abdicated this morning.
DAVID FERRER:  It was 10:30 I think.  I don't know.  It's my first news.

Q.  What do you think about that?
DAVID FERRER:  It's okay.  It's one decision about the king.  It's not my decision.  (Laughter.)   It's okay, no?  I'm okay.  I don't have any problem about the kingdom.
THE MODERATOR:  Questions in Spanish.

Q.  Anderson has a particular type of game, and it suits your game, but it was a great match.  You were able to win this time.
DAVID FERRER:  I was quite aggressive.  From time to time I sat on the fence.  I was a little bit passive in the third set, but it was a tough match.
So as you can see, I won the first two sets 6‑3, 6‑3.  There were long rallies as well.

Q.  Again in the quarterfinals in Paris.  Rafa is suffering from the back.  Do you think you will have some opportunities in two days' time?  Do you think that you can win?
DAVID FERRER:  He's won 6‑1, 6‑2, 6‑1, so I don't think that is undermined by his back.
But he can win on any surface, and especially on clay.  I haven't seen the last match, but I have seen him at practice, and he was quite good at practice.

Q.  You have match‑by‑match approach, but when you know that you're going to play against Rafa Nadal, who he's almost invincible here, what do you think of that?
DAVID FERRER:  I don't think about the final.  I think that Rafa is well.  So for me, this is nonsense.  I'm going to play Rafa in the quarterfinals, but there are still eight players who will qualify.
Of course, I will play against Rafa, and I will have to accept it and to do my best.  All matches are tough, but of course it's a little bit more complicated against Rafa on clay at Roland Garros.  But it would have been the same if I had played against Djokovic and Federer.

Q.  This is the 10th quarterfinal in a Grand Slam tournament.  In the past two‑and‑a‑half years your physical condition has been top‑notch.
DAVID FERRER:  I'm very consistent.  I'm very happy with that.  I had some bad days, but not necessarily in the Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, so far they have won lots of Grand Slam tournaments, so a great credit to them.

Q.  You played the final against Rafa last year, so what are the lessons learned from this final last year against Rafa?
DAVID FERRER:  I was very nervous.  I was jittery.  It was a little bit too much for me, but I'm calmer, had time to adapt.  I think that I will be calmer, more serene, but I don't know exactly what will be my state of mind when I play against Rafa, but I won't think about the final that took place last year.

Q.  You have won the first and second sets very easily.  In the third set, according to you, maybe you were too relaxed to a certain extent.
DAVID FERRER:  It's very difficult to be consistent all the match.  You can play with the same intensity during all the match.  I'm a human being, so I can be tired.  And then he played very aggressively.  When you are trailing your opponent, the opponent tends to be more aggressive.
Of course, in the first game I was a little bit tired.

Q.  After so many matches and so many practice sessions, can you tell me if there could be some new technical assets that you could use?
DAVID FERRER:  Tactically, I will have to be perfect.  I hope that I will instill some doubts in Rafa's mind, but if we play at our best level, both of us, he will be a better player.
So I will pull out all of the stops to play well without making errors, and we'll see what's gonna happen.

Q.  I don't know if you're aware of this piece of news, because the king abdicated.  What do you think of his decision?
DAVID FERRER:  That's normal.  I mean, any story has an end.  This does apply to anyone.  I think that he has a son, so he has abdicated to the son, so I think that his son has been prepared in advance.  A monarchy is pivotal in our country.
Regarding my personal opinion about the monarchy, I will keep it for me.  But the decision made by the king was the right one.  Life goes on.
So I wish him plenty of luck, because he's retiring now.  He will be more tranquil now.

Q.  How can you put some doubts in Rafa's mind on clay?
DAVID FERRER:  You have to be aggressive, to play well.  You have to adopt game plan, the right tactics.  Of course, it's important not to commit errors or mistakes, and you have to sustain the pace of Rafa's shots all along the match.

Q.  You know very well Rafa, but Rafa does not know you very well, because you have changed your appearance.  You have changed your look.
DAVID FERRER:  No, he won't be surprised by that, because he has already seen me.

Q.  You have a new coach.  What has the new coach provided you with?  Why?
DAVID FERRER:  I decided to have a new coach, because with Javier Piles we were not totally involved in tennis.  The new coach is very happy to work with me.  He likes traveling with me.
So now I'm with Rafa Garcia, and that's ‑‑this year I decided to have a new coach, and it paid off.

Q.  A question that has nothing to do with tennis.  What do you read this week?
DAVID FERRER:  Las gafas de la felicidad,  the Glasses of Joy, or the Glasses of Happiness, and it's a very interesting book, by the way.

Q.  Do you think that the Monte‑Carlo match will have an impact to tomorrow's match?
DAVID FERRER:  No, things have changed since then.  So it will be a Grand Slam quarterfinal, best of five‑set match.  It's an extra match in our career.  When do I play against him?  On Wednesday.  So on Wednesday I hope that I will be at my top level.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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