PHOTOS



pic: fist pump
pic: backhand
pic: return
pic: throw racquet
pic: getting advice
pic: smash
pic: toss
pic: forehand
pic: stretch
pic: scratch head
pic: defeat
pic: very not happy
pic: leaving the court (and giving a thumbs up?)
pic: team listening to speeches
pic: team with trophies
--- photos with watermarks ---
pic: another backhand
pic: serve
pic: another forehand
pic: volley
pic: awards ceremony

VIDEO View highlights of the final and past ties of 2003 on davis cup.tv

RESULTS Juan Carlos was defeated by Mark Philippoussis 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 6-0. He put up a brilliant fight to come back from 2 sets down but just couldn't seem to continue fighting in the fifth. What makes it even worse is that Philippoussis was almost going to retire after the 4th set with a shoulder injury!! *cry*

Posted by nana at 4:30 PM

QUOTE What Ferrero Said: "I don't think my mentality changed at all. I feel that I played pretty much the same in the third and fourth set, as well as the first and second set. I tried just as hard in the fifth. (My) arm was playing up. The serves weren't as good. There was a lot of pressure on me from the start. Although he was having problems with the shoulder, I think he played just as well,"

"I wasn't thinking anything special. I was thinking I have to steal, in the same way as the third and fourth sets and try to break his serves. I tried to keep fighting and keep going until I win the match, but finally it was impossible."

ARTICLE Scud's heroics wins Davis Cup

Mark Philippoussis, fighting off a shoulder injury that nearly forced him to retire after the fourth set, gave Australia its 28th Davis Cup title by defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 6-0.

The win gave Australia an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five final. A scheduled second reverse singles match Sunday between Lleyton Hewitt and Carlos Moya was not played.

Philippoussis played strongly at first but then allowed Ferrero back into the match as the Australian ignored pain in his serving-side right shoulder. After the fourth set, when he received prolonged treatment on his shoulder, Philippoussis opened the decider to hold serve and then broke Ferrero to go up 2-0.

Holding his shoulder and wincing as he served, Philippoussis went up 3-0 in the next game and then broke Ferrero again in the fourth when the Spaniard's floating backhand went long.

Philippoussis hit a hard overhand smash to finish the match, then dropped to the court while his teammates raced out to congratulate him.

"This is incredible," said Philippoussis. "At the end I was just completely numb. It felt like I wasn't playing, I was sort of watching from the side.

"I didn't know what was going on. Thank God those shots were going in."

Hewitt gave Australia a 1-0 lead with a five-set win Friday over Ferrero before Moya beat Philippoussis. Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge beat the Spanish pair of Alex Corretja and Feliciano Lopez in straight sets Saturday to give Australia a 2-1 lead.

Philippoussis, who was so ineffectual in his four-set loss to Moya in the opening singles, promised better things in Sunday's match and held true to his word - at least in the first two sets.

But Ferrero outplayed the Australian in the third and fourth sets in steamy conditions on a temporary grass court at Rod Laver Arena. Temperatures on court in excess of 30C (86F) sapped energy from both players.

Before the fifth set began, Ferrero received massage treatment on his legs and arms while Philippoussis took an injury time out to have work done on his right shoulder.

Australia has been up 2-1 on the beginning of the third day in 222 various rounds of Davis Cup matches and has lost only four times.

Philippoussis held one set point in the ninth game of the first set but Ferrero fought back to hold service. Two games later, leading 6-5, Philippoussis made no mistake, holding three set points on Ferrero's serve, including a deft drop shot at the net.

The Australian dropped the next two points, then completed the break and won the set when he hit a cross-court forehand on Ferrero's second serve after the Spaniard had disputed a fault call on his first serve. Television replays indicated that his first serve had touched the line and was good.

Philippoussis broke Ferrero's service to love in the eighth game, then held service in the next game to take the second set after Ferrero had fought off three set points.
---

I wonder if the outcome would have been different if the right call had been made at that crucial moment... JC might have won that first set

Posted by nana at 3:54 PM

PHOTOS

pic: team Espana standing for the national anthem
pic: with Moya and Corretja in press conference
pic: JC and Moya

DC UPDATE The Pressure is On

Corretja/Lopez were defeated in the doubles rubber 3-6, 1-6, 3-6. It's interesting to note that only two nations have won a Davis Cup Final after losing the doubles rubber... *yikes*

Tomorrow JC is in action against Philippoussis. Hopefully he will win and bring the final to a decisive 5th rubber! VAMOS JC!!

Sunday (11:00 local time start)
Mark Philippoussis (AUS) v Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Carlos Moya (ESP)


TRANSCRIPT Interview with Juan Carlos Ferrero

JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I think the match has been pretty even up until the fourth set, but he played rather well and up until the tie break, until the end, where the odds turned, he played rather well. I was expecting he'd be somewhat tired in the fifth set, but he held and that was the outcome.

QUESTION: With the tie break and afterwards, do you think that you were affected on the fifth set?

ANSWER: No, it was something like love 30, 15-30 and we were having a bit of that, but this kind of went on, it was a long set. I have been affected somewhat by sinusitis, I was having problems breathing, however, I can say that I gave it -- I put in 100 percent.

QUESTION: Juan Carlos, you started hard and it was an aggressive first set, and you won the first set. What happened after the first set?

ANSWER: I think that was nothing special. It was a long match, it was difficult to decide at any point who was going to win. It was hard, it was well disputed by both. I think I played consistently right through. It was a fairly even match. I think there was very little difference between us except for the fifth set.

QUESTION: It's just my impression; do you think it was the same for you to serve from both sides? I got the impression from watching that you were having difficulties when you were serving on the sunny side, is that so?

ANSWER: The second set was particularly tricky, it was hard. I had the sun on my face and there was no way to avoid it and one, or at least I tried to do funny things or tricky things to get around that, but it was hard. I think the other sets were okay, though.

QUESTION: Juan Carlos, what were your emotions when they played the wrong anthem at the opening ceremony?

ANSWER: Well, I was quite surprised, it's an anthem I've never heard before. Yes, it was a big error, a big mistake, but they tried to fix it and they did and then they played the right one.

QUESTION: Your government is very upset.

ANSWER: Well, Mr Gomez Angulo was very upset. He was more upset than anyone else and I can understand that. I was upset, but not to that extent. For me, well, I was trying to focus on, you know, playing the game and the match. I mean, I do consider that that was something serious but I didn't want to create a big problem out of it.

QUESTION: How do you compare this to the US Open?

ANSWER: Well, that is quite different. At the US Open I think I was a lot stronger, but coming here and playing on grass, well it is different, and I guess that kind of levelled things out the other way.

QUESTION: What is your impression about the way Hewitt played in the five sets? Well, given the fact that he hadn't played for so long, he, kind of, picked up in the last two sets, he got stronger?

ANSWER: Well, he's had -- he's been able to prepare better than anyone else. He's had two and a half months to prepare, which is a luxury, and, yes, he did come stronger in the fourth and fifth sets and I guess, yes, he played better than me. But you have to consider that I have been sick, I haven't been that well, but I do assert that I gave 100 percent, and, yes, I have tried and I think I did well.

QUESTION: How will you be physically, do you think, on Sunday?

ANSWER: Well, it's not going to be easy to recover after a four hour match, but I guess we will both do our best. There are things that you can use to help yourself, like fluids, food, rest. I think we're going to do our best to be in the best possible shape and, yes.

QUESTION: Talking about the grass now, how did you find it?

ANSWER: It wasn't so fast really. The ball was bouncing in a funny way, there was holes or uneven levels on the surface and it was rather dry. That's how I found it.

QUESTION: Juan?Carlos, your forehand is a big weapon, it's a good one. Today, in five sets, you only made nine winners, forehand winners. What went different with the forehand?

ANSWER: Well, the answer is that the ball bounces much lower on the grass and so, you know, the result is different than on hard ground. You can't come up with as many winners, you know, because on the hard ground the ball bounces faster and so on and it's a different game.

Posted by nana at 1:31 PM

DC UPDATE Moya to save the day

Moya def. Philippoussis 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4)!! So now it's level 1-1 and JC will have another chance to play in the final. He will face Philippoussis Sunday.

Sunday (11:00 local time start)
Mark Philippoussis (AUS) v Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Carlos Moya (ESP)

>> Press Conference Transcript from Thursday

Posted by nana at 5:55 PM

PHOTOS from the 1st rubber



pic: cooling down
pic: backhand
pic: another backhand
pic: reaching for return
pic: lunge
pic: return
pic: fist pump
pic: reach
pic: stretch
pic: dejected
pic: leaving the court
pic: frustration
pic: wipe sweat
pic: wince
* pic: questioning a call
* pic: upset
* pic: low ball
--- photos with watermarks ---
pic: team during the opening ceremony
pic: toss
pic: serve
pic: backhand
pic: overhead shot
pic: ouch
pic: shaking hands with Hewitt

Posted by nana at 3:35 PM

QUOTE

What Ferrero Said: "He's been able to prepare better than anyone else. (The time off) is a luxury and he did come stronger in the fourth and fifth sets - he played better than me. You have to consider also that I have been sick, I haven't been that well, but I do assert that I gave 100 per cent. I have tried and I think I did well,"

ARTICLE Grass blunts Ferrero's forehand weapon

MELBOURNE, Australia, (AFP) - The low-bouncing portable grasscourt disarmed Spanish world No.3 Juan Carlos Ferrero's fearsome forehand during his Davis Cup tennis final dog fight with Lleyton Hewitt here.

Hewitt, whose last match was on September 21 in the last Davis Cup tie here, finished powerfully to wear down Ferrero, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2 in three hours 49 minutes on the revolutionary grass court.

In the five sets Ferrero only came up with nine forehand winners, well down on his usual quota in a match.

Ferrero said with the ball bouncing lower on the grass surface he found it considerably different to playing on a hardcourt.

"The ball was bouncing in a funny way," he said. "There were holes or uneven levels on the surface and it was rather dry.

"You can't come up with as many winners because on the hard ground the ball bounces faster and so on and it's a different game."

ARTICLE Australia take early lead

Lleyton Hewitt bt Juan Carlos Ferrero 3-6 6-3 3-6 7-6 6-2

Lleyton Hewitt twice came from a set behind for a breathtaking five-set win over Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero to move Australia into a 1-0 lead over Spain in the Davis Cup final.

Hewitt, who had not played a competitive match for two months, struggled with his form in the early part of a topsy-turvy contest

And his array of unforced errors seemingly paved the way for a comfortable victory for Ferrero, who moved two sets to one clear.

But the Spaniard, who had bounced back from a break down in the fourth set, lost his nerve in the tie-break and Hewitt seized his chance, winning it to love.

From there, Ferrero's challenge faltered as a pumped-up Hewitt played up to the crowd with an inspired selection of ground strokes after four hours of play.

Afterwards Hewitt said: "It's good to come out with a win. It was a tough match.

"Ferrero is one of the best players in the world and I gave everything I had in the tank. I played a flawless tie-break and then my best tennis of the match in the fifth set."

World number three Ferrero initially looked the more at ease on the grass surface laid for the final in Melbourne as he won the first set 6-3 in 39 minutes.

Although Hewitt had yet to find his range, he managed to level the scores in the second set, having broken Ferrero's serve in the eighth game.

But a brief lapse of concentration allowed Ferrero to pull clear once more, breaking Hewitt to go 4-2 clear and shortly afterwards wrap up the set.

As Hewitt lifted the tempo of his game, his Spanish opponent struggled to keep in the contest, just managing to take the fourth set to a tie-break.

But after losing his opening two serves, he was never in contention as the remainder of the fourth and subsequently fifth sets became increasingly one-sided.

The build-up to the opening rubber was marred when the Republican anthem "Himno de Riego" was played rather than the Spanish national anthem.

Initially Spanish secretary of sport Juan Antonio-Angulo initially refused to let the Spanish players start the final until an apology was made, which was eventually given by Australian captain John Fitzgerald.
---

Though JC lost he really did put up an amazing fight. Hope he isn't too down and that he's ready to battle Sunday!! ^^

Posted by nana at 3:34 PM

DC FINAL STARTS TODAY!! Vamos Juan Carlos!! Vamos Moya!!

Friday (11:00 local time start)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
Mark Philippoussis (AUS) v Carlos Moya (ESP)

>> TV Schedule
>> Livescore

MORE PHOTOS from the draw ceremony, conference and last practice before final

pic: JC and Moya with Hewitt
pic: a closer look at the cup
pic: again (no watermark)
pic: with Moya (looking up)
pic: thumbs up
pic: getting ready for pictures
pic: the team and the cup
pic: the team (profile)
pic: press conference with Corretja
pic: forehand
pic: slice
pic: backhand
pic: JC with Moya stretching in the background

Posted by nana at 5:26 AM

PHOTOS from the draw ceremony

pic: JC and Hewitt
pic: with Hewitt again
pic: and again...
pic: chatting with Moya ^^
pic: Team Espana
pic: team with Arrese
pic: the two teams (no watermark)
pic: inspecting the cup ^^
pic: another team shot
pic: and another

OFFICIAL DRAW and ORDER OF PLAY
Moya and Ferrero Get the Call

Friday (11:00 local time start)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
Mark Philippoussis (AUS) v Carlos Moya (ESP)

Saturday (14:00 local time start)
Wayne Arthurs/Todd Woodbridge (AUS) v Alez Corretja/Feliciano Lopez (ESP)

Sunday (11:00 local time start)
Mark Philippoussis (AUS) v Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Carlos Moya (ESP)

PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT from Tuesday

[...]

QUESTION: In English one for Carlos Ferrero: Do you remember Wimbledon you beat Escude; do you remember that match?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes.

QUESTION: Was it a good impression, or?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It was as good win, I remember. But what do you want, I don't know?

QUESTION: Perhaps you can repeat here as good as win. I mean, if you beat him in Wimbledon you can beat him also on grass or whatever?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I can't beat him here because ? ? ?

QUESTION: He is no not here ? ? ?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes.

QUESTION: I think I see some good matches before. I remember Carlos playing well in Halle in some tournaments, and this year in Wimbledon ? beating Jason Stoltenberg at Wimbledon and he's played a lot of matches on grass?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: He's played a lot of matches on grass than I played and I played good, so I'm going to try and keep playing good here.

[...]


QUESTION: Carlos, how much more difficult is it to beat Hewitt on grass for you than any other surface?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know yet because I never played against him on grass, it's going to be the first time if I play, so I will try to find a way if I play.

QUESTION: Do you expect to play on Friday; do you expect to be playing singles?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course I always expect to play because I want to play, but it is not always possible to play in this team because there are great players here, I'm not the only one player that can play good here, so I expect to play, but it is always difficult to play in this team and I will see this time if I can play.

>> full team transcript
---

Errrr... they kept calling JC "Carlos". They can't even get his name right!!

Posted by nana at 9:47 AM

UNOFFICIAL DRAW
The captians of the Spanish team have released to the press their decision to have JC and Moya play singles on Friday. The official draw will be made later.
---

Much luck JC and Carlos!! ^^

PHOTOS



pic: team posing
pic: again
pic: team at practice
pic: close-up
pic: wipe sweat
pic: forehand
pic: backhand
pic: return
pic: serve
pic: practicing
pic: more practicing
pic: kicking the ball
pic: with Antonio
pic: with Moya
pic: with Moya (without watermark)

Posted by nana at 2:36 AM

ARTICLE Top Spot in ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking at Stake -- Spanish singles speculation...

[...]

Meanwhile speculation is rife, particularly amongst the Spanish press corps here in Melbourne, that Feliciano Lopez will indeed come in to play singles on Friday - but in place of Juan Carlos Ferrero, not Carlos Moya. Ferrero has not played well recently, losing all three of his matches at the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston two weeks ago, and missed the chance to end the year as World No. 1. He is also said to be suffering from sinusitis, and wore an ankle brace on his right leg in practice on Wednesday. He has also seemed more relaxed than usual this week, which some have taken as a sign that he will not be playing singles, at least on Friday.

All that said, Ferrero is still ranked third in the world, played well on grass at Wimbledon this year to reach the round of 16, and did spend Wednesday practising singles with Carlos Moya, while Lopez and Alex Corretja - already confirmed by Captain Jordi Arrese as his doubles pairing - went through their doubles paces.

If the Spanish did nominate Lopez instead of Ferrero, then Moya would be promoted to Spanish No. 1 - thereby ensuring he would face Lleytton Hewitt, the Australian No. 2, on Friday. Moya has a 5-3 head to head record against Hewitt, and although they have never met on grass, Moya has won four of their last five meetings. Hewitt's lone success in those clashes came in their last match, on clay at this year's World Team Cup (coincidentally their only previous meeting in a team competition).

Lopez, as Spanish No. 2, would therefore face Mark Philippoussis on Friday. They have only met twice, both this year on hard court, and have won one apiece. But Lopez's victory was in their last match, just a few weeks ago at the Tennis Masters Series event in Madrid, and Lopez's celebrations after that match are said to have angered the big Australian.

Despite all of this, as the Australians said yesterday, it would be a 'big call' to leave out either Moya or Ferrero, both former World No. 1s and Grand Slam Champions who finished in the top eight this year, in favour of a man who has never played Davis Cup before.

The bottom line is that only the Spanish know what they have decided their line-up will be, which is exactly how they want it, while the Australians are happy for everyone to know that they will be going with Philippoussis and Hewitt in singles, and - in all likelihood - Woodbridge and Arthurs in doubles.

The rest of the world only has to wait until the draw ceremony at 10:00 hrs local time (23:00 GMT Wednesday) to find out exactly who will play in the tie. Check back here at Daviscup.com for the latest news on that draw.
---

Torture. Praying JC is well and that he will indeed play singles Friday. ^^

Posted by nana at 4:20 PM

PHOTO

pic: JC and Moya taking a break
pic: the Spanish Armada

DC UPDATE from "Fitzgerald hits the roof" in The Age

[...]

There is growing speculation that Lopez will play singles on Friday, and that he could replace world No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has had sinusitis and endured the worst week of an outstanding year to lose all three matches at the Masters Cup.

As improbable as that would seem, one benefit for Spain of a reshuffle would be the elevation of Carlos Moya to No. 1, meaning the former Australian Open finalist would play newly demoted local No. 2 Lleyton Hewitt - whom he leads 5-3 in career meetings - on Friday, while Mark Philippoussis plays Lopez.

"Of course, I always expect to play because I want to play, but it is not always possible to play in this team because there are great players here," said Ferrero, whose body language was judged by several Spanish reporters to be more revealing. "I'm not the only one player that can play good here."
---

Whoa... didn't see that one! Up till now I thought they might consider replacing Moya but not JC!! Anyway, the draws will be officially released Thursday so I guess we'll just have to wait and see ^^

Posted by nana at 2:58 AM

AUDIO Short clip of JC talking about the upcoming DC final. In MP3 format. Download here

For those of you who cannot hear the audio here is a script.

JC: "Ya, of course we are worried about the Aussie guys because they are the specialist on grass you know and we never played good on grass but this time we are going to try to do our best and we are going to fight a lot."

>>accompanying article
Interesting point is that the Spanish team is keeping who will be playing the singles rubbers a secret

Posted by nana at 5:36 PM

PHOTOS

pic: JC and Feli resting
pic: practicing in Rod Laver Arena
pic: JC and Feli warming up
pic: JC hitting the ball
pic: chasing the ball
pic: serve
pic: lunge
pic: releasing frustration
pic: tennis soccer in Kooyong


ARTICLE Grass Isn't Perfect - Yet, say Australians

After the first day's practice on the temporary grass court in Rod Laver Arena, it is the Spanish who seem the happier with the way the court is playing - at least, that is what they are saying.

[...]

The Spanish, meanwhile, had a seemingly more relaxed session in the afternoon, albeit with the roof fully open as the sun was finally showing its face. Juan Carlos Ferrero hit with Felciano Lopez before Carlos Moya and Alex Corretja took to the grass, with a marked increase in conversation and joviality compared with the Australians. There was also less obvious inspection of the court.

"It seems a good court, not too fast, not to slow," was Lopez's verdict.

"It is much slower than Kooyong [where the teams had been practising up to today], but that is normal as this is a new court," he added. "It is still a grass court, and what we expected."

He also hinted that he felt this might change during the week, and that they would have to wait and see what happened with the surface.

As for who might play for the Spanish, Lopez stuck to the line that they have been putting out all week: the singles players are very likely to be Ferrero and Moya, but that it might change. Earlier Fitzgerald had said that he also thought it a long shot that Lopez would come in for a singles rubber, but that he was preparing his own team for any eventuality.

With both squads playing their cards so close to their chest, the tension looks set to build throughout the week.

>> full article

Posted by nana at 6:04 PM

ARTICLE Rested Ferrero shrugs off late arrival

Spanish No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero joined his Davis Cup teammates for practice in Melbourne yesterday and declared himself ready for a last big effort after a gruelling season.

Ferrero, who flew in on Saturday, was the last of the Spaniards to arrive ahead of the final at Melbourne Park starting on Friday, when he will carry the hopes of Spain against Australia.

For the Spanish underdogs, their spearhead's draining schedule is almost as much of a concern as his ability to adapt to grass in less than a week.

The 23-year-old baseliner has already racked up 86 matches this year. Only world No.1 Andy Roddick (91), Roger Federer (95) and German ironman Rainer Schuettler (101) played more.

Ferrero's hectic program seemed to take its toll at this month's Masters Cup in Houston, where he lost all three of his matches. He was the only player in the eight-man field not to win a match.

Yesterday, he took to the Kooyong grasscourts for his first hitout on the surface since Wimbledon in July. A solid two-hour session enabled the claycourt specialist to shake off the lethargy from his long flight from Los Angeles.

He shrugged off suggestions that he was either tired or that his late arrival would hinder the Spaniards' chances of beating Australia.

"I feel great. I take some rest after Houston because the year is so long, but we are very much ready to play," Ferrero said.

"I think practising one week is enough to be ready for two matches. Practising six days on grass, I will feel very good.

"We have a big fight against the Australian guys because they want to win because we won in that final in 2000."

Ferrero worked hard on getting to the net to sharpen up his rarely employed serve-and-volley game.

The French Open champion does have solid form on surfaces other than clay. He reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year before losing to Sebastien Grosjean in four sets, and made the United States Open final on hardcourt.

But playing Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis on their more-favoured grass will be a new experience.

"I've never played against any Australian on grass - it's the first time," Ferrero said. "Hewitt is a specialist on grass, and Philippoussis as well. But the final is the final and we are ready and motivated to play."

Both teams are scheduled to have their first hitouts today on the temporary grasscourt at Melbourne Park.


ARTICLE Ferrero in doubt for Open

ALREADY a target for a vengeful Australian Davis Cup team, Juan Carlos Ferrero is also in the sights of Australian Open chief executive Paul McNamee.

The French Open champion has hinted his participation in next week's final against Australia at Rod Laver Arena means he could miss the Open, which starts on January 19.

But McNamee hopes to persuade the former world No. 1 to consider returning to Melbourne for the first grand slam of the season.

"The only one I've been worried about is Juan Carlos Ferrero on the men's side because he's said that he's tending to the negative side because of the Davis Cup final," McNamee said.

"So I'm hoping to catch up with him when he's here and ask him. He's the highest-profile player I'm concerned about."

Certain to have another full complement of stars for the Open, McNamee said it was inevitable a small number of players would have end-of-season surgery, which might lead to them bypassing the event.

But the slightly later starting date of the tournament meant there was a longer recovery period.

Ferrero, who foiled Australian hopes of successive cup triumphs in Barcelona three years ago, does not want to make the journey from Spain twice in two months.

[...]

Posted by nana at 4:41 AM

DC UPDATE The entire Spanish team is now in Melbourne. JC met up with the rest of the team yesterday but was unable to train on the grass courts in Kooyong because of rain. Luckily Liz and our lovely webmaster Lily who were waiting at Kooyong were able to intercept him before the team decided to move practice to Melbourne Park. Read their fan experience here ^^

Also, according to marca.com JC is recovering from a sinus infection. Hopefully he will be fully recovered before the final begins.

PHOTO
pic: JC rained out

Posted by nana at 3:25 AM

CONTEST The ATP is holding another contest, this time asking "What was your favorite highlight of 2003?" No word limit and like last time the best responses will be published. I encourage everyone to write (of course it doesn't have to be a memory of JC though that would be nice). Email your entries to content@atptennis.com

Best of luck to everyone ^^

Posted by nana at 4:30 AM

ARTICLE Ferrero Fights On

Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero has improved his year-end ranking for five straight seasons since his impressive finish in the Top 50 in 1999 in his debut season. Having finished in the Top 5 for the third straight year, extending the streak is getting tougher and tougher. Although he was unable to take the chance at Tennis Masters Cup to become the first Spaniard to end the year No. 1 (he finished No. 3 behind fellow young stars Andy Roddick and Roger Federer), Ferrero is likely to battle for No. 1 honors in the ATP Champions Race 2004. He will also play a key role in Spain's quest to upset Australia in the Davis Cup final in Melbourne from Nov. 28-30.
---
Interesting to note that JC was #5 in 2001, #4 in 2002 and #3 in 2003. So at this rate he should reach #1 in 2005!! ^^

PHOTO

Posted by nana at 5:29 AM

ARTICLE Where does a Spaniard practise on grass? - in Houston of course

If Barcelona is your starting point and Melbourne your destination, you can turn either left or right; east or west. Some airline or another will eventually get you Down Under.

But Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya had a specific reason for going west, and as they journeyed on across the Pacific after their week in Houston, they must have been wondering whether the Tennis Masters Cup had been worth it. The Spanish pair, who, presumably, will be spearheading Spain's challenge for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas against Australia in the final at Melbourne Park, played six round robin matches between them and lost all but one.

Both are experienced and professional enough to try and put that kind of disappointment behind them but, whichever way you look at it, the week in Space City did not exactly send their confidence into orbit.

"I have to forget about this tournament," said Fererro, looking as if it had been a very long year after his third consecutive loss in Houston. "For me it was a bad tournament. So now I have to practise on grass, maybe here for a few days, because there are grass courts at the Westside Tennis Club, and think about Australia."

Moya, having beaten Rainer Schuettler in his third and ultimately meaningless round robin match, was able to be a little more positive. Asked if Spain would take confidence from the fact that France upset Australia on a grass court inside the Rod Laver Arena in the 2001 Davis Cup Final, Moya replied: "It helps. We know we don't have the experience the French team have on grass. But they did it, and I don't consider them better than we are. I think we have a very strong team. But Australia have a very strong team also. But once you get to the final anything can happen. So I believe we have a chance."

Much will depend on the choices made by the Spanish captain, Jordi Arrese and his advisers. Having taken the tough decision to leave Albert Costa behind in favour of the young left hander Feliciano Lopez, it comes down to the question of whether Arrese is going to gamble and throw Lopez, with his big, fast-court serve, into the opening singles against Lleyton Hewitt in place of Moya or, if his form doesn't improve when the team assemble in Melbourne, even in place of Ferrero.

Dropping Ferrero would be a very tough call. Not only has he had a spell as world No 1 in recent weeks but, contrary to what one might think, his grass court record is better than Moya's. While Ferrero got to the fourth round at Wimbledon last summer, Moya elected not to show up for the second consecutive year. Previously he had never got past the second round.

Ferrero's good showing at Wimbledon this year was, ironically, all bound up with contests against members of that winning French Davis Cup team of 2001. He beat Nicolas Escude, the French hero in Melbourne, when Escude was forced to quit at two sets to one down with an injury in the second round, and then went down to Sebastien Grosjean in the sixteens, after losing tiebreakers in the third and fourth sets.

[...]


**correction** DC UPDATE Corretja and Feli Lopez are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne at 20:30 local time on Wednesday and begin practicing at the Kooyong Tennis Club Thursday. Carlos will join them Friday and JC is to be there Saturday.
-----

So I suppose JC is still in LA and Carlos in Miami. *scratch head* Thought this might be helpful for all you lucky fans in AUS who want to ambush... errr... I mean check out the Spanish Armada's practice sessions ^^

Posted by nana at 5:35 AM

PHOTOS



>> more images from Federer match
new --> pic: post match interview

INTERVIEW Post Federer Match

Q. What about looking forward, because I'm sure you'd like to look forward? What are your plans now between today and the Davis Cup final?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm gonna take a rest some days, you know, and then I will go to Australia. So it's very clear.

Q. Are you looking forward to that? Do you think you can make the adjustment to grass and play well down there?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I think we have enough time to practice in grass, you know. I think is the same to practice only one week or two weeks, because we are not specialists on grass. So I think with one week, I think is enough for us.

Q. Where are you actually going to practice on grass?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Here, maybe, some days. I will go Los Angeles also. And then, of course, there, Australia.

Q. So you go direct from here to Australia?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.

Q. You don't go home?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No.

Q. Is there anything we can read into this, heading into Davis Cup, as far as just a bad week for you? You're feeling okay?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm not feeling okay right now, of course. I play three very bad matches, you know. But, you know, I think I play a good year, you know, and only one bad week. So I have to think right now in Australia and forget about this tournament because it's, you know, a bad tournament.

Q. During the match did you think about, you know if you'd won, you could have maintained the No. 2 ranking? Now it's out of your control? Was that a concern at all?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. No, no, no. I didn't think in this.

Q. What was most difficult about Roger's game today for you?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: He was serving very well, you know. You know, his forehand is very good. When his forehand, it's working good, it's difficult to beat him.
But, you know, I was trying all the time and, you know, I was playing so bad since the beginning of the tournament. So today was the same.

Q. What happens when you get into sort of a period like this where you just sort of can't find your game?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: What's happen?

Q. How does that happen or why does it happen? Why can't you sort of turn it around?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. It's impossible to know, you know. I was practicing in Spain, you know, and I was playing good in Paris, you know. I was practicing in Spain very good.

I came here with options to get No. 1 and to try to play good, but I couldn't do it. Is not reason.

Posted by nana at 4:32 AM

Spain's poor Masters Cup no cause for Davis Cup alarm, says Ferrero



HOUSTON, United States (AFP) - A poor Spanish showing at the ATP Masters Cup should not be seen as a bad omen for Spain's Davis Cup final at Australia in two weeks, French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero warned.

Wimbledon (news - web sites) champion Roger Federer beat Ferrero 6-3, 6-1 here Friday at the season-ending showdown of the year's top eight players to stay unbeaten, giving him hope for a 1.5 million-dollar prize and world number two ranking.

Ferrero arrived with a chance to overtake American Andy Roddick for year-end world number one but lost all three of his matches and will be overtaken by Federer for the number two ranking if the Swiss star captures Sunday's final.

"It's only one bad week," Ferrero said. "I haven't played very good matches. I have to think of Australia and forget about this tournament because it was a bad tournament."

Spain's seventh-ranked Carlos Moya was eliminated as well after losing his first two round-robin matches.

Moya had a later match against sixth-ranked Rainer Schuettler, who will face Australian Open champion Andre Agassi in a Saturday semi-final that is a rematch of their Grand Slam finals meeting in January at Melbourne.

Federer already had booked a semi-final date with the winner of a later match between year-end world number one Andy Roddick, the US Open champion, and Argentina's fourth-ranked Guillermo Coria.

Ferrero will train in Los Angeles before flying to Melbourne for a Davis Cup final on grass. He will happily leave Houston after ripping this year's Masters as being far worse than those in Sydney and Shanghai the past two years.

"This Masters Cup is not the same as I played before," Ferrero said. "There it was much better than here, the court, the organization. This tournament is not special. The Masters is always special and it was not this time."

The Cup's return here for 2004 does not excite Ferrero, who said, "They need to improve for next year. It's a lot of things."

Federer won each set in 27 minutes, breaking Ferrero in the second game of the first set and holding through, then grabbing a 4-1 edge in the second set.

Ferrero managed a pair of break points in the sixth game but Federer saved both and held to lead 5-1. Ferrero saved a pair of match points but netted a backhand on Federer's third opportunity to end matters.

"I could swing freely," Federer said. "He wasn't in the mood to rally too much."

Federer leveled his career record against Ferrero at 3-3. His only prior victory without an injury retirement came at last year's Shanghai Masters Cup. Ferrero won their most recent match on his way to a title last month in Madrid.

"It was easy for me to get motivated," Federer said.

Posted by Unknown at 7:31 AM

Mercedes Dream Masters Cup Holiday: Juan Meets Juan Carlos

>> read article here

pic: JC meets lucky fans
-----

Thanks for the link Vanessa!! Also, I think the fans are trying to spell out "Go! Juan!" ^^

Posted by nana at 6:46 AM

Federer Defeats Ferrero at Masters Cup
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Tennis Writer

HOUSTON - Wimbledon champion Roger Federer overwhelmed French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-1 Friday at the Tennis Masters Cup to give himself a chance of finishing the season ranked No. 2.

Federer broke early in the first set and three times in the second, including in the final game. Federer earned his third match point with a fantastic cross-court backhand passing shot on the run, then won it when Ferrero put a backhand in the net.

The victory, which took only 54 minutes, made Federer 3-0 in the round-robin portion of the season-ending tournament. In the semifinals, he'll face No. 1 Andy Roddick or No. 4 Guillermo Coria, who were to play later Friday.

"I'm just happy the season is ending nicely," said Federer, who also beat Andre Agassi and David Nalbandian this week. "I was in a tough group, so to come through so easily — the last two matches especially — is surprising."

Federer had edges in winners (25-14) and unforced errors (15-23), and won the point on 80 percent of his trips to the net. Ferrero double-faulted seven times.

Ferrero went 0-3 in Houston, and now he'll try to help Spain beat Australia in this month's Davis Cup final. He already missed out on a chance to overtake Roddick at No. 1, and now he will slide to No. 3 if Federer wins the title.

"I played three very bad matches, but I had a great year, and it's only one bad week," said Ferrero, who lost to Roddick in the U.S. Open final and relinquished the top ranking last week.

Federer is tied with Roddick for the tour lead with six tournament victories in 2003, and the Swiss star's 76 match wins are the most this season.

[...]

Nalbandian got into an extended argument with chair umpire Enric Molina over line calls he thought went against him unfairly. Later, the Argentine complained about the officiating ("They can do a better job," he said through a translator) and tournament chairman Jim McIngvale's rooting for Agassi in the stands ("It's a lack of respect toward the players").

Ferrero made the Tennis Masters Cup semifinals at Sydney in 2001 and the final at Shanghai, China, in 2002, and he said those two tournaments were "much better than here." He wouldn't go into details other than to say he didn't like the court, and he said he relayed that and other complaints to tour manager Weller Evans.
-----------------------------

Federer Beats Ferrero to Remain Perfect at Masters Cup

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Roger Federer crushed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-1 to complete round-robin play at the ATP Masters Cup unbeaten Friday, moving closer to taking over the Spaniard's number two place in the world rankings.

Federer will now play either world number one Andy Roddick or Argentine Guillermo Coria in the semifinals.

The other semi-final is already set with Andre Agassi taking on Germany's Rainer Schuettler.

Federer needed just 54 minutes on a sun-baked stadium court to sweep past a disinterested Ferrero, sending the French Open champion home without a win and his number two ranking in jeopardy.

The Swiss, however, must still win the $3.65 million year-end event if he is to push the Spaniard out of second
---------------------------

Some pics
backhand
return
throw arms
sad

Posted by Unknown at 5:25 AM

ARTICLE By MaliVai Washington

[...]

It's interesting to look back at Ferrero in last year's Masters Cup. He led a break in the fifth set to Hewitt but lost. This year, with an opportunity to reach the No. 1 spot, he started out 0-2. I'm not saying there's a mental block when he gets to the Masters Cup, but it surprises me that after such a great year, he'd start out so poorly. Ferrero didn't show up in his first match and lost to David Nalbandian knowing he had to play Agassi and Federer in his next two matches. He showed up against Agassi, and Agassi just beat him. Next Ferrero plays Federer in what might be the match of the tournament.

Now that the No. 1 spot is determined, it's a race for No. 2 between Federer and Ferrero. Many people might think that Ferrero's final match in the round robin doesn't mean much because he has no shot of making the semifinal with a 0-2 record. From a player's standpoint, however, when the No. 2 or 3 spot is on the line, finishing No. 2 has a nice little ring to it.

A win by Ferrero would mean that even if Federer won the Masters Cup title, he would not pass Ferrero. However, Federer can finish No. 2 if he's able to win the Masters Cup and Ferrero loses their round-robin matchup.

People might not think there's a big difference between No. 2 and No. 3. I know from experience, as a player who was ranked No. 11 on several occasions but never finished top 10, that one spot makes a big difference. The best tennis players in the world have a burning desire to finish No. 1, and they'll take every little edge they can get over their opponents. They'll do anything to move up one more ranking spot -- especially when they're jockeying for position at the Masters Cup.

There's no doubt in my mind that Federer and Ferrero both want to finish No. 2 because neither one of them has ever finished that high. A player hates to end the year on a bad note. Ferrero would hate to finish a great year 0-3 in the Masters Cup. It would eat at Federer the entire offseason knowing that if he had beaten Ferrero, he would have finished No. 2.
-----

JC isn't out of TMC yet. His match against Federer could determine who will end the year #2. Also it would be nice for JC to finish TMC with a win no? So hope you all are there to support JC today ^^

Posted by nana at 3:12 AM

SCHEDULE

Friday, November 14
12 Noon - (3)R Federer (SUI) vs (2)JC Ferrero (ESP)

PICTURES



>> more images from Nalbandian match
>> more images from Agassi match

pic: during interview
pic: closed eyes
pic: disbelief
pic: wipe sweat
pic: serve
pic: ouch
pic: another serve

POST MATCH INTERVIEW

Q. You could not get the year-end No. 1 ranking. How do you feel right now?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I feel, you know, I'm not thinking in that, you know. I'm thinking that I lost the match, you know. I'm out of the tournament, you know. I didn't play a good tennis in these two match.
But I'm not thinking of No. 1 right now.

Q. What happened during that match? You were ahead in the first set pretty easily.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. Yeah, because I think he did a lot of mistakes in the first set, you know. I was serving well, you know, playing normal, not unbelievable tennis, you know.

In the second set, I think I had chances with 3-all and love-30, you know. And maybe I had to take that game and try to finish the match.

But, finally, I think he start to play better and better, you know. I keep in the same level, but finally he played better than me.

Q. This is a disappointing loss, but can you reflect on your year?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I think is not a good tournament for me, but I think I played a really good year, you know. I'm gonna finish No. 2 in the world for the year. I think it's great for me.

Q. How does that help you going forward, looking ahead to next year, and for going into Australia?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I think I'm gonna try to play at the same level as this year, you know. I play really good in all surface so I'm going to try to keep going in Australia and the rest of the tournaments.

Q. You had two bad matches. What's the reason?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The reason, I don't know the reason. You ask to Nalbandian the reason to play good the first day and play bad this day, there is no reason. In tennis some days you play good and some days you play bad.

Q. Did you feel tired when you arrived here?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, no. No, not at all, you know.
I think I arrive in a good day, you know, and I practice well and I try to do the same as the other tournaments. But was not possible.

Q. Do you already have your head in Australia for the Davis Cup final?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, not yet. Not yet because I have a lot of time between right now and Davis Cup, you know. I will think in the next day maybe.
-----
[Note: JC ending the year #2 isn't assured. If Federer wins the tournament JC will fall to #3]

Posted by nana at 4:52 AM

PHOTOS



pic: forehand
pic: returning serve
pic: near defeat
pic: backhand
pic: scooping up a return
-----
an extremely painful photo update

Posted by nana at 1:47 PM

VIDEO Wanted in Houston: Juan Carlos Ferrero. Promo for TMC Houston. View the video here (link is on the right)

SCHEDULE Wednesday, November 12

1:00 PM - (3)R Federer (SUI) vs (8)D Nalbandian (ARG)
nb 3:00 PM - Bhupathi/Mirnyi vs Knowles/Nestor

7:00 PM - (2)JC Ferrero (ESP) (5)A Agassi (USA)
Arthurs/Hanley vs Etlis/Rodriguez
-----
**If JC loses to Agassi in straight sets Wednesday, the race to No. 1 will be over**

Posted by nana at 9:52 AM

INTERVIEW post Nalbandian match


Q. What happened today? What went wrong?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Nothing. I think is one of the days that you don't feel very good since the beginning, you know. I think what's happen this. When I start the match with the first break, you know, I start to feel bad and bad, you know. Every time worst, you know. I didn't hit so good the ball in the whole time, you know. Anyway, he plays solid match, you know, all the time. He plays very good in hard courts so...

Q. When you say you were feeling "bad," was it a question of health or your game?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I mean my game. I mean my game, you know. I start didn't feel so good, you know. I didn't do any winners, you know, since the beginning, you know. I didn't serve very well. I think I didn't do anything good.

Q. Do you remember the last time you felt so bad?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think is the first match in the whole year that I play like this so... You know, you never know when is gonna come.

Q. Do you think this is a long year catching up on you?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, it's a long year, of course. But, anyways, I had to put more, you know, will, more want to win, you know.

Q. Are you concerned about it?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Is like all the year, you know. The last two times I played the Masters, you know, I lose the first match, you know. So right now is the same. But I think today I played very bad, not like the last two times, one time I lose 7-6 in the third and the other one in two sets but 6-3, 6-4. I will fight in the next game, and I try to practice well in the next days.

Q. There are so many wonderful Spanish players with tremendous results. Do you think Spanish tennis gets the credit it deserves?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't think so. Because, for example, here there is only one newspaper like... Well, three.

THE MODERATOR: Four.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think in Spain, don't follow us so much.

Q. Outside of Spain, do you think Spanish...

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Outside of Spain, I think yes. But I think it's not so good that we are playing here in Masters, you know, and there is so many Spanish people here. I think is not the -- I was talking with the other guys, you know, and we think the same.

Q. I did not understand. Do you think it's not good that you're playing here?

THE MODERATOR: No, no. His point is he doesn't think it's followed as it should be in Spain.

Q. You're kind of ill feeling today, is it something you felt the last couple of days? Is it something where you just woke up today...?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I felt okay, you know, before the match - and the other days as well. So I went to the court and I start to play and I didn't feel so good.

Q. More mental than physical as far as not feeling good?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Q. After winning the French Open you said some of your goals included playing well on hard courts, which you obviously did this year, and getting to No. 1, which you did. Now you're No. 2. How significant is it to finish a year at No. 1 as opposed to having it for a couple weeks during the year, or even for a stretch, but that year-end No. 1 ranking?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I think it is one of my goals to finish No. 1, you know. I finish No. 1, I think will be fantastic for me. I fighting a lot to be No. 1, and I was. But right now, I wanted to be No. 1 and I want to finish the year No. 1. This is very difficult, but I'm gonna try it.

Q. If you could change one thing about the US Open final, aside from the final result, what would you change about that match?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. You know, I don't remember so good the final, you know, I think. To change the result, you know (smiling).

Posted by nana at 4:44 AM

AUDIO A 46 second clip of JC's interview where he talks about his surprise defeat. In mp3 format. Download here

ARTICLE Nalbandian dominates Ferrero in straight sets

HOUSTON -- Juan Carlos Ferrero called it his worst match of 2003.

With easy shots sent astray and mediocre serving, it sure looked ugly -- and could derail his bid to overtake Andy Roddick for the year-end No. 1 ranking.

The second-ranked Ferrero lost to No. 8 David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-1 Monday in the Tennis Masters Cup's opening round-robin match, which was every bit as lopsided as the score indicates.

"It's one of those days. I didn't hit any winners, and I didn't serve very well. Nothing good," said Ferrero, who won the French Open and lost to Roddick in the U.S. Open final. "It's the first match of the year I play like this. You never know when it's going to come."

Nalbandian held a 17-6 edge in winners and converted all four of his break-point opportunities, while holding serve throughout. All that despite playing with his left wrist tightly wrapped by white tape because of a lingering injury.

"I don't feel 100 percent in the wrist, so I have to be careful every time I hit the ball," said Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up. "But to start like this, by beating Juan Carlos, is an important step."

Ferrero, who came in with a 67-16 record and four titles, is trying to become the first Spaniard to finish a season atop the ATP Tour computer rankings, something he called "a goal for me. If I finish No. 1, it will be fantastic."

To do so, he'll have to fare better in Houston than Roddick, whose first match comes Tuesday against No. 7 Carlos Moya. Roddick supplanted Ferrero at No. 1 last week.

After the round-robin portion at the $3.65 million event, the top two players in each four-man group advance to the semifinals.

So Ferrero can take heart from this: In his previous two Tennis Masters Cup appearances, he reached the 2001 semifinals and the 2002 final -- both times after losing his first match.

He fell behind by a break at 4-2 in the first set, helping out with a double-fault and just watching as the Argentine turned a 122 mph serve into a forehand return winner that landed at the baseline.

Ferrero had a chance to get right back into it, earning a break point in the very next game.

But Nalbandian ended an 18-stroke point -- the longest of the match -- with a perfectly angled forehand passing shot. Ferrero bounced his racket high off the purple court at the Westside Tennis Club and yelled at himself. His errant returns on the next two points handed over the game.

How much was Ferrero off his game? In the second game of the second set, Nalbandian barely got his racket on a half-volley that floated over and gave Ferrero an easy shot with his opponent out of position. But Ferrero dumped a backhand into the net.

It was Nalbandian's first match since he pulled out of the final at Basel, Switzerland, at the end of October, citing tendinitis in his left wrist. He withdrew from the Paris Masters the next week.

"I didn't play for a long time, so I feel fresh, and my mind is focused," said Nalbandian, now 2-0 against Ferrero.

Nalbandian is the only player in the field who didn't win a title this season. He did reach two finals, though, and came within a point of upsetting Roddick in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Ferrero was asked before the Tennis Masters Cup whether he'd like to face Roddick in next Sunday's title match with the top ranking at stake.

"For the crowd, for the tournament, that would be perfect," Ferrero said, then smiled. "For me, if he loses early, that's OK."

Posted by nana at 7:51 AM

very. not. good.
What a disappointing first match. Nalbandian defeated JC 6-3, 6-1. Eurosport was hinting that JC may have been injured or sick but nothing is confirmed yet.



pic: forehand
pic: throwing racquet
pic: backhand

Posted by nana at 6:42 AM

Houston Round Table: Juan Carlos Ferrero

Below is a partial transcript of Juan Carlos Ferrero's round-table media conference at Tennis Masters Cup Houston on Sunday.

Q: There's no prospect of you -- you've got a very big event coming up after this -- there's no prospect of your concentration being a little like that because you've got a big event coming up? You're very focused?

A: I am focused right now on this tournament. I have a big event in next two weeks, you know. I have to be ready for both things, you know. It's hard to be ready for both things.

Q: Last year you played in Shanghai. This year in Houston. What do you think about the two cities?

A: You know, I never been in Houston. Shanghai, you know, we were walking the street, you know, and everything. Here, I think we are far away from the downtown.

Q: Last year you played and unfortunately you lost in the final. So what about this year, do you want to win the championship?

A: What do you think (laughing)? Of course I want to win, but I know it's very difficult. We are very good eight players. Everyone has to want to do very well, you know. I think we're gonna fight all together.

Q: I know you were very disappointed last year in Shanghai. Are you pleased how you've recovered from that and had such a good year this year? That was a real blow for you, wasn't it, losing that final?

A: Yeah, I think I take a lot of experience from that final. I take from that final that you can go to sit down and I go through and still playing good, you know, and go through five sets with chances to win. And I take also from that final that, you know, I take the experience to play a big final like a Masters Cup, you know.

Q: Was it an inspiration for you, in a negative way? You lost, but you wanted to drive on and really make this year a good year for you?

A: Yeah, of course. I think this final helped me a lot, you know, to take a lot of confidence in me, you know, and of course in difficult moments. And also I wanted to win this tournament because last year I was very close, you know, to win. I'll try it.

Q: Do you have any thoughts about having had two months playing indoors, now you've got the final match on the outdoors here. Could that be a problem for everybody or what?

A: I don't think so, you know. Because every tournament, only we are playing two months in indoor court, the rest of the year we are playing in outdoor courts. So we like to play in outdoor courts more than indoor courts.

Q: How do you feel? Do you have any problems?

A: I'm okay. Yeah, little bit, but I'm okay. I'm okay. Right now, you know, I take some rest last week and I came here without problems.

Q: How would you sum up your year so far? I mean, breaking through with two Masters, one Grand Slam.

A: Yeah, I think I played great this year. Fantastic year. I won a Grand Slam, I won two Masters Series -- one on hard court and also indoor court, and I won on clay court. I played very, very well the whole time. I think it's the reason that I am in the Masters again. You know, I got the No. 1. That was very important to me, you know. So I want to finish the year like I played the whole year.

Q: You seem to have a very calm and controlled attitude towards life as well as your tennis. Is that something you've always been good at? Is there a temper we haven't seen? You're always so cool and concentrated.

A: Yeah, I try all the time. I think to play good in tennis, you have to be low key. Always my coach told me that about playing good tennis, you have to be very concentrate, very cool, you know, all the time if you want to play good the next point. So, you feel happy, you can play good.

Q: Do you think the best thing would be, for the final, would be you against Roddick again, with everything on the line? That would be the perfect final match?

A: Yeah, because maybe in the final, deciding who's gonna be the No. 1. So for the crowd, for the tournament, it will be perfect. For me, if he lose early, that's okay (laughter).

Posted by nana at 5:31 AM

Ferrero Gunning for No.1

Juan Carlos Ferrero today begins his quest to snatch back the world No. 1 ranking from Andy Roddick as the Tennis Masters Cup singles competition commences. The Spaniard, who trails the American by just 26 ATP Champions Race points, will test himself in an opening match against David Nalbandian.

The meeting will be hugely important for Ferrero's Argentine challenger, who is battling a left wrist tendonitis which forced his withdrawal from the Basel final three weeks ago and from the final tournament of the regular season – the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.

Nalbandian has kept his current condition a closely guarded secret, but the 2002 Wimbledon finalist has been working over the past few days on the practice court. Nalbandian may be bolstered by confidence from a victory the only previous time he and Ferrero have played - he won on clay in the second round at Estoril in 2002.

With Ferrero needing to make up ground on Roddick, who doesn't begin play until Tuesday, every contest in the Blue group is critical. But the Spaniard, who still faces more tennis this season with a Davis Cup final, is not prepared to stress over his possibilities. "I cannot be obsessed with No. 1, " said Ferrero, who lost the top ranking to Roddick in Paris before the newly-crowned American was beaten by eventual tournament champion Tim Henman. "Everyone has lost No. 1 at one stage in their careers. It's difficult to keep on top forever."

In the night session, ageless Andre Agassi takes to the court for the first time since losing a US Open semifinal to Ferrero. Agassi plays fellow 2003 Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

Most of the pressure is likely to be on Switzerland's Wimbledon champion, who has not beaten the 33-year-old Agassi in three tries, including their most recent meeting in the NASDAQ-100 Open final in Miami in 2002.

Federer is battling long odds in what is theoretically a three-way race for the year-end top ranking. But the 22-year-old, who missed a chance to stake his claim for the year-end No. 1 when he fell to Henman in the Paris quarterfinals, has left his hopes in the hands of Ferrero and Roddick.

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Juan Carlos as a cowboy?! Ehhh...

Posted by nana at 10:39 AM

Race for No.1 heats up

ATP Masters Cup gets underway on Monday in Houston and the race for the No.1 spot heads into the final straight line with Andy Roddick, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Roger Federer as candidates. Read on to find out the strengths and weaknesses of each player.

[...]

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO:

Strengths: It was a breakthrough year for Ferrero who won his first of what many predict will be numerous Roland Garros championships as well as reaching the US Open final at Flushing Meadows. He arrives in Houston as a big favourite with his solid forehand and backhands strokes that are capable of producing magical shots. El Mosquito is also known for his speed and his extraordinary footwork that allows him to return impossible shots. This season Ferrero has won 30 matches or more on hard courts and clay for the first time in his career. He is the first player to accomplish the feat since 1980.

Weaknesses:This year Ferrero has proven to be a complete player as he excels on all surfaces but the Spaniard has some work to do on his service and on his volleys.

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Hmmm... but Pat McEnroe said JC's serve was under-rated and actually one of his weapons in an earlier article... I think I'll believe the tennis player's word over some sportswriter's =P

Posted by nana at 5:04 AM

EXCLUSIVE PROFILE Ferrero's Date With Destiny

Making his third appearance in the Tennis Masters Cup, Juan Carlos Ferrero is in prime position to win the year-end championships and become the first Spaniard to finish the year as the World No. 1.

Locked in battle with American Andy Roddick and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer for the prestigious honor, Ferrero reclaimed the ATP Champions Race lead from Roddick late in the season by winning Tennis Masters Madrid on home soil.

“It's the third year in a row that I am playing in the Tennis Masters Cup, it's fantastic,” said the 23-year-old Spaniard. “I've won a Grand Slam and have had good results this year. I've done well at the Masters Cup in Sydney and Shanghai, so I hope to continue that in Houston.”

Ferrero, who finished both 2001 and 2002 inside the Top 5, reached the semifinals on his Tennis Masters Cup debut in Sydney and went one better by advancing to the final in Shanghai 12 months later—losing to Lleyton Hewitt on both occasions in two closely fought encounters.

This time around, the Spaniard arrives in Houston having claimed the first of what many predict will be numerous Roland Garros championships as well as reaching the US Open final at Flushing Meadows. With impressive victories over Todd Martin, Hewitt and Andre Agassi along the way, only the powerful serving of Roddick eventually prevented him from joining Manuel Santana and Manuel Orantes as the only Spaniards to conquer New York.

Ferrero's victory over Agassi on Super Saturday at the US Open elevated him above the American into the No. 1 spot in the ATP Entry Rankings, a feat only previously achieved in Spain by Carlos Moya, who spent two weeks at the top of the men's game in March 1999.

This season Ferrero has won 30 matches or more on hard courts and clay for the first time in his career. He is the first player to accomplish the feat since 1980. “I know that when I am playing good, I can play the same level"

>> 2003 in Review: JC Ferrero

DOCUMENTARY ATP Commissions Masters Cup Documentary

The ATP and Tennis Masters Cup host Jim McIngvale commissioned the production of a documentary to follow the excitement of the year-end finale in Houston from November 8-16.

>> full article
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Hmmm... could be interesting! I'd go watch it ^^

Posted by nana at 11:18 AM

SCHEDULE for TMC Houston Singles

Monday, November 10
1:00 PM - JC Ferrero (ESP) vs D Nalbandian (ARG)
7:00 PM - R Federer (SUI) vs A Agassi (USA)

Tuesday, November 11
1:00 PM - G Coria (ARG) vs R. Schuettler (GER)
7:00 PM - A Roddick (USA) vs C Moya (ESP)

ARTICLE Ferrero draws some tough opponents
By MaliVai Washington

When a player reaches the Masters Cup, he has proved since January 1 that he is one of the best in the world. He can win titles, he can win major championships and he can beat the best in the world.

So, if there is such a thing as getting to the Masters Cup and having a good draw -- which is a debatable in such a field -- Andy Roddick has it.

With the No. 1 ranking on the line, which will come down to how well Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero play, Roddick could not have hand-picked a better group to be in. The red group all-around has fewer titles in 2003 and fewer Grand Slam titles over the course of their careers.

[...]

A few days ago we mentioned potential for a spoiler, in the blue group that could be David Nalbandian and the red group, it'll be Moya. Those two players are going to have a big impact on who finishes No. 1.

Three of this year's four Grand Slam champions along with last year's Wimbledon finalist comprise the blue group. On the outside, it looks like Nalbandian would be the odd man out when you put his record up against Agassi, Federer and Ferrero, but expect Nalbandian to sneak out a win somewhere against one of these three. Nalbandian came within a match point, against Roddick, of reaching the U.S. Open final.

[...]

For Juan Carlos Ferrero to finish No. 1, he will literally have to play the best tennis of his life. He does have winning records over both Federer and Agassi, but he lost to Nalbandian the only time they played. To be No. 1, he's going to have to go undefeated at the Masters Cup, but it might be impossible to do even within his own group.
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I don't think that last bit is true. To be #1 JC just needs to defeat Roddick (either in the semis or the final) but he doesn't have to go undefeated ^^

Posted by nana at 12:59 PM

DRAWS for TMC Houston are finally out! Check them out here
Personally I think the draw is extremely unfair. Three Grand Slam champions in the Blue (JC's) group.. I guess the draw-gods just weren't on JC's side :(

Blue Group: JC, Federer, Agassi, Nalbandian
Red Group: Roddick, Schuettler, Coria, Moya

MORE ENTRIES FOR HOUSTON HEROES: Fans Pick Favorites
Even more responses have been published one of them being written by our fabulous webmaster LILY *applauds Lily's "mad composition skillz"*;)

Posted by nana at 6:55 AM

HOUSTON HEROES: Fans Pick Favorites
More responses have been published and can be read here. The first entry by "Solene" is actually from our Solene a JCFO staff member. *beaming with pride* CONGRATS!!

Also a select few entries will be published every day this week so don't hesitate to send in your thoughts to the ATP. ^^

ARTICLE Once Again, It Comes Down to the Masters Cup - By MaliVai Washington

Every tennis player who is good enough to make the professional level has two long-term dreams: one is to win a major, and -- for a select few who actually have the talent and the ability -- the other is to be No. 1.

[....]

This is the fourth consecutive year that the No. 1 spot will be determined by the final event, which has to make the ATP and the tennis world very happy.

[....]

This year, really only Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero have a legitimate shot at finishing in the top spot. Roger Federer would have to go undefeated in Houston, and Roddick would have to go 0-3 for Federer to finish No. 1. There's no way that's going to happen.

It's going to come down to who plays the best in Houston: Ferrero or Roddick. It would be great for American tennis if Roddick were able to finish the year as No. 1. Just imagine the excitement in Spain if Ferrero became the first Spaniard to finish the year as No. 1.

The great thing about the Masters Cup is that it includes the best eight players in the world. While only Roddick and Ferrero will battle for No. 1, there are six others who could play spoiler: Federer, Agassi, Guillermo Coria, Rainer Schuettler, Carlos Moya and David Nalbandian. Those six other players also are battling and jockeying for year-end positions. Although they won't finish No. 1, there is still a lot at stake -- including a ton of prize money.

Posted by nana at 5:08 AM

DAVIS CUP NEWS Lopez in Davis Cup final

Spain called up big-serving left-hander Feliciano Lopez on Monday as part of their four-man team for the Davis Cup final against Australia later this month. Lopez, 22, was named along with top two singles players Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya and doubles regular Alex Corretja for the final, which will take place on grass in Melbourne from November 28 to 30.

full article

Posted by nana at 6:14 AM