TRANSCRIPT Spanish Press Conference after the Davis Cup Final result on Sunday
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, how can you explain such a radical change in the fifth set?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I don't think my mentality changed at all. I feel that I played pretty much the same in the third and the fourth set, as well as the first and second set. I tried just as hard in the fifth. The arm was playing up, the serves weren't as good, there was a lot of pressure on me from the start. Although the opposition was having problems with the shoulder, I think he played just as well.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, can I get you to answer in English, please, what you were thinking at the start of the fifth set?
ANSWER: Nothing special, I was thinking that I have to steal, in same way that the third and the fourth set, you know, and tried to break early his serves, you know, and tried to keep going all the time, fighting and fighting until I win the match, but finally it was impossible.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, did he surprise you in the fifth set, how he was fighting for a win?
ANSWER: Yes, I was surprised that in spite of his sore arm he -- and after the third and the fourth set the level went down a little bit. His performance went down a little bit, I don't think he was serving as well. But he did so well on the fifth and he had a massage and he went to win and he played just that well.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, you've had a very long year; have you made any decision about the Australian summer? Are you still intending to take a long break?
ANSWER: No, I think I'll have a rest roughly until about 15 December, then I'm planning to come back down here, first to start playing in Sydney and later on at the Australian Open.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, obviously you guys are disappointed, but can you just put into words how it feels out there to lose today and in the final?
ANSWER: Well, I don't really know. The feeling is bad, the feeling is that of sadness and that's how all of us feel. We came here with a lot of hopes, we were wanting to win this final. I guess we experienced a bit of bad luck and we lost, and, yes, we feel sad.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, did you remember did you ever lost six-nil in the fifth set?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: No, I can't remember. I believe this is the first time.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, you lost two matches, but not by far; what do you think you were lacking?
ANSWER: Really -- well, on the first day I felt I was strong, but at some point this strength -- I started giving up -- sorry, I started feeling weaker and I didn't have the strength that I required at a physical level to get to the end, although I feel I was playing well. So in the end the result was what it was. As far as today, the third and the fourth set, I felt I was going well, I could have taken the next set, but I guess luck was not on my side today and the other party played better.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, in English does it ? ? ?
QUESTION: How were you experiencing the matches from the change room and of course afterwards?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, of course I was paying a lot of attention. I saw that Juan Carlos was missing a few shots. I came out, I was feeling nervous. The fourth set -- during the fourth set I went back in because it's not very good for me to be out there, experience the sun and the nerves and all of that, but it's inevitable not to react this way. Overall it's better not to be out there.
QUESTION: Do you remember, Carlos, back in 1997 when you came here to play you certainly won the audience. Everyone was on your side and the Australian public really loved you and you displayed a good sense of humour. I sincerely hope that you're not going to lose that and John Fitzgerald mentioned something about the Davis Cup and what it takes to be in it and the feeling about it; I hope you take that with you.
CARLOS MOYA: Well, it is a bad feeling to lose, particularly the further you get on this tournament, on this event, the worse it feels if you lose. But I guess we are not going to lose that sense of humour, although right now, at the moment, it is a little difficult to grasp that. But I guess time cures everything and in a few hours' time we will be looking back and saying how we got here, how we fought hard, how we missed by perhaps not very much. We came to Australia, we played on grass; the odds were not in our favour, but we are proud that we came to fight.
QUESTION: Jordi, after Spain won in 2000, you didn't go so well in 2001, that's been historically the trend, would you support a campaign for the winners of the Davis Cup to get a bye in the first round of the next year? Does he support that the winners get a bye in the first round of next year?
JORDI ARRESE: Actually, I think that two byes would be recommended. I find that the calendar for this event is hard, February to December. It is very hard because it's end of the year holiday and it's difficult to prepare for the Davis Cup. We have talked about this quite a bit before.
QUESTION: Jordi, do you think you lost because you played on grass?
ANSWER: No, it is clear that when you don't play in your home ground it is harder, it is not the best. We have experienced a lot of problems in Australia and I feel that overall we've done well. We are leaving empty?handed, however we're holding our heads quite high.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, do you mind repeating in English the feeling of the team at the moment, please?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: He said it perfectly. We feel sad, of course, because we didn't win and we wanted to win. But, you know, that's it, we feel like this.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, what do you think caused the big momentum shift between the fourth and fifth set at the 10 minute break?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: As I said before, he played well in spite of, perhaps, not being in the best physical shape. I think he tried to break my serve and I think he did that and from that point on everything went on his favour.
QUESTION: I just want to thank the whole team. I think you're making us feel very proud and please don't have such a long face.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, how can you explain such a radical change in the fifth set?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I don't think my mentality changed at all. I feel that I played pretty much the same in the third and the fourth set, as well as the first and second set. I tried just as hard in the fifth. The arm was playing up, the serves weren't as good, there was a lot of pressure on me from the start. Although the opposition was having problems with the shoulder, I think he played just as well.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, can I get you to answer in English, please, what you were thinking at the start of the fifth set?
ANSWER: Nothing special, I was thinking that I have to steal, in same way that the third and the fourth set, you know, and tried to break early his serves, you know, and tried to keep going all the time, fighting and fighting until I win the match, but finally it was impossible.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, did he surprise you in the fifth set, how he was fighting for a win?
ANSWER: Yes, I was surprised that in spite of his sore arm he -- and after the third and the fourth set the level went down a little bit. His performance went down a little bit, I don't think he was serving as well. But he did so well on the fifth and he had a massage and he went to win and he played just that well.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, you've had a very long year; have you made any decision about the Australian summer? Are you still intending to take a long break?
ANSWER: No, I think I'll have a rest roughly until about 15 December, then I'm planning to come back down here, first to start playing in Sydney and later on at the Australian Open.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, obviously you guys are disappointed, but can you just put into words how it feels out there to lose today and in the final?
ANSWER: Well, I don't really know. The feeling is bad, the feeling is that of sadness and that's how all of us feel. We came here with a lot of hopes, we were wanting to win this final. I guess we experienced a bit of bad luck and we lost, and, yes, we feel sad.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, did you remember did you ever lost six-nil in the fifth set?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: No, I can't remember. I believe this is the first time.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, you lost two matches, but not by far; what do you think you were lacking?
ANSWER: Really -- well, on the first day I felt I was strong, but at some point this strength -- I started giving up -- sorry, I started feeling weaker and I didn't have the strength that I required at a physical level to get to the end, although I feel I was playing well. So in the end the result was what it was. As far as today, the third and the fourth set, I felt I was going well, I could have taken the next set, but I guess luck was not on my side today and the other party played better.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, in English does it ? ? ?
QUESTION: How were you experiencing the matches from the change room and of course afterwards?
CARLOS MOYA: Well, of course I was paying a lot of attention. I saw that Juan Carlos was missing a few shots. I came out, I was feeling nervous. The fourth set -- during the fourth set I went back in because it's not very good for me to be out there, experience the sun and the nerves and all of that, but it's inevitable not to react this way. Overall it's better not to be out there.
QUESTION: Do you remember, Carlos, back in 1997 when you came here to play you certainly won the audience. Everyone was on your side and the Australian public really loved you and you displayed a good sense of humour. I sincerely hope that you're not going to lose that and John Fitzgerald mentioned something about the Davis Cup and what it takes to be in it and the feeling about it; I hope you take that with you.
CARLOS MOYA: Well, it is a bad feeling to lose, particularly the further you get on this tournament, on this event, the worse it feels if you lose. But I guess we are not going to lose that sense of humour, although right now, at the moment, it is a little difficult to grasp that. But I guess time cures everything and in a few hours' time we will be looking back and saying how we got here, how we fought hard, how we missed by perhaps not very much. We came to Australia, we played on grass; the odds were not in our favour, but we are proud that we came to fight.
QUESTION: Jordi, after Spain won in 2000, you didn't go so well in 2001, that's been historically the trend, would you support a campaign for the winners of the Davis Cup to get a bye in the first round of the next year? Does he support that the winners get a bye in the first round of next year?
JORDI ARRESE: Actually, I think that two byes would be recommended. I find that the calendar for this event is hard, February to December. It is very hard because it's end of the year holiday and it's difficult to prepare for the Davis Cup. We have talked about this quite a bit before.
QUESTION: Jordi, do you think you lost because you played on grass?
ANSWER: No, it is clear that when you don't play in your home ground it is harder, it is not the best. We have experienced a lot of problems in Australia and I feel that overall we've done well. We are leaving empty?handed, however we're holding our heads quite high.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, do you mind repeating in English the feeling of the team at the moment, please?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: He said it perfectly. We feel sad, of course, because we didn't win and we wanted to win. But, you know, that's it, we feel like this.
QUESTION: Juan Carlos, what do you think caused the big momentum shift between the fourth and fifth set at the 10 minute break?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: As I said before, he played well in spite of, perhaps, not being in the best physical shape. I think he tried to break my serve and I think he did that and from that point on everything went on his favour.
QUESTION: I just want to thank the whole team. I think you're making us feel very proud and please don't have such a long face.
