INTERVIEW (FULL) August 17, 2005
A. RODDICK/J. Ferrero
6-7, 7-6, 6-2
THE MODERATOR: Juan Carlos Ferrero. Questions, please.
Q. In the early part of the match it seemed like you were hitting a lot of winners and playing pretty well. How did you feel early on? Did you think you were in control?JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. You know, I thought was making under control the match because I was winning very easy my service, you know. And during the match I start to return his serve during the end of the -- or the first and second set. So, you know, I was playing good tennis, feeling very well in the court. So, you know, I think I have very unlucky in the match because with that breakpoint in the net, you know, I think this point makes a lot of difference in the match, you know. I was serving so good also in the second set. I saw the statistics. I saw that I have 80 percentage of first serves. So I was feeling the court pretty well so, you know... This breakpoint was -- I'm a little bit disappointed of this game.
Q. How much did he raise his game in the third set and gain more confidence?JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. I think he start to return my serve more time than the first and second set. But I think I didn't play bad the third set, but he played better set than me in the third. Also, I think he serve pretty, pretty good in the third set. He makes a lot of aces in that set, so it makes a lot of difference.
Q. How would you rate his serve compared to other players on the tour?JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, it's really difficult to read the serve. I mean, when you read it, you have to impact the ball very good to return because if not the ball is coming with a lot of spin or slice. So it's really difficult to impact so well. I start to feel better with his serve during the match, you know. In the first two and three service in the first set I didn't realize to return. But after, you know, I start to feel better.
Q. Did he start to play more powerful in the third set?JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Just I think in serve. He makes a lot of first serves in on aces. He start to return my serve I think a little bit behind of the line, and he wanted to impact the first shot with his forehand. I start to dominate the point. So I think was the difference in the third, and I think he felt better in that position.
Q. You felt that the breakpoint where he hit the ball into the net and it just --JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: What can I say, you know? It's very unlucky, of course. I played the point aggressive and well. I think he tried to not miss the ball. And, you know, it's very unlucky for me for sure.
Q. Can you talk about your goals for the rest of the season?JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Goals. You know, I'm 24 and I'm 12 in both rankings. So, you know, the goals for this year is try to finish the year like Top 10 or Top 13, no more than this. And, you know, I start the next year going with seeded in the tournament. Because like now it's very difficult to play, you know; I have to play against seeds in the second round like here or, you know, in every tournament that I played.
So it's really important to go like seeded in the important tournaments because like this you don't have to play against the very good players - with a lot of respect of the others - but not the top seeds like I am playing now. Because I am playing like Coria last week, he is a Top 10; Roddick here, you know; Wimbledon, Federer. So I played with a lot of Top 10s this year in the early rounds. So it's really difficult to make a lot of great results like this. But anyways I am playing well and I am going up in the rankings.
So I just expect to finish the year really good and also expect to play Masters. You know, it's not that far to stay in the Top 8; I am 12.
Q. How is your game now compared to when you were at the peak of your career?JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I think I am playing a good level. I am very aggressive in important point, you know, very aggressive all the time. So I play really good against all these guys that I'm talking about, you know: Coria, Roddick, Federer. I played really good matches this year and so I think I'm in really good way and just expect to have a great result.
