Saturday, October 29, 2005

AMS PARIS DRAW JC has a BYE in the first round and faces the winner of Serra v. qualifier in the second. Notable players in JC's half: Ginepri, Cora, Davydenko and Stepanek.

>> full draw

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

BASEL DRAW JC faces Filippo Volandri in the first round. Other seeded players in his half: Novak, Nalbandian and Haas.

>> full draw

Friday, October 21, 2005

TOURNAMENT TALES

IN MADRID: As is often the case in Madrid, football was a top attraction for the ATP's stars. GASTON GAUDIO, RAFAEL NADAL, FERNANDO VERDASCO and FELICIANO LOPEZ were among those who attended the Real Madrid-Atletico Madrid football match on Saturday. On Tuesday, NADAL, LOPEZ, JUAN CARLOS FERRERO, MICHAEL LLODRA, and FABRICE SANTORO attended the Real Madrid practice session, chatted and exchanged gifts with Raul, Zidane and the rest of the prestigious football team.

On Wednesday night, NICOLAS MASSU, LOPEZ, FERRERO and RICARDO MELLO went to the Bernabeu to watch Real Madrid defeat Rosenborg F.C. in Champions League play. At the end of the match Raul, who scored what proved to be the game-winner, came to chat with the players and he gave his winning shoes to FERRERO.

-- > On Monday, JUAN CARLOS FERRERO, DAVID NALBANDIAN and GAEL MONFILS took TV crews and media to the Jaramo racetrack where they were able to test the Mercedes-Benz SLR and Mercedes-Benz Actross Black Edition, the two most powerful vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz.

While Monfils described his experience in the SLR McLaren next to former Spanish Formula One driver Emilio de Vilotta as "being in a spaceship", Ferrero added, "I had great fun with the cars. They really are technical wonders."

>> photos

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

PRESS CONFERENCE OF JUAN CARLOS FERRERO

Tuesday, 18th of October, 2005

Q. Was the Masters a goal here at the end of the season?


Of course, it was. Defeat always hurts, especially when you play in Spain. However, it was a tough match because these matches are always difficult. Especially Mirnyi, he has this special way of playing that gives you no rhythm, no pace. You need to be careful all the time, be quick to return, see the balls quickly.

The court is okay, but altitude made it very quick. I've only had one training session because I just arrived.

However, I think I returned well, I served well, but I wasn't able to take advantage of the second set, which seemed to be mine at the beginning. Tie breaks tend to give the victory to good servers.

Q. After being a finalist in Vienna, you were in high spirits, I guess. You were feeling comfortable. Did you have high hopes for this tournament?

I've been playing well, yes. Vienna was one of the places I played well. But then you get to tough matches and things happen. However, my tennis is at a good point. I'm now No. 11. I'll try to get as high in the ranking as possible and start next year full to make it easier for me, easier than this year. This year has been difficult for me. For instance, this tournament, I was out as a seed for one position. I hope to be ahead next year, to arrive earlier, to find things easier.

Q. Especially because you are used to starting as a seed in a tournament. Starting in the first round of a tournament, does it make it more difficult?

Yeah, of course. It's easier to face seeds once you're in the second or third round, more than if you face them from the beginning. However, to be No. 11 instead of 16 is progress.

Q. I know it's far away, but can you make any predictions for the Davis Cup based on this match with Mirnyi?

I know it's going to be difficult to play against him. However, here, altitude makes things difficult. If the court is a bit faster, it will be more difficult maybe. However, last time I won. This time it wasn't possible. If I adapt beforehand, things can come out better. I found it difficult to adapt in this tournament. If I adapt for a week for the Davis Cup, we can make it.

Q. You're playing well, but I'm not sure if you lack confidence. In the set points in the first set, you lost it because of a double fault, then a volley. Is it lack of confidence?

Well, last week I achieved all those things you're talking about. Four or five balls in a match cannot define things as you do. I think last week was a good one for me. Today was a good match, too, but not every match allows you to adapt. Maybe I'm not sure on those difficult points. That may be.

I'm not really sure if the ball is going to go in. Here if you hit the ball without confidence, it's true that it goes out. Maybe those balls I can gain confidence. You need to keep trying.

Q. I don't know if you've realized since the final against Massu, you haven't won any tournament. Do you feel pressure because you're at home? Is it because of altitude? Is it the curse of Madrid?

No, it's tough for me not to win tournaments, not to have them to my name. But there are many players in my situation. I've played finals, anyway. I think those are good results, if we take into account I start without being a seed. Altitude is difficult if you're not used to it. However, I think I played a good match. I know I haven't won a tournament in the last two years. But what can I do?

Q. To use a bit of humor, how do you see tomorrow's match of Real Madrid? Are you going to be there? What do you think is going to happen?

Well, they told me if there was any penalty, they would allow me to shoot it. I don't know if I'm going to stay actually. We'll see.

Q. I want to know your opinion, because you were not present at the meeting with the president, the appointment of Emilio Sanchez. What is your opinion about this issue?

Well, I feel as the rest of the team. I think Pedro is not doing things well, not at all. We have nothing against Emilio. Actually, we feel sympathy towards him. He's already a member of the team right now. We know him. He's been a player of Davis Cup, so he has experience.

We were disappointed. This was said in the meeting. I wasn't able to be there, but they already expressed our opinion. I would have liked to have expressed mine also, but I couldn't.

So that's what's happened. Emilio has been chosen new captain, but Pedro has not asked us. The only thing we hope is that he changes his opinion because he's going too far. If he thinks he's doing things well, I think he's mistaken. That's no, that's for sure.

Q. What do you think about the "Nadal Mania" here in Spain?

I think it's normal. This moment he's playing good. He played the whole year, I mean, he won 10 tournaments. It's normal that Spain is thinking in only Nadal. But anyway, you know, we are here. We are the same tennis players as before. We are not that far away.

Monday, October 17, 2005

MADRID DRAW JC faces Max Miryni in the first round of AMS Madrid this week. Could prove to be a tough match considering his track record against big servers. But if he should pass he'll face Puerta next. Other notable players that stand in JC's way to the final: Davydenko and Nadal.

Best of luck JC!

>> full draw

ARITCLE Ljubicic wins Vienna Trophy crown

Since marrying Aida last November, Ivan Ljubicic has enjoyed his most successful season as a professional. On Sunday at the Vienna Trophy, the 26-year-old Croatian recorded a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-5) victory over seventh seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain for a second title from six finals in 2005.

[...]

"To win a title without dropping your serve, it's incredible really," said a jubilant Ljubicic.

"Today I also returned well and I played from the baseline pretty good. To beat Juan Carlos, you cannot do it just with the serve."

Ljubicic started with a bang hitting three aces in the opening game before breaking to lead 3-1 on his fourth break point.

Ferrero had an immediate opportunity to break back but Ljubicic got out of trouble with a forehand winner and a careless forehand gave the Croat a second break for the set.

The Spanish former world number one held a break point in the first game of the second set but then netted a forehand.

He held another at 4-4 which Ljubicic saved with a big serve followed by a forehand volley on Ferrero's desperate return.

Ljubicic then held two set points at 5-4, making an error on his return on the first but hitting a winning crosscourt volley on the second.

The final set went with serve until 4-4 when a visibly tiring Ljubicic had to fight off another break point and he then held a match point at 5-4 which Ferrero survived with a forehand winner.

The set, and the match, was decided by just one mini-break in the tiebreak, when Ferrero double-faulted to give Ljubicic a 2-0 lead.

Ljubicic said: "I knew that I had to be very aggressive from the baseline, go to the net. I have to do things to break up the long rallies and I think I did it perfectly.

"In the third set I was more and more tired, especially that rally on break point. My legs were dead completely, but I think I handled the rally pretty good."

Ferrero was looking for his first ATP Tour title since capturing the 2003 Madrid Masters, which starts on Monday.

He will jump back into the Top 20, when the new world rankings are announced on Monday, for his best ranking since October last year.

Ferrero said: "I had some chances to do more than I did, but I felt the pressure in the break points because I knew I would only get a little chance with his serve."

>> full article

ATP INSIDER

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO, CARLOS MOYA, JIRI NOVAK, DAVID SKOCH, PETR PALA and GILLES SIMON went to the Monza Carting Track in Vienna to try out their driving skills. Former World No. 1s Ferrero and Moya, both car lovers, proved to be great driver with Ferrero winning the race and Moya finishing third.

“When I have time I like to go carting,” Ferrero said. “I like it so much and I do it a lot of times. I like the speed, I go to a race circuit at home as often as I can, trying to improve all the time.”

His countryman, Moya, was clearly disappointed with his car’s performance: “It was a great experience but my engineers didn’t do their job,” he lamented. “My car was much slower than Juan Carlos’ car... It was nice to race with these guys though. I love to go fast when I can but I’m driving very carefully.”

A similar sentiment came from Novak, who said, “I was one of the best drivers here but I had a very bad car… We had a lot of fun but I was a little bit scared in the beginning, but later on I was going pretty well but it wasn’t enough today. I think we all enjoyed this race, it was a lot fun.”

Photos uploaded to the Gallery

Sunday, October 16, 2005

ARTICLE Ferrero and Ljubicic reach Vienna final

Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero overcame third-seeded Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to reach the final of the Vienna Trophy on Saturday. The seventh-seeded Spaniard will face fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic, a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over fifth-ranked Tommy Robredo, in Sunday's final.

"I'm very happy," said Ferrero, who also reached the Barcelona final this year before losing to Rafael Nadal. "I think I'm playing very good tennis. It helped to practise last week indoors at my academy.

"It gave me a lot of rhythm and I came here playing good tennis, and now I'm in the final."

There was little to separate the two players throughout the match, which began with slow-paced baseline rallies as each searched for an opening.

The rallies eventually grew in intensity and Stepanek increasingly serve-volleyed to good effect, but Ferrero was solid at the back and dealt confidently with anything his Czech opponent offered.

LOOKED AGILE

There was only one break point opportunity for each player in the first set. Ferrero earned the first chance when leading 3-2 but Stepanek saved it with a second serve ace.

Then Stepanek earned a break point chance at 4-4, but he was stretched wide by Ferrero and netted a forehand.

The set then progressed to a tiebreak, which Ferrero dominated to win 7-3.

The second set was also evenly balanced, with Ferrero fighting off two break points and then breaking in the next game with a forehand return to lead 3-2.

Stepanek, who had looked agile and untroubled throughout the match, then called for the trainer at 4-3 and had his left leg stretched and massaged.

But the delay did not halt Ferrero's momentum, as the Spaniard held to love and then broke again with a backhand pass to claim victory on his second match point.

"It was very difficult because he serves very fast all the time and it's difficult to read," said Ferrero.

"But anyway, I was returning a lot of points on his serve and finally I could make two breaks in the second set.

"The key was serving good all the time myself and trying to deal with his serve too. I'm 100 percent fit and feel very, very quick, and I reached all the drop-shots that he did. I feel I'm flying on the court."

Saturday, October 15, 2005

QUOTES

Ferrero: "I feel really good, I think we both played a really good match with a lot of rallies. I tried to be very aggressive, serving good on the important points."

"I'm playing good tennis and I think I have good chances. Stepanek is playing well and there are some good players left in the tournament. Anyway, I'm a hundred percent and I think I have good chances."

On winning his 300th career match:
"Of course it's special, it's amazing for my career. Now I'm expecting to win 300 more!"

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

SCHEDULE JC plays last tomorrow on Center Court.

Center Court starting at 19:30

Tommy Haas (GER) vs. Tomas Zib (CZE)
followed by

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)

Sunday, October 09, 2005

VIENNA DRAW JC faces Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) in the 1st round of Vienna. If he's able to pass the first few rounds he'll most likely meet Nalbandian in the quarters and possibly Lopez, the defending champ, in the semis.

Other notable players in JC's half: Henman, Grosjean and Seppi who upset him in the DC play-offs.

>> full draw