INTERVIEW
Q: Are you glad that Federer and Nadal are not coming?
Ferrero: Well, I’m supposed to, because they are in great form, and they played the last two finals in the Masters series, so maybe we have more chances when they are not here, but you never know.
Q: Can you understand why they pulled out of the tournament?
Ferrero: I can understand that, yes.
Q: Is it too much to have two Masters Series after another?
Ferrero: Yes, mostly when you play the finals over five hours, it can be very difficult to recover within 24 hours to play here.
Q: Are you surprised about Nadal’s and Federer’s form or do you still think that you can beat them?
Ferrero: Well, they are playing at a very good level. I think you need a lot of confidence to win against them right now.
Q: Is it more difficult to play back-to-back clay court Masters than it is to play back-to-back Masters on other surfaces?
Ferrero: Maybe, because on clay you have to play the longest matches and of course it is hard in the final. The thing in 2001 I won Rome and then I had to come here and I did the finals, so I think you can do it.
Q: Is it absolutely crucial to try and change the tournaments?
Ferrero: I think it is very important and they will do it, or else it is bad, because we finish so late and we start so soon, so we will feel tired.
Q: Is it more difficult to win Roland Garros now than it was a few years before, were there more players you could win?
Ferrero: I don’t know, I think the level right now is very high and you can lose against any player in the top 100. But it is always difficult to win.
Q: With clay court player people always say, let’s see how they do on other surfaces to see if they are great players. Do you think that’s unfair? Would you consider Nadal a great player like that or yourself?
Ferrero: I think South American players or myself, we can play very well on hard court, I won Montreal last year, I won Madrid and I did a final in a Master Cup, so I think the specialists on hard court, it’s more difficult for them to play on clay. They always say that the Spanish guys can only play on clay, but I don’t think that’s true.
Q: You also played very good indoors, you play good on hard court. Maybe that is the reason why you are not so good on clay as you used to be, because you focus on hard court?
Ferrero: No, I don’t think so. I try to play very good on any surface, I don’t think that I lost something on clay court. I think today for example I played a very good match like I always played on clay court.
Q: What makes him so special on clay, was he so physical on court?
Ferrero: Yes, physical is very important because he runs around so much, he runs to impossible balls. Also, I think he is very strong mentally. You have to be like him on court, you have to try to win every point. (…)
Q: How many players are capable of winning the French Open, is it just two or three or maybe a dozen players?
Ferrero: I don’t know exactly how many players, but there are some of them. It is very difficult to give two or three names.
Q: But the ones who separate themselves from the others.
Ferrero: The guys who are in very good form now are Nadal, Federer, the South American guys, the Spanish guys and not many more.
Q: Do you include yourself?
Ferrero: Yes, why not?
Q: Do you play at the same level as a few years ago?
Ferrero: Yes, why not.
Q: There is also a mental point of course, to play several matches best of five.
Ferrero, I know, but I did it.
Q: Is it difficult for you to come to a big tournament like the French and know that you won it before? Would it be easier for you if you hadn’t done it before?
Ferrero: You have to do the same things as always. I mean, sleep well, eat well, rest well, it’s also important here.
Q: Now you have no doubt that you can do it?
Ferrero: Yes, I played three finals and I won one.
Q: How often do you use that, going to the court and thinking, I’ve got these finals?
Ferrero: I want to win more tournaments and get more points.
(…)
Ferrero: I think Olivier Rochus is a great tennis player and I won a great match today.
Q: You haven’t played your best for a while, but you are playing as well and feeling as well as you used to three years ago?
Ferrero: Yes.
Q: Are you glad that Federer and Nadal are not coming?Ferrero: Well, I’m supposed to, because they are in great form, and they played the last two finals in the Masters series, so maybe we have more chances when they are not here, but you never know.
Q: Can you understand why they pulled out of the tournament?
Ferrero: I can understand that, yes.
Q: Is it too much to have two Masters Series after another?
Ferrero: Yes, mostly when you play the finals over five hours, it can be very difficult to recover within 24 hours to play here.
Q: Are you surprised about Nadal’s and Federer’s form or do you still think that you can beat them?
Ferrero: Well, they are playing at a very good level. I think you need a lot of confidence to win against them right now.
Q: Is it more difficult to play back-to-back clay court Masters than it is to play back-to-back Masters on other surfaces?
Ferrero: Maybe, because on clay you have to play the longest matches and of course it is hard in the final. The thing in 2001 I won Rome and then I had to come here and I did the finals, so I think you can do it.
Q: Is it absolutely crucial to try and change the tournaments?
Ferrero: I think it is very important and they will do it, or else it is bad, because we finish so late and we start so soon, so we will feel tired.
Q: Is it more difficult to win Roland Garros now than it was a few years before, were there more players you could win?
Ferrero: I don’t know, I think the level right now is very high and you can lose against any player in the top 100. But it is always difficult to win.
Q: With clay court player people always say, let’s see how they do on other surfaces to see if they are great players. Do you think that’s unfair? Would you consider Nadal a great player like that or yourself?
Ferrero: I think South American players or myself, we can play very well on hard court, I won Montreal last year, I won Madrid and I did a final in a Master Cup, so I think the specialists on hard court, it’s more difficult for them to play on clay. They always say that the Spanish guys can only play on clay, but I don’t think that’s true.
Q: You also played very good indoors, you play good on hard court. Maybe that is the reason why you are not so good on clay as you used to be, because you focus on hard court?
Ferrero: No, I don’t think so. I try to play very good on any surface, I don’t think that I lost something on clay court. I think today for example I played a very good match like I always played on clay court.
Q: What makes him so special on clay, was he so physical on court?
Ferrero: Yes, physical is very important because he runs around so much, he runs to impossible balls. Also, I think he is very strong mentally. You have to be like him on court, you have to try to win every point. (…)
Q: How many players are capable of winning the French Open, is it just two or three or maybe a dozen players?
Ferrero: I don’t know exactly how many players, but there are some of them. It is very difficult to give two or three names.
Q: But the ones who separate themselves from the others.
Ferrero: The guys who are in very good form now are Nadal, Federer, the South American guys, the Spanish guys and not many more.
Q: Do you include yourself?
Ferrero: Yes, why not?
Q: Do you play at the same level as a few years ago?
Ferrero: Yes, why not.
Q: There is also a mental point of course, to play several matches best of five.
Ferrero, I know, but I did it.
Q: Is it difficult for you to come to a big tournament like the French and know that you won it before? Would it be easier for you if you hadn’t done it before?
Ferrero: You have to do the same things as always. I mean, sleep well, eat well, rest well, it’s also important here.
Q: Now you have no doubt that you can do it?
Ferrero: Yes, I played three finals and I won one.
Q: How often do you use that, going to the court and thinking, I’ve got these finals?
Ferrero: I want to win more tournaments and get more points.
(…)
Ferrero: I think Olivier Rochus is a great tennis player and I won a great match today.
Q: You haven’t played your best for a while, but you are playing as well and feeling as well as you used to three years ago?
Ferrero: Yes.
