INTERVIEW - August 20, 2006
A. RODDICK/J. Ferrero
6-3, 6-4
Q. Juan Carlos, what positives do you take away from this week?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I think all. I take everything. I take the matches that I play. I take the guys that I beat. I take the level that I leave from this tournament. I think I go with a lot of confidence to New York.
And, you know, last year I lost in the first round against Clement and this year I have no points to defend, so it's a good opportunity to get up in the ranking a little bit more. Because I think I'm finished now at 18 or something like this, so is a good chance.
Q. What was it today? Did he serve too well?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Today?
Q. Yeah.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, he serve very solid all the time, with a lot of speed, very good angles, and so was strong all the time. Except the break that I did, I went down in the score all the time. And when he was up in the score, I think he serve pretty good. He was in that line all the time.
Q. You didn't seem able to attack enough from the baseline.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, maybe. Well, I think you have a lot of pression when you are serving, you know, because if you lose the serve, is difficult to get back the break. Maybe you are not as aggressive as you have to do.
Anyway, I felt good in the court. Maybe I didn't serve as best as the other days, but I did some aces. I just play good, but not enough.
Q. Since the last time you played him in the US Open, how much has his return game improved?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think he's playing good, you know, as before. When he serve good, I think his forehand is working. For everybody, is not easy to return his serve, of course.
So compared to US Open, I had the same feeling over there that his serve was too big for that match, to win it.
Q. How do you feel about your own game as a whole compared to this time last year?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I'm most aggressive than the last year. Maybe the last year from the baseline I was waiting to the other guy miss the ball. Now for sure not. I'm trying to be very aggressive with my forehand and backhand and try to win the point by myself, not wait until he miss the ball.
Q. You said you played good but, you know, not well enough to win. Was there a point during the match when you felt like he was just gonna kind of overpower you with his serve and returns today?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, also I felt that maybe I miss some points in important moments in my serve that was very important to go all the time down in the score.
I felt good in the court, but maybe I had to do a little bit more than I did to win.
Q. Other than his speed, does he give you any different looks or different styles?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, no.
Q. It's all speed?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Him?
Q. Yeah.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Is the same as, you know... I played three times against him and, you know, I think he cannot change nothing. He has his way to play, and is like this.
Q. I mean his serve, does he do more than one style of serve?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course he has a very good forehand and he doesn't miss a lot of balls and he's very solid from the baseline. Is not only the serve, of course. If not, he cannot win a match.
Q. When he seemed to get a little bit tight and failed to serve out for the set at 5-2, did you think you might squeeze back into the match then?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, with 5-1 in the second, you know, I had to, you know, try to -- try something, try to be relaxed and hit the ball stronger than I did. You know, I start to play a little bit better. He was a little bit nervous to finish the match.
But when is the time to do it, to break with 5-4, you can see that he did three aces. So is a little bit the way of the match, you know, and you have to do with maybe 40-All or 30-All in important moments, he serve good and you have no chance to play a point. So, you know, is difficult sometimes.
Q. Before the tournament started did you feel this might be your week, that you could put together a couple good matches?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's difficult to feel it. I felt that I was playing good, but when I came here, I saw the court's very fast and I say, you know, there is a lot of players that they can play really good here. I was one of this.
But, you know, I felt good, but didn't expect to make a final.
Q. From here do you take a couple of days' rest?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, maybe two days and then start again to prepare very well US Open.
A. RODDICK/J. Ferrero
6-3, 6-4
Q. Juan Carlos, what positives do you take away from this week?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I think all. I take everything. I take the matches that I play. I take the guys that I beat. I take the level that I leave from this tournament. I think I go with a lot of confidence to New York.
And, you know, last year I lost in the first round against Clement and this year I have no points to defend, so it's a good opportunity to get up in the ranking a little bit more. Because I think I'm finished now at 18 or something like this, so is a good chance.
Q. What was it today? Did he serve too well?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Today?
Q. Yeah.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, he serve very solid all the time, with a lot of speed, very good angles, and so was strong all the time. Except the break that I did, I went down in the score all the time. And when he was up in the score, I think he serve pretty good. He was in that line all the time.
Q. You didn't seem able to attack enough from the baseline.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, maybe. Well, I think you have a lot of pression when you are serving, you know, because if you lose the serve, is difficult to get back the break. Maybe you are not as aggressive as you have to do.
Anyway, I felt good in the court. Maybe I didn't serve as best as the other days, but I did some aces. I just play good, but not enough.
Q. Since the last time you played him in the US Open, how much has his return game improved?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think he's playing good, you know, as before. When he serve good, I think his forehand is working. For everybody, is not easy to return his serve, of course.
So compared to US Open, I had the same feeling over there that his serve was too big for that match, to win it.
Q. How do you feel about your own game as a whole compared to this time last year?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I'm most aggressive than the last year. Maybe the last year from the baseline I was waiting to the other guy miss the ball. Now for sure not. I'm trying to be very aggressive with my forehand and backhand and try to win the point by myself, not wait until he miss the ball.
Q. You said you played good but, you know, not well enough to win. Was there a point during the match when you felt like he was just gonna kind of overpower you with his serve and returns today?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, also I felt that maybe I miss some points in important moments in my serve that was very important to go all the time down in the score.
I felt good in the court, but maybe I had to do a little bit more than I did to win.
Q. Other than his speed, does he give you any different looks or different styles?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no, no.
Q. It's all speed?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Him?
Q. Yeah.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Is the same as, you know... I played three times against him and, you know, I think he cannot change nothing. He has his way to play, and is like this.
Q. I mean his serve, does he do more than one style of serve?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course he has a very good forehand and he doesn't miss a lot of balls and he's very solid from the baseline. Is not only the serve, of course. If not, he cannot win a match.
Q. When he seemed to get a little bit tight and failed to serve out for the set at 5-2, did you think you might squeeze back into the match then?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, with 5-1 in the second, you know, I had to, you know, try to -- try something, try to be relaxed and hit the ball stronger than I did. You know, I start to play a little bit better. He was a little bit nervous to finish the match.
But when is the time to do it, to break with 5-4, you can see that he did three aces. So is a little bit the way of the match, you know, and you have to do with maybe 40-All or 30-All in important moments, he serve good and you have no chance to play a point. So, you know, is difficult sometimes.
Q. Before the tournament started did you feel this might be your week, that you could put together a couple good matches?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's difficult to feel it. I felt that I was playing good, but when I came here, I saw the court's very fast and I say, you know, there is a lot of players that they can play really good here. I was one of this.
But, you know, I felt good, but didn't expect to make a final.
Q. From here do you take a couple of days' rest?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, maybe two days and then start again to prepare very well US Open.
