INTERVIEW - WIMBLEDON RD. 3
Friday, 29 June, 2007
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) [20] beat James Blake (USA) [9] 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6
Q. Was that one of your best performances on grass of your career?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Could be, yeah. Could be. The most important thing today I think I enjoy it the whole match. Maybe less the first set, then I start to play very aggressive all the time with my serve and with my forehand, attacking to his backhand all the time.
You know, like I said, I enjoyed the whole match. This is the more important thing.
Q. Have you come to enjoy playing on grass more over the years, or is it still something you don't particularly look forward to?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course you have to learn a lot to play very good on grass. You know, during passing the years of course I enjoy much to play here.
But anyway I thinking in the last two or three years it's slower, the courts, and we have more time to try to hit good the ball. So I think it's important also for the players.
Q. How confident do you feel at the moment?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I feel pretty good right now. I mean, confidence and mentally and physically. So I'm in fourth round against Tipsarevic. It's going to be a tough match.
But, you know, is a good round for me. I'm with a lot of confidence, so I had try to play the best tennis I have.
Q. The game obviously seemed to delight the crowd today. Were you conscious of that during the match?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think the people enjoy it a lot. We play nice points, long points, short points, a couple rallies. You know, was a complete match, I think.
Q. Four or five years ago the Spanish attitude was to stay at home and go shopping in Barcelona.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not me, no.
Q. There are 14 Spanish men in the draw this year. Why do you think the attitude has changed so much?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm not sure. Maybe one of the things is maybe because the courts are slower and we can play a little bit more comfortable.
Anyway, it's the seventh time I play here, so I always try to come here and learn how to play on grass. I don't know about the other players, but I think there is a couple players, they can play very good.
I think, you know, Rafa did last year. This is the fourth time I make the fourth round here. You know, Verdasco, I think he plays very good here. Feliciano. There are a couple players that we can play really good here. I think why not we have to come here and play good.
Q. There was an incident where the ball hit the post, went through the net, and he got the point. Were you aware immediately the ball had gone through the net rather than over it?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I thought was under the net, so maybe was my point. But chair umpire, I don't know what's happen.
Q. You can't call Hawk Eye.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I told him, but he told me that is impossible to see it.
Q. First time that's happened to you?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course. I think it didn't happen a lot.
Q. Your net play, you had some superb statistics about winning points at the net. Is that something you have deliberately tried to improve?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course. Here I think you have a lot of chances to finish the points on the net. You know, I think is one of the keys if you want to improve here, you have to finish some points in the net, of course.
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) [20] beat James Blake (USA) [9] 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6Q. Was that one of your best performances on grass of your career?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Could be, yeah. Could be. The most important thing today I think I enjoy it the whole match. Maybe less the first set, then I start to play very aggressive all the time with my serve and with my forehand, attacking to his backhand all the time.
You know, like I said, I enjoyed the whole match. This is the more important thing.
Q. Have you come to enjoy playing on grass more over the years, or is it still something you don't particularly look forward to?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course you have to learn a lot to play very good on grass. You know, during passing the years of course I enjoy much to play here.
But anyway I thinking in the last two or three years it's slower, the courts, and we have more time to try to hit good the ball. So I think it's important also for the players.
Q. How confident do you feel at the moment?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I feel pretty good right now. I mean, confidence and mentally and physically. So I'm in fourth round against Tipsarevic. It's going to be a tough match.
But, you know, is a good round for me. I'm with a lot of confidence, so I had try to play the best tennis I have.
Q. The game obviously seemed to delight the crowd today. Were you conscious of that during the match?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think the people enjoy it a lot. We play nice points, long points, short points, a couple rallies. You know, was a complete match, I think.
Q. Four or five years ago the Spanish attitude was to stay at home and go shopping in Barcelona.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Not me, no.
Q. There are 14 Spanish men in the draw this year. Why do you think the attitude has changed so much?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm not sure. Maybe one of the things is maybe because the courts are slower and we can play a little bit more comfortable.
Anyway, it's the seventh time I play here, so I always try to come here and learn how to play on grass. I don't know about the other players, but I think there is a couple players, they can play very good.
I think, you know, Rafa did last year. This is the fourth time I make the fourth round here. You know, Verdasco, I think he plays very good here. Feliciano. There are a couple players that we can play really good here. I think why not we have to come here and play good.
Q. There was an incident where the ball hit the post, went through the net, and he got the point. Were you aware immediately the ball had gone through the net rather than over it?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, I thought was under the net, so maybe was my point. But chair umpire, I don't know what's happen.
Q. You can't call Hawk Eye.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I told him, but he told me that is impossible to see it.
Q. First time that's happened to you?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course. I think it didn't happen a lot.
Q. Your net play, you had some superb statistics about winning points at the net. Is that something you have deliberately tried to improve?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course. Here I think you have a lot of chances to finish the points on the net. You know, I think is one of the keys if you want to improve here, you have to finish some points in the net, of course.
