PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
March 18, 2008
Juan Carlos Ferrero
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How satisfying is it to have pulled out a match like
that?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I'm very happy about my game today. I
played very well. I think whole match was a good match until
the end. I couldn't finish, I think, first because I had a
lot of chances in the third set, 15-40 and also to advantage
to try to break his serve. And at the end, I was 6-4 down in
the tiebreak, and was funny to play. I think I enjoy it.
Q. Juan Carlos you're 28 now. Ten years past Roland
Garros junior final. Five years will be your anniversary for
the win. What keeps you motivated and going on a day-to-day
basis?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Sometimes it's difficult, for sure,
because you travel a lot, and sometimes the matches are
going the way that you don't like. But, anyway, I love
tennis, and I enjoying playing tennis yet, so it's the key
to keep working.
Q. Do titles matter to you as much as they used to,
winning titles?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, of course it is. But, you know,
I'm not thinking about it so much. Just wanted to work, to
try to win some tournaments, sure.
Q. The older you get your perspective changes just a
little bit to keep yourself mentally fresh?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Not -- not a lot of change. The only
matter to me I try to keep the motivation so high and be
physically very good, because I think it's very important,
and be fit the whole time.
Q. Do you feel like you're a better player than you were
five years ago?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I think so. I think so. Mentally I'm so
much better, I think, so much stronger. And physically I
think I'm so much better than before. I don't know, maybe I
improve a little bit my serve, also my backhand, so I don't
know why I'm not winning tournaments.
Q. Do you feel like a lot of the same guys you were
playing in 2003 are...
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I play finals I think, you know, I had
a little bit of bad luck, because all years I play finals so
I could win tournaments, I could still win tournaments. So
if I do not play like in five or six years of final, of
course I'm going to think what's wrong.
But I'm still playing finals, important finals, Masters
Series last year in Monte-Carlo, so keep going, just keep
going.
Q. Is it sort of strange looking around the area and
seeing all these young players and you're a veteran now?
Does that seem a little funny to you, almost?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I'm not like veteran at all. I'm 28, so
not really. Of course, I'm, you know, I look to Rafa or
Djokovic or some of these guys, and of course they are so
young. But I pass through this age and I'm thinking of me
and not the others.
Q. So you're saying you're better now, which is
understandable. But you were No. 1 in 2003. During that
summer, except for the US Open final, you were a pretty
dominant player, no?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah.
Q. So you feel you're better now, but then you were
winning more, so the connection is where?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: It's all about, I think, confidence.
You're allowed to win a lot of matches, you know, and it's
like the people has a lot of respect to you and a lot of
matches you're winning, like, you know how to play.
Right now I'm not seeded in a lot of tournaments and I have
to play against the best players in maybe second or third
round, so it's not easier as before, that I have to play
against these players in semis or finals.
Q. Does it amaze you a little bit that Rafa has been able
to win Roland Garros three times in a row? You went to the
final, you won it, you've been close to the top. Three times
in a row is not so easy.
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Of course not. It's not easy, but I
think he's very strong, and, you know, on clay he's one of
the best in the world, or maybe the best. You know, what can
I say?
Q. Can you talk a little bit about the next round.
Playing against David. What's going to be the key for that?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: The key is for me very important to
recover so good for tomorrow. I have a little time to
recover. I play second, so, you know, I'm going to recover
fast. I have to play very aggressive as in Australia I play
it. I try to be very aggressive with his second set and try
to take the point before him.
Q. Can you talk about the hotel you bought, that's yours,
your hotel you bought, Hotel Ferrero?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah. The hotel, it's open like seven
months ago, and it's working very well. It has 12 rooms, 8
rooms different, I mean, the design is different. We have,
like a big place for party, weddings. It's going good.
Q. It's not that common for tennis players to go do that,
especially while they're playing. Why did you decide to do
that now as opposed to maybe when you retire?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Because I don't have to do it when I
just retire. I think I have time to make some business, as
well, right now. I have people that I have a lot of
confidence with them, and, you know, I bought the place, and
it was the time to make it.
Q. So is it close to the beach of Valencia; is that
right?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: It's in the interior. It's like 40
minutes from the beach. It's like 40 minutes to Valencia and
40 minutes to Alicante.
Q. Is it in the mountains a little bit? Very pretty, nice
place?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Q. Are you planning on putting up more hotels, or just
that one?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Just for the moment that's enough.
Q. How much does it cost to stay there? Can we get a
deal?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know. There's different price.
(laughter.)
Q. Friends, one thing, journalists?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: We can make a deal. Don't worry.
Q. Really? Are you going to advertise your hotel -- will
you ever advertise your hotel around here at the
tournaments?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know, maybe.
Q. So a tennis court, is there tennis court there?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: There is a grass court.
Q. Seriously?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, it's just to enjoy. It's not
to...
Q. So it sounds like a Wimbledon grass court. You didn't
bring in the groundskeepers?
JUAN-CARLOS FERRERO: No, no.
End of FastScripts
