Day 10 - Mariano Puerta Interview

[esnique (食人鱷)]

Day 10  - Mariano Puerta Interview
Wednesday, June 1, 2005


Q. What is the feeling like to be in the semifinals, particularly after all
that happened last year in your career?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, it's something very special
to find yourself in the semifinals. When I got to Paris two weeks ago today,
I had the idea I was going to make it to the second week. It's something that
I can't even realize yet. I can't believe I've reached the semifinals, and I
really want to enjoy this moment and prepare myself the best possible for the
best semifinals.

Q. Do you have any hard feelings or bitterness after what happened to you in
2004?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, actually, no, I don't really
feel bitter. I almost forgot it. I don't really remember the bad things I
went through, something that I've overcome.

I'm very happy with what I'm achieving today. I just don't think back, don't
waste my energy in that and remember things that passed. I think they help me
a lot to be stronger psychologically today, since every victory for me is
even more important.

Q. What was it like to be out of the game for so long, and how did you
maintain your concentration or ability to get back into the game and then
build yourself back up to where you were and where you are now?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, when I think back about the
time I was not playing, it was a bit difficult. It was a hard time to go
through. It's very strange not to be allowed to play tennis. It's something
that doesn't happen generally.

I had to work very hard to come back, and my way of playing tennis requires
consuming a lot of energy. It's not enough to get 30 or 40 points through my
serve; I have to manage to return against my opponent. Therefore, I really
had to work on my comeback.

In addition to that, when you go through a rough period, I'm sure that it
just makes you become stronger. It's hard for people to sink you.

Today, I can tell you, I feel very strong. I felt strong enough to confront
a very difficult opponent. To reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam was a
great experience, a beautiful one as well. Generally, you don't get that far,
and you want to take advantage of the situation when you're there.

Everything I went through helps me feel calmer, and it's helped me mature and
overcome difficult moments.

Q. Even though you haven't played Canas very much, as a Davis Cup teammate
was it a little bit like a Davis Cup practice out there between the two of you?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, it was nice because we did
it all together. We started hitting up together. We were together two minutes
before getting on the court. It was really a very friendly match, and we even
discussed at the net and we decided we had to stop running; we'd had enough
of it.

But it was really spectacular. Really, it's great. We've known each other
since we were seven or eight years old because we played in the same club
since we were kids. I know that he's the one I have the oldest relationship
with. He's the player I've known for most years. I really enjoyed being on
the court, and I think he did, too.

In tennis, there isn't a tiebreaker, there's always a winner. You can't
equalize. This time it was my turn, and I'm very happy. I hope that some
other time he will make it to the semifinals. He's an excellent player.

On the court, I experienced things that I had never experienced before. I
had never played against such a good defender, a good receiver as Canas. I
think he's one of the best on a defensive game in the world. For the first
matchpoint, I was almost desperate. I played the point just absolutely
perfectly, and I couldn't understand how he could come crosscourt. And then
I managed to get it across, and he passes me.

So he really played perfectly. And when I didn't make it, well, I felt really
bad. I was desperate, because I thought anything can happen. I played the
point perfectly and I didn't win it.

But, luckily, I just kept my cool, and that was very important because I
reached another matchpoint and, luckily, I made that one. Otherwise, if I
had been down the break, well...

I could say that I played the points well, so I'm very happy. I think this
is like a revenge.

Q. How was the special feeling standing there as a winner? I think it was not
a big breakout for you. It looked like, "Okay, I'm there," but not really a
big thing?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, this is something totally
new for me. I've never reached a semifinal in a Grand Slam. I've never been
on a court with so many people, so I still can't really realize what's going
on.

What can I say? I'm very happy. I hope I can play the semifinal well. I'd
love to win it, but what I'd most like is to play well.

Today, I really had the feeling that at one point in the match -- of course
I wanted to win, but at least I thought I'd be happy because I knew I'd
played well even if I didn't win. And if I was going to be defeated, I would
have still played an excellent tennis game.

I hope on Friday I'm able to play as well as today. I also think that it's
going to be hard for my opponent to beat me if I manage to play as well as
I did today.

Q. You had an accident with an elevator, I think. Can you tell us when that
happened and what that was like for you.

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, it's amazing that you still
remember that.

Well, I really had a scare. It was some time back. It was pretty frightening
at the time. I was going through a difficult period, sort of a bad streak, it
was just another bad thing that happened. I had a scare, but, okay, I'm fine.

For some time I didn't really want to take an elevator up, but I've overcome
that.

Q. Can you talk about the mental process of closing out big matches. You've
had them before in your life. Today, in the fourth set, it looked like maybe
he would come on top of you, but you regained your momentum and then closed
out very well. Just talk about your maturation process.

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, today's match had lots of
ups and downs. I think during the first set, well, the game was a bit
atypical. It was a bit unusual, because I played very well and my opponent
didn't play that way. He was a bit cold, and he made quite a few mistakes,
and he generally doesn't make these faults. It was pretty fast. I don't even
think it lasted a half an hour, this first set.

After that, the match completely changed. At the beginning of the second set,
Willy really turned it around. He turned the match around, and I was a bit
surprised. He started returning a lot of balls, and I realized that I had to
push him to my limits to make a winning point.

I really got very puzzled during the second and the third set. I felt that I
really had to push things to the limit to win, and I realized that he wasn't
making any errors.

But afterwards, in the fourth set, I started feeling the point better. I
started feeling that the court was faster, and this really played in my
favor. As I realized that the court was changing a bit, I started moving
forward and I started playing faster and taking more risks and going more
to the net. That's what I was saying; I knew that I had to advance to win
the game, and that's how I managed to do it. But, there was a turning point.

Personally, I'm very happy because although Canas doesn't always lose a match
in five sets, at least it reconfirms my good physical shape because he was
two sets down, and that's another satisfaction for me.

Q. Was it difficult after last year to come back and see the players again,
or did you feel their support immediately?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Translated from Spanish.) Well, to return to the circuit
after what I had gone through wasn't going to be easy, and I knew that. But
I really felt very supported by players, and that's what makes you feel
comfortable immediately. It was something really nice, because from the
outset I could leave a very heavy weight outside because you never know
what's gonna happen. You never know how they're gonna react.

These people are people you're going to be competing against every day and
you're going to be with them every day. So beyond the fact that we get along
together, there's a lot of money at stake and a lot of points at stake. So
you never know how they're going to react and how they're going to receive
you when you come back from something like that.

But I must say, it was really a great welcome, and I think that it all had to
do with the way things were communicated. All the boys, well, reacted very
well. This was something that helped me a lot because, as I said, I could
leave outside a very heavy weight, and I was more relaxed.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish, please.

Q. Although you said that you weren't in Uruguay and you didn't know what
was happening, I wanted to know if you thought about something, what exactly
went through your head at that moment, specific moment.

MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I couldn't believe it, because after those two
matchpoints that I lost, I started wondering, "What am I going to have to do
now to win the game?" Even at the second matchpoint, I couldn't understand
that he was going to send it back crosscourt, because you can't from where
I was coming.

But when I realized that, my feet wouldn't take me to the other end to catch
it. So it's as if I couldn't understand, I could never imagine that I was
going to win against a fault of Willy's. I thought I had to make a winning
point. So I couldn't understand.

But I think that the ball bounced a bit, and I didn't realize where I was
going until I realized that it wasn't going in. So I couldn't believe it.

Well, it was a real -- something absolutely overwhelming. A great joy. I
can't even find the words to explain how well I feel at the moment. I just
want to enjoy it until tomorrow, and then I'll think about the next match.
I don't even know how I'm going to play.

I think, well, whoever can win, doesn't matter. I'm so happy to be in the
semifinals. I never imagined I'd make it that far.

Q. Even when you were a Junior and runner-up?

MARIANO PUERTA: Well, when you're young and you're good, you think - you hope
- you're going to be a very good player as an adult. You can imagine anything
and dream about anything.

Of course I could imagine myself playing a final as a professional, but to
tell you the truth, when I started as a professional, I realized that the way
was very, very hard, and it was going to be a lot of hard work - and you need
a little factor of chance and of luck.

Today, I'm just a match away from the final at Roland Garros, and it's just
amazing. There are no Argentinians left; I'm the only one. I really can't
understand it.

Q. Precisely, you said that you didn't have much experience at this kind of
a Grand Slam. Was it easier to play another Argentinian? Was there less
pressure?

MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I think there was less pressure because the match was
a difficult one, but I knew my opponent pretty well. Willy has a way of
playing that I knew I'd feel comfortable with. And, I must say, things turned
to my advantage. When I had to go for the match, I did. Everything worked out
for me.

But I'm lucky not to feel that much pressure, although I'm playing another
Argentinian. I think other boys would not have reacted like me. I think --
yeah, I think it was good for me to play the quarterfinals against an
Argentinian that I knew.

Q. Ten days ago you said that if you won Ljubicic you could move a long way.

MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I still remember the message I heard when the draw
was announced on Saturday. I was asked, "Who are you playing?"

I said, "I'm playing Ljubicic."

He said, "That's going to be very tough."

I said, "Yeah. But if I beat him, I will make it to the semifinals."

There you are. It was just sheer luck, I must say.

Q. Are you Catholic? Are you a believer? Do you pray?

MARIANO PUERTA: I'm Catholic. I'm a believer. But just normal. I never
thought a year ago, if I had been told a year ago that I'd make it to the
semifinals, I would have been told I'm crazy.

Q. What about the Davis Cup?

MARIANO PUERTA: (Laughing). Well, I'm closer to the Davis Cup today.


--
頗有意思的，尤其是倒數第三個問題。


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