J.C. FERRERO/M. Safin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4


Q. When you left the court and went back to the locker room, was there
a number of Spaniards waiting there to applaud you? Describe the scene
when you got back to the locker room after you came off the court.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Off the court, you know, I feel very happy, you
know, with my coach, with my physical men. You know, I finish the match.
I went to Marat last time he wins me. It's very difficult to play against
him because he plays so strong. When I finish the match and I go to the
locker room, I say to me, "Well done, man."

Q. Were there a lot of Spaniards applauding you when you got back there?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. I saw only my physical preparation and my
coach, not my family yet.

Q. Short version first. How do you feel, first final?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yeah, it's first final, you know, it's unbelievable
experience for me. You know, I'm going to play with another Spanish,
so I think it's a party, a Spanish party, in the final. So, for sure,
we going to enjoy the match, you know.

Q. You have had a very solid match throughout, even when you were
serving for the game. How do you keep the level head? Is it in your
nature or gain from experience?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I'm very young. I'm not full experience.
But I try to play with the same level all the time, you know, because
the other days, some people, you tell that I have, you know, more very
downs in my games. And today I try to play with the same level all the
time because, Marat, if not, is going up in some points of the match,
and for sure he try it, to win the match.

Q. Then you're confident by nature?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, of course.

Q. What is going through your mind when you are at the crucial time?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Nothing special. I try to win the game with my
serve. You know, I try to don't think in the final. You know, I am
in the final maybe if I win the game. And I try to play a normal game,
no? That's all.

Q. For this final, do you think you are the favorite?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't think who are the favorite because, you
know, the last time I lost against Albert Costa in Hamburg, and the
other matches I won in three set. So I'm thinking that I have to go
to play my best tennis, to try to give my best mentally in the court,
and that's all. I don't have to think in who is the favorite because
I think nobody's the favorite in the final.

Q. When Marat is good, as he was at the 2000 US Open, he can be very,
very good. But sometimes his mind starts to wander during matches.
Was this one of those days where he just didn't have his brain fully
functioning?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't want to think this, you know. I want to
think I play so great and I won the match for this, not for he lost
his mind.

Q. (Inaudible)?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Could be, could be. Who knows. For sure he knows
better than us.

Q. After the injury, which was the match that made you start believing
that you could make it to the final?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know exactly. With Coutelot, it was a very
difficult match because was so long. And with Gaudio also was very
difficult match. And when I won this both matches, you know, I start
to think that I'm in a good conditions to try to hit into the tournament.

Q. You had a difficult start to the year and then nine days ago you
were thinking maybe you couldn't even play in the tournament. How big
a surprise is this for you, looking back over what's happened before
this year?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's a big surprise for me because I start so
bad the year with a lot of injuries: the knee, then the (abductor/
adductor?), And nine days ago my ankle. So, you know, I thought that
I couldn't play the tournament. But finally with the help of the doctor
and all my friends, I could play the tournament, and I'm in the final.
So it's a very big surprise for me.

Q. Marat yesterday told us that he would try to focus on his serve,
coming to the net more. How did you prepare knowing Marat's tactics
all the time? How did you prepare for the match tactically? How did
it evolve?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I tried to return his big service all the time,
and I think I did very well today. I think he didn't serve so well
all the time, you know, and I had more chances with your second serve
all the time. But, you know, I didn't prepare very special the game.
I try to play very solid with my forehand and with my backhand, without
mistakes. And I think was the key of the match, I didn't do mistakes.
Maybe he did more mistakes than the other days.

Q. Probably the biggest improvement in your game is how effective your
serve has become. Who is responsible for helping you develop your serve?
When did you really start working very hard to improve it?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, the last two years, I couldn't work very
hard with my service because I had very problems in my abdominal and I
couldn't work so hard with my service. But in December, all December
and January with my injury with my knee, I could work a lot of with my
service all the time, and I think the results are in the court right
now. I serve very well all the time. And, you know, my second serve,
I think it's very good, as well.

MODERATOR: Spanish questions, please.

Q. We've seen that there's been a big difference. Many of us
professionals have the same feeling here. What difference has
there been in this semifinal as opposed to the semifinal last
year with Kuerten?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You can't compare one match to the next. You
don't have the same player against you. The difference is that I
won this time, and last time I didn't in the semifinal. Last year
I lost in three sets easily, and this year I began to win, and then
I continued to play a solid game throughout. Perhaps I had a bit
more experience this year than last. Of course this is natural. And
I was hungry for victory, the same as last year, but things have
turned out better.

Q. You meet Costa in the finals. It's nice to play against a
Spaniard in the final?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's nice to play against a Spaniard in
the final. It's going to be a hard final because Costa is playing
very well, although he's had a hard time winning the last two games.
He played very solid tennis against Corretja, and he lost a set in
the last match. Perhaps he'll be a bit tired. I'll also be tired in
the finals, but we'll both make our effort. Of course, I hope that
I win.

Q. I suppose that coming to the finals, one feels very happy.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Of course, I made up my mind to win this
tournament, and the objective is not really achieved until you
come to the final and you win it. I won't really be totally happy
until I win.

Q. To some extent have you fulfilled your dreams?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, to some extent. But if I'm able to win
on Sunday, the other half will also come true.

Q. The way you're playing this year, and the way in which Guga is
playing, had you played Guga in the finals, how do you think the
match would have been?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You're talking about Guga here, and he's no
longer here. He's not part of the tournament. Had I played against
him, I would have tried to play at the same level that I'm trying
to play at now. You don't have to make such comparisons.

Q. Do you think that you're playing better now than Guga?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, Guga had an injury, and he had excellent
results in the beginning. I had also injuries. I've had a bit more
luck. I've played well, but he also played very well until he went
down.

Q. Did you think the result would be so clear-cut today, three sets
- easy sets at that?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, easy to some extent. But as I began, I had
a break against me at some point in the beginning, and it was not easy.
Marat is a very powerful player that puts you into a great deal of
pressure throughout. And it's not easy to be always in the game. I
had lost against him the last time around, and at least I was able
to get my revenge today.

Q. It's not easy to win against Marat. How did you drive him up a
three in the end?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I tried to play solid, my best tennis at all
times to make as few mistakes as I could, and to try to remain calm
even when he was very aggressive. He always plays well. Perhaps his
first serve was not always effective, but when it was, it was very
good. At all points I tried to well because this was done in three
sets. Not easy, but not terribly difficult in any case.

Q. The last game that you played was against Albert Costa in Hamburg.
I think this was at some point there we felt you would not reach
Roland Garros. Here you meet him again. What difference has there
been during this three weeks here?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The difference is I don't really know. 6-2, I
was always winning there. Then I began to play better. I left him
a bit behind. But in these three weeks I've tried to work hard, to
reach this level, and to play as well as I can. And I think we both
come at a time when we're playing our best tennis. Both of us have
reached the finals in the best form possible. We have the right kind
of pace, and we both want to win at Roland Garros. That's all I can say.

Q. Is there something special in Roland Garros that makes you play
well here?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: One is always very motivated to play well here.
When you're out on the court, you try to fight your way to victory
because this is very nice, the public is very nice, the court is
nice. It's a very special tournament. Everyone wants to win here.

Q. You were saying that Agassi, in order to drive him out of the
court, you needed intelligence. For Safin, it's like playing against
a truck. What would you say about Albert Costa?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: He's a very solid player. It's difficult to
drive him out of the court. When he's playing, he's playing very
solidly. And it's almost as if he had a wind pump behind him. It's
difficult to make him lose, but I'm going to try.