Thursday, June 6, 2002
J.C. FERRERO/A. Agassi 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3


Q. Going back to last night when you came out, it's to try and
clear up what happened. It seemed that Andre was quite keen to
get back off the court when Stefan Fransson came on and the match
was postponed. What was your feeling at that time? Were you quite
happy to come off?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think if Andre and I had talked this over,
maybe we would have agreed. What I was saying was the following:
everybody's giving too much importance to this. The important thing
is the match. I think if Andre and I had talked it over, we would
have agreed on whether to stop the game or not. And then Fransson
would not have to come out on the court, et cetera. I don't want
to talk to much about this. I'm not giving it too much importance.
I think the important thing is the match itself, and what I didn't
do yesterday I did today. That's all. What I wasn't able to accomplish
yesterday, I did it today. Because, after all, if you talk about
yesterday, all you do is create a controversy, which is really not
necessary. Perhaps this wasn't fine, it wasn't all right, but you
should try to detract from this.

Q. There was a critical point at this match, he fell back, but you
were able to win the set. At the end of the third set, you were
able to straighten out the problems that allowed him to break back?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The fact is that the third set was a bit
strange. I was leading there, and then little by little he began
to play better and I had many breakpoints and match points. At the
end he was on top, and everything came about very quickly. I was
a bit cornered in that set. Finally I was able -- the result was
7-5 and I was able to gain a great deal of confidence in order to
win the fourth set in this match, the way it came out in the third
set.

Q. How special is it to beat Agassi on a first encounter, given
that you have given him your -- he broke your service game? Was
it the nerve or, I don't know, rushing to win or confidence because
he stepped up his game?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: My God, what a question. I think this is
very special, to be able to win with Andre Agassi. He plays very
well. He goes very quickly. This is really very impressive because
you're not able to make him play from the back, even if you force
him to. And it's very difficult to play against him; you have to
be really playing a fine game in order to do so. I think that you
have to be very much in the game to be able to win, especially in
the quarterfinals. This is a great accomplishment for me. First
time around I've been able to win against Agassi.

Q. (Inaudible) was it something you wanted to be prepared for in
this match?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. I tried to play my own game at all times,
and I think that he had many dropshots, perhaps more than normal.
But I think that he wanted to break the monotony of the game to
some extent, the pace of the game, because it was too forceful. I
felt well. I tried to hit the ball harder, and I think I was able
to do so and play as aggressive a game as he was.

Q. At the end of his last game against Mathieu, Andre said he
thought it was time for everyone to play their big tennis, now
was the time for big tennis. Do you think you are approaching or
have reached your big tennis moment?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, yes, I hope so. I really hope so. I think
I've been playing my best tennis throughout the week, and I've been
trying to really do my best. Because after my injuries, I had a great
deal of pain, and I'm feeling fine from the point of view of my injury.
I think that the time has come for me to begin to play the semifinals
as well as I can. I've done this for the past two years, and I think
the time has come to really reach the final. I hope this is the time
to do so.

Q. I was wondering what you thought of Andre Agassi or knew about him
when you were growing up?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I thought - and I still think - that he's one
of the greatest tennis players ever. I think he's been able to win
on all kinds of surfaces: on grass, on hard courts, on clay courts.
I think his prestige is very, very great. I used to watch him on
television when he played against Sampras at the finals. I always
thought that one day I hoped to play against him. But the time came
finally.

Q. If there were three Americans in the semifinals, they probably
wouldn't talk to each other until after the tournament was over.
That's just the way we are. But three Spaniards, will you see each
other before your next match? Will you have dinner together? Will
you be on speaking terms? Will you hate each other for the next
three days?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I think if we're able to go out to dinner
together, we're here together, and we're together as much as we can
be. Even more so, myself, because I don't meet them until the final.
If I have to play in the semifinals, we still would be together. But
the thing is that you are out there to win, and even if your opponent
is a Spaniard, it's quite the same thing as if it were somebody else.
You don't think about the fact that he's a Spaniard. As long as we're
around here, things continue to be the same way.

Q. How do you describe your game today? Of course, you played very
tough. At the same time, you let the points fly away occasionally.
What happened in the moments when your pressure was less?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm not a machine. I don't play like a machine.
At some point in the game, my game goes down. If I were able to win
every single ball, I would be No. 1. But at some point in the game,
either you feel a bit less energy, you're playing in a less subtle
manner, and the opponent also plays well. He's not really going to
allow you to get away with your game every single time. So at some
point throughout the game, you go down. This is normal. I am aggressive
in my play, but if the opponent were not able to come back into the
game, I would be having 6-Love all the time.

Q. Could you just let us know the extent of your injury when it was
at its worst? Was there any moment when you thought you might not be
able to play on?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: The worst time was the same day when the injury
came about, when I twisted my ankle. At that point I couldn't even
walk practically. Even after all the medical tests were carried out,
the physician said to try to carry weight to see if I could do it.
Well, I was feeling terrible. I had a lot of pain and I felt that I
was not able to play. But then for three sets, you might be able to
do it, but for five sets it's even more difficult, especially when
you have to run around a lot. So I really thought that I would not
be able to finish, and I didn't know if I would be able to play at
all. But then with the kind of care that I received, everything came
out well, more than I thought was the case in the beginning.

Q. Do you think that you play as well as you did in Monte-Carlo?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: It's difficult to compare, and there are less
rounds here and less sets to be played. From the time I played against
Mantilla, where I played well, I began to play tennis very, very well -
very solid tennis. I was playing against the best players. I felt very,
very well. Here I'm feeling well, but at the French Open I think that
I felt perhaps even better than in Monte-Carlo. Perhaps if I come to
the finals, I will feel the same way that I felt then.

MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish now, please.

Q. To reach in your third year the finals, and to take out Andre
Agassi must be a very striking sensation.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, it is. To come to the semifinals is in
any case is a very wonderful sensation. You go round after round,
you play well, and then this is a special thing for me because I've
been able to win over Agassi and reach the semifinals.

Q. Was there a time during the third set when you were 3-5, and what
went on in your mind? Were you worried?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, I was worried because I had many set points.
I thought the set would be over quickly, and then it began to get more
and more complicated. Little by little, he began to play better and
better. At 5-Love, I really had problems. At that point I was quite
worried, but I was able to overcome, I was able to win the set and
to gain confidence.

Q. Throughout the matches, we've seen you take care of your ankle.
Sometimes for the dropshots, you haven't really run after the ball
because of your ankle. It's been a difficult match. Are you trying
to save yourself? Do you have any pain or are there times when your
ankle has been bothering you?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I've been trying to save my energy for the
time it's really needed. And the dropshots, sometimes you don't
really have to go after the ball. I think you have to save yourself
if it's necessary. If you think you have a chance of getting it, well,
you might as well go after it. If not, I think you might as well save
yourself.

Q. The last game with Kuerten, there seemed a time when you were
dominating him. At that time we had the same sensation as when you
were playing with Agassi.

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, at that point I was thinking of what I was
doing with Agassi, not thinking back on the Kuerten game. When I was
3-1, 4-1, all I was trying to do was to be in the game and to continue
to be strong and to play the best tennis possible. So the thing is
that at no point did I think I had to think back on the Kuerten match.
I was trying to play at my best level.

Q. This time you had less experience on clay, only Monte-Carlo, in
comparison to past years. What is better, to come here with a lot
of experience or not?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You never know. Sometimes people say you have
to come with a lot of experience, and others say you should not
play too much. I don't think one really knows. I think you have
to come as you come and try to do the best you can.

Q. Could you analyze, you don't really know now who you're going
to play against next time, but what will it be like if you play
against Grosjean or Safin?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: With Grosjean, we played a three-set match in
Monte-Carlo. For him, it's very special to play here. He'll want
to win today. He'll also want to win tomorrow. He has a very powerful
forehand. Marat, you know, when he plays well, he's really powerful,
very powerful. His serve is very good. He puts a lot of pressure into
the game. So either opponent will make an excellent match the next
time around.

Q. The volleys that Agassi had here, you practically won points on
all of them. We thought there would be more pressure when you were
volleying. Did you expect this?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No. He makes you move around the whole time,
and the pace is quite fast. I think you have to try to wrap-up the
game every time because otherwise he's going to really hit the ball
across every single time, and he's going to tire you out. I tried to
dominate if I could.

Q. You're very young. You've reached the finals here (sic). Do you
feel you're playing better tennis this time around? Are you more
mature?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes. There's more experience behind me. Every
year you gain more experience and you feel a bit better. You're able
to know what to do whenever you come up against a difficult situation.
You know how to make a point. If you can, you know how to relax on
the court, and how to be under less stress. I think you approach your
game in a better way.

Q. This is your best game so far. Do you really think that's true?
Do you find your game is at its best right now?

JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: With Coria I played very well throughout. I
think the Coria game and this one were perhaps the best.