Thursday, June 6, 2002
A. CORRETJA/A. Pavel 7-6. 7-5. 7-5


Q. How familiar were you with what he had gone through to make it
here for the completion of today's match?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I knew everything. I knew he left. I knew he
went home and get there like nearly 8:00 yesterday night, and I
knew he came here around 5:00 in the morning. So probably, of
course, I got pretty good advantage of that. But it was also a
difficult situation for me because everyone was telling me yesterday
that he was gone. If everything would have been normal, we would have
played yesterday. So probably I was the winner yesterday off the court.
But I'm more happy to see that I came through winning on the court.

Q. Congratulations. In what state of mind did you come back this
morning on the court after such a long interruption and knowing
what had happened to Pavel during his time of absence?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, as I said, I was -- it wasn't easy, but it
was even more difficult for him, no? Because he was two sets to
Love down. He was 5-4 up in the third, but with no break. He was
like with a thousand kilometers in his legs. The situation, even
if we didn't finish yesterday, it was completely in my side. I'm
happy to see that I just won three games and it was over. But it
was difficult situation, also. When you start the match knowing
that you have to hold that serve, otherwise you going to lose the
set, it's not easy. And then after you hold once and broke one
serve, you're serving for the match. All of a sudden when I was
6-5, I sit down in the chair. I was like, "After five minutes,
I'm serving for the match." That's so strange, you know. I would
be pleased to see every time happens that to me, after 10 minutes
serving for the match that. Would mean I don't play forever on the
court, which happens many times to me. But then they won't play
that match, no? If we only stay 10 minutes o the court, we wouldn't
deserve that amount of money.

Q. You already know your next opponent.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah.

Q. Who will be Costa. You already met him about 12 times, I think.
Can you give us a few words about him?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, we met 12 times in the ATP. We met probably
two million times in practice. In Spanish tournaments, we met
about a thousand more. We know each other pretty well. We live
together most of the day during the tournaments and most of the
day back when we are in Barcelona and in San Cugat where we live.
It's not an easy situation for both of us, but we are professionals
and we have to go outside and try to do our best, as we did in
Barcelona. It was a really tough match for both.

Q. You're on your way to a third final here. I know the row
doesn't get easier, but is there more ease in your doing it,
you've been here a couple times before?

ALEX CORRETJA: I guess it is nice to see that I'm back here
for the third time and knowing that I reach the finals twice,
it gives me the pleasure to feel that I can do it again. But,
of course, being twice in the semifinals and reaching the final
doesn't mean that I'm going to win tomorrow, of course. But is
a nice advantage being in the situation before because there is
something that you already feel in your legs, in your mind. But
tomorrow is going to be a long match and a tough match for both.
No matter if I was in the semis before, it was a difficult --
different situation. I play both times against French guys, and
this time I'm going to play probably with my close friend on the
tour.

Q. Physically how are you feeling? You have played a lot of tennis
in the last fortnight, and obviously the match that you've just
completed was spread over three days. Has that helped you or
hindered you? How do you feel physically?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, once you reach the semifinals, of course,
you've been playing a lot of tennis. I mean, it is better to play
a lot of tennis than being home watching tennis, no? That's for
sure. So I think I play straight sets every time except against
Clement. This match maybe last longer than usual to be a three-set
match. Of course, because we spent three days to finish. But I was
a little tired yesterday because we spend one day long on Tuesday,
and yesterday the whole day waiting here. I left nearly 8:00, 9:00
at night. I came back this morning around 9:00 again. So I spend
many, many hours in the locker room, which creates some fatigue to
yourself. But now I'm fresh, I'm going to have the whole day to rest,
and I hope I'm going to be ready for tomorrow.

MODERATOR: Spanish questions, please.

Q. I'd like for you to explain to me your feeling. You're going to
play in a semifinal. How do you feel?

ALEX CORRETJA: I explained here in Roland Garros, my feelings being
here in Paris. In fact, I don't know whether it's fair to have waited
for such a long time to play good games, to have come to Paris to
play good games. Of course, I'm quite happy, but it's true that when
you come here without having played at a very high level, it's
difficult. And now I'm doing well. But I think that I'm ready.
I've reached the semifinal stage. During the year, I was relaxed.
I felt that things would go better in Paris. Now, is this due to
chance? I don't think so. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in the semifinals
for the second time. But I think in Paris this time, I'll be able
to save the season. To be in the semifinals at Roland Garros, it's
fantastic. But I had to wait for Roland Garros to be a hundred
percent fit and up to the level for tennis. In other tournaments,
I may not be so fit as here for the French Open. But being here for
the third time in the semifinals, it's extraordinary because it's
going to give  new impetus to my career because I need these strong
feelings.

Q. Your game lasted for three days this time with a number of
interruptions. What is your feeling concerning Pavel and the
fact that he had to leave and come back?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, it's an endless story. On Tuesday I could
have finished a match, but I couldn't. In fact, I think the
suspension should have taken place before. But that is not done.
You do it when it's even here at 4-4. I left and I was calm. When
I arrived, I was told that Pavel left. I was told that he was going
to have a baby. I was surprised when I found out that he left, but
I respect his decision a hundred percent. From then on I relaxed
because I thought that I had won. At 12 I was back here. Agassi
and Ferrero were going to start playing. I thought I was going to
win because either Pavel would not come back or he wouldn't have
enough time to come back. So I had a time of euphoria. Then it
started to rain, and every drop that fell on the ground, I felt
it very strongly because I thought it was going to be good for me.
I thought the match would have been finished on Tuesday, but it
could have been scheduled tomorrow because we could have played
at times when it was not raining. I wonde why I was not scheduled.
The answer was that because it wasn't nice to have us wait all day.
I wonder whether the decision was influenced by Pavel's departure.
The answer I was given was no, but I thought it was a bit ridiculous
that a match started on Tuesday would not be the first one scheduled
on Wednesday. With Marat on the fifth, it would have taken three hours.
This morning I woke up again at 7:30 to play without knowing whether
Pavel was back here  or not. This wasn't very comfortable for me.

Q. Did you think of the situation with Ferrero? He said that the
Spaniards were discriminated against here. Do you think it's really
the feeling?

ALEX CORRETJA: What is sure, if things had been different, he might
have been disqualified. There are a number of people who make
decisions, and that does have an influence on the referees . If
he had taken his bag and left , someone did that a few years ago,
took his bag and left at Dusseldorf at 11 at night. Well, the
decision was not possible till play until 11 in the evening when
it was possible to play on Thursday. The answer was that leaving
the court disqualifies you. If Agassi takes his bag and leaves,
it's surprising that the referee doesn't ask him, "Where are you
going?" There were still two hours to play, and the situation
wasn't good. It was worse. It was raining and there was no one
around, so the decision should be the same for everyone. But,
as we know, it's not always the case.

Q. As far as the courts are concerned, it's important to go and
have a look.

ALEX CORRETJA: Last year in the final I think I played well. I
was sent to Court 6 near the garbage trucks. People don't
understand that very well. Being on Court 6 as compared to
the central court, it's as if I were playing in another sports
arena. There is Corretja in the semifinal, there could be a
second one.

Q. If we go back to the competition, you have a semifinal
against Costa, is that an advantage or is it like playing
any other opponent?

ALEX CORRETJA: No, you know, it's not like that. You have
to play like against any other opponent. You have to get
on the court as usual. The fact that you are playing against
a friend may not be a hundred percent the same because it's
a bit more difficult, but it's not like in the past when I
felt if I lose against a friend, it doesn't matter. It's no
longer the case. If he wants to win, he will have to fight.
We are going to fight a hundred percent. You can be sure of
that.

Q. After these two days, how do you feel mentally?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, experience can be an advantage in a very
hard match. I've already had in the past the feeling of having
played in semifinals, but that was before. This year he has
played very important games, and he may have a better pace than
me. His experience may be a help in our match. In the
quarterfinals two years ago against Ferrero, he had never
played in the quarterfinals, and it didn't work well. So
tomorrow it may help me if the game is fairly balanced. It's
true that I wouldn't have liked to be idle for two days. I would
have preferred to play on Tuesday because an interruption is not
very good. If you stop for a day and you play the semifinal Friday,
it's not so bad. For Albert, the pace was interrupted, but we'll
see tomorrow.