TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – D. Ferrer d. I . Sijsling 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. An interview with David Ferrer.
Q. Are you happy with how you started the tournament?
DAVID FERRER: Yes, of course. I won in three sets, so it’s important, no?
I start winning in three sets, and not many time on the court.
Q. Coming back to a place where you made the final last year, what kind of emotions do you have coming here?
DAVID FERRER: Well, good, nice. Is nice come back again in Roland Garros and play in the Philippe Chatrier.
Of course I have very good records here. The last year in Roland Garros it was my best result in a Grand Slam, so it’s good to come back.
But, you know, is different. It’s another year and another season. I am trying also to do my best and play every match, no?
Q. When a lot of upsets happen in the beginning of the tournament, Wawrinka, Nishikori, Dimitrov today, is it easy to block this and not look around it? Or will you look at it and think there is more opportunity for you?
DAVID FERRER: No, of course not. I am only focused on myself.
You know, here all the matches are close. The tennis is very close. Is normal sometimes to have surprises. Always in a Grand Slam, in the first round there were surprises.
So Na Li lost I think, so yesterday Kei and I think Dimitrov also lost. It’s difficult this sport and this game.
Q. Some people were saying that maybe Rafa coming into this tournament is a little bit more vulnerable than maybe previous years. What do you think? You’re close to him. You played him. You beat him. What’s your opinion on that?
DAVID FERRER: No, I don’t think so. Rafael, he’s No. 1 of the race. So of course he’s having very good moment. The people outside sometimes talk without know about the tennis. And what is impossible, win every tournament every year like did Rafael, Roger sometimes, or Novak Djokovic.
You know, here is a new season. Rafael is No. 1 of the world. He is the favorite in Roland Garros.
For me, you know, if maybe he can lost a few matches in Monte Carlo or in Barcelona, but he won in Madrid, he did final in Rome. And in clay court for me he’s the best player.
Q. Tell us more about the 30 year old players. You’re one of those. Why would you say that you’re still there on the courts? Whereas for the younger players, it’s more difficult, more difficult for them to reach this level. Maybe you have the technical staff or teams with you that no longer exist?
DAVID FERRER: That’s true. Tennis has become much more professional mainly with the physical therapist, whose role is more and more important. And all players who play at a high level need a good physio. Therefore, this has changed a lot in the last 10 years.
Rather as Rafa says I think that younger players gain their full maturity a bit later now. This is true at least for the Spanish type of tennis.
But there is so much to do that also perhaps younger people want to play another sport.
Q. Yesterday Wawrinka talked a lot about the mental aspect. He said this is the big difference between him and the best players like Djoko and Nadal. Would you say the same? Would you say they’re different from the other players thanks to this mental thing that they have?
DAVID FERRER: Well, I think it’s a bit of everything, you know. But if you look around, these two players are better than the rest of us in many respects. For instance, Nadal has a very strong mental approach to the game, and Djoko, as well. They have this desire to win, which is really deeply rooted in them.
They have this appetite for victories. And we follow them, and we are lucky to follow them, because we can learn from them.
I think they win because also they are better with the details apart from the fact that mentally they are really men of steel.
But physically they are very strong, as well. They are very solid. So it’s a whole thing.