Davis Cup Final: Players speak

 

Originally published on: 02/12/11 18:24

Juan Monaco on his 61 61 62 defeat to Rafa
“Nobody likes to lose this way. But I am also aware that in front of me I had one of the best tennis players in history.”

“With any other player, you think that the point was going to finish earlier than that, but Rafa is the way he is. He fights hard. He defends hard. He defends very high. You have to start all over again. You have to start from the beginning when he defends here”.

Rafael Nadal on his post match locker room conversation with friend Juan Monaco
“I just went over to cheer him up, and I told him that. He said that I played really well, and I was with him and with David. He was getting a bit of a massage. And I just came over to cheer him up, because I think the defeat was going to be sad for him. So I wanted to talk to him.”

Rafa on his opponent
“A complex rival such as Monaco, who is No. 26 in the world and the best player in clay and in fast court, and if I won against him, it means I’ve done a very complete game.”

Rafa on victory for his country
“And play at home always is really, really special feeling. I’m very happy to start the confrontation like this, to put the first point for my team, for my country.”

Rafa on the Spanish team
“We are all good friends. We have a good, fantastic relationship.  And when we are together, we have a great time. We have fun, and that always means that our performance is higher because of that.“

“In our country, in Spain, there are so many players. So victory does not depend on one player.”

David Ferrer on his five set victory over Juan Martin del Potro
“And today maybe I play a really good game and maybe the best match of my career.”

“I had to be almost perfect; otherwise I wouldn’t have won.”

Ferrer on what Davis Cup means to him
“The Davis Cup is very special for me and for the Spanish players. I like a lot to play Davis Cup.”

Ferrer on his serve
“I have improved my serve a lot over the past year.  I have a good first serve, and that gives me a lot of free points instead of having so many rallies and so much physical wear‑off.”

Ferrer on the possibility of playing a deciding fifth rubber
“If we have to play the fifth point, I will be there to play for it if the captain wants me to do so.  I would rather get the doubles tomorrow or Rafa wins on Sunday 3‑1 than to get to the fifth point.”

Juan Martin del Potro on his five set defeat at the hands of David Ferrer
“Both played very, very good tennis during the four hours, almost five hours. It’s not easy trying and trying for many hours. But in the end, Ferrer plays better.”

Del Potro on the prospect of clinching victory over Spain
“We are still alive, of course, and we have another chance tomorrow.  But anyway, you can see if you play unbelievable tennis against Spain you can lose, anyway.”

Captain Tito Vazquez on Juan Martin del Potro and a possible fifth rubber against Rafa
“Juan Martin will be fit.  He can beat Nadal.  If anybody in the game that can do the job is Juan Martin and still hopefully win the tie.”

Captain Vazquez on who he will play in the doubles
“I cannot give you the names of the people tomorrow, even though you can change one hour before.  You can get Nadal to play and we could do the same.  But in principle, I still have the same designated couple. “

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