Juanqui gave a very interesting interview. It makes me feel a little bit better about his conditioning
Day 2 - Juan Carlos Ferrero
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Q. It's been a very difficult few days for you, actually kind of crazy. Everything seems to be fine now. You're on the court. You've taken some painkillers. Can you tell us how many and when did you take them?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I take it before the match, before the match, just like half an hour before the match to try to sleep this side. And now is start to wake up again.
So, you know, the treatment of the doctor was pretty good, you know. I could play a good match for me because you said, was a very difficult day for me. Finally, I have happy day for me.
Q. Cortisone shot?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I don't know.
Q. Was this the one and only shot you took? You didn't take anything yesterday?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, just today.
Q. Does it numb the ribs?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, in the ribs.
Q. But it wears off eventually, so you have the pain again.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No is starting to feel the pain a little bit. But I hope that I have two more days to try to feel good again. If not, I will have to put it again.
Q. Did it allow you to play the kind of tennis that you want to play on the court? Did you feel you were a bit below your level?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, at the beginning I feel like, you know, I couldn't play in 17 or 20 days one match and also one set, because I have a lot of problems. So I start to feel better and better in the second set, you know. I start to feel my forehand very good, you know, and my backhand.
Physically, I start to feel a little bit tired in the third set, but I was passing the -- enjoying the time and try to not thinking physically I'm tired.
Q. When was the pain during the match? Was it more and more or less and less?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, no. During the match, it sleep in the zone and I don't feel any pain. I could play normal.
Q. Did the doctor say there was no risk at all to play?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No risk. No risk. You know, I put injection because is no risk. You know, two years ago I take some risk with my ankle, but this time is no risk for the rib. You know, I take the decision to put it because is no risk.
Q. Are you normally a person who feels like he does not want to take pain injections, even if it's necessary to play? Do you have a philosophical objection to using painkillers?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, if I can't, I don't want to put it, for sure. But, you know, is Roland Garros and I'm trying to defend a title, you know. If there is no risk to put it, I think any player put the injection.
Q. After this first match, how would you assess your chances of going all the way in this tournament?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: You know, I have to go day by day and I will see how I can play in the court, if I can play my level. We'll see. I'm not thinking in the next weeks. I have to think in the next match and focus on the next.
Q. How does this affect your practice schedule between matches, like tomorrow?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Tomorrow if I feel pain, of course I'm not going to practice, because for practice it's normal that I don't want to put injections. Maybe I will run a little bit, you know, if I feel normal. Then I will go to the court like today. I didn't warm up this morning, you know. I went to the court (inaudible).
Q. This makes it doubly difficult to win this championship because you can't practice between matches?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Always is difficult when you have a problem, physical problem. I have to go day by day and will see how it's going on.
Q. On which shot is it more painful?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Serve.
Q. Forehand and backhand is okay?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: From the baseline, it's perfect.
Q. How would you rate your level regarding Monte-Carlo or Valencia today?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I think I was playing better.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.
Q. This was again something new for you in your life, injections, painkillers. It's not something you're used to. Did it help you to go through the first round? You looked a bit worried the first set.
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, I had been without playing a match or a set for some time. I didn't play Rome. I didn't play Hamburg. I hadn't even trained much. So, obviously, I wasn't really into the match in the beginning.
I was trying to see how I felt on the court. I wasn't moving. I wasn't in the right position. And then slowly I started feeling better on the court. I was very motivated because over the past few days, I was really thinking that I wasn't going to play because of the pain.
But yesterday I sort of made a few tests and it wasn't going very well. I had a lot of doubts. Today it could go either way. It could go well, it could go badly. I mean, in the second set, I started playing better, and I wasn't serving very well. I tried not to take any risks. I was feeling better physically. I was warming up. I was a bit tired because of the lack of exercise over the past period, but I think in the end it's been a positive day.
After so many problems and difficulties, the fact I was able to get through the match up to the end. It's not even so much a matter of winning or losing anymore. What I wanted was to be able to finish a match, to be there and be with the public. I've really got to thank the organizers for scheduling my match at the end of the second day so that enabled me to rest and be ready to play.
Q. You didn't think it was ironic that the end of that set, he was the one who had physical problems?>
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Well, yes. Taking another set to play could be, of course, dangerous because the pain could start coming back. But I think, in fact, it was practice against a good player.
Q. Can you tell us what you did this morning exactly, what you've been taking?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I haven't done anything this morning. I came at 12:30, a little bit before the match. I took a couple of injections. It was a painkiller, anesthetic of some sort. I don't really know what it was.
Q. (No microphone.)
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Six or seven, I can't remember.
Q. What about warming up?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Obviously, you warm up a bit because you've got to sort of be ready.
Q. How long did you warm up?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: About five or ten minutes.
Q. (No microphone.)
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I put a compress tape also on my ribs to keep it in position, keep it warm, but I didn't feel any pain during the match.
During the past few weeks, I've been feeling pain. Over the past four hours, I haven't felt any pain, which is quite a relief. Also the fact that I could play well.
Q. Have you felt over the past few weeks that you really had a lot of bad luck? You've had a lot of problems?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: Yes, I had a lot of problems. There seems to be no end to them. But I really wanted to come back onto the court to play, to play a match. The last tournament I did in Valencia, it was no fun because I wasn't playing very well. I played very badly in Monte-Carlo.
I really wanted, after missing out on Rome and Hamburg, to come here and have fun. I was beginning to think that that would not be possible. At the end of the day, I was able to do it, so I'm very happy.
Q. What about the future?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: I'm taking one day at a time. After this day, I'll have to see how I wake up tomorrow. If I'm in pain again...
I hope I'll be better because the doctor is saying this pain should end after about three weeks, which is about now. So I suppose the pain should start disappearing and it won't come back.
Q. Have you been through anti-doping tests?
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO: No, I haven't. But even if I did, quite frankly, there wouldn't be any positive result. Nothing to do with doping. It's just a mild anesthetic. There's no hormones to play in what they've given me.