Re: Day 12 - Mariano Puerta Interview
Q. We heard a lot about your history during the week. Do you feel you're a
credible person in the world of sport?
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes, of course. Of course, I feel credible. As a player, I'm
playing. Otherwise, if it were any different, they wouldn't let me play. So,
yes, I feel I am credible.
Q. There was a young person just sitting next to us, the crowd, who had a
flag from Argentina and a T-shirt from Argentina. We asked him to speak to
the radio. He's from the west. I asked, "Why did Mariano win?" He said,
"Because he had more balls." Is that an influence?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I think he's probably right. I don't know if that's
a good thing or not, but I feel proud to have won such a match. Obviously
it's easier to play when you're 4-2 down when you've never been in a final.
It's probably easier for me than a player such as Federer who is used to
winning every single Grand Slam that he's in.
But I feel very proud. I feel very proud because I overcame a very difficult
time, you know, serving for the match with the wind against me. There was a
lot of factors that made things a little difficult for me. Yeah, I think I
did have balls.
Q. You are in the final of Roland Garros, and you say you can't believe it.
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes, it's a dream come true.
Q. You said the same in February when you won the first match in Buenos Aires.
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes.
Q. From then up to now, five months, four months, what's happened?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, it's incredible that in such a short time you can make
so much headway, that you go through so many things that are so important.
It makes me very happy because I must have done a lot of things right for
all this to occur to me. I must have kept very much within me.
This is a sport where nothing is given for free. You need to win each point,
each match, and it's very tough. This gives me a lot of confidence. I feel
very proud of what I have achieved. I feel that from now on I'm going to be
able to see things differently, I'm going to feel more confident on the
court, to play in the other Grand Slams. For example, I'm going to feel
more confident every time I go to a Masters Series on clay, I'll feel more
confident. I think that what's happening to me is great and it's going to
help me to grow as a player and it's going to help me a lot to grow as a
person, as well.
Q. Your victory over Moya, how much did that help for the future?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, when I beat Moya in Acapulco, well, for me I thought
it's not just that I was able to show other people that this was no
coincidence in Buenos Aires, I actually was able to prove that to myself.
What's happening to me at another level happened in Acapulco when I beat
Moya. It's not a coincidence that after that in Casablanca, I won Casablanca.
The second victory over Moya meant a lot to me because he's an excellent
player, one of the best players on clay. Winning twice in 15 days for me
was very important. It helped my game. It helped my self-confidence.
When I played in Monte-Carlo, he said it was the best match he'd played,
and I also won. I was very tired because I had just won a tournament. For
me, those victories were very great.
Q. In the match against Wawrinka, two sets to one, 5-Love, you said you
were feeling very nervous, that you had never been so nervous in closing
the match. Did you feel something similar against Canas or today against
Davydenko?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, it helped me, what happened then. I told you that I
was serving 5-1 without giving that game so much importance. I lost that
game. The opponent started playing better. I wasn't playing so well. I broke.
We were 5-4. I said it helped me because two days later against Acasuso I
had something quite similar and I had a different approach to that game.
I was taking more precautions; I was focusing more. That was great because
it didn't happen again.
I closed the match with Willie. Today I also managed to finish the match.
It really helped me, yes. It did help me.
Q. Did it come out as you planned with the coach and the rest?
MARIANO PUERTA: At the beginning, yes. After that, things became complicated
because of the wind. I wasn't feeling at ease in my game. My serve wasn't
good. So, no, really, it didn't come out as we had planned, no. After, I
had to hit the ball low, where as I planned a higher ball. Really with the
wind, things got complicated with me. I had to play differently than what
I had envisioned. I had to adapt to the circumstances.
I knew it would be harder to win the match in that way, but I still managed
to win. But, no, that's not what I had planned originally.
Q. You have a day and a half to prepare for the final. That's not bad. The
people around you say you were dreaming about -- you're dreaming with your
feet on the ground. How are you going to control that? You've got to manage
to concentrate, not to feel overjoyed.
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes. I'm going to do what I've been doing throughout this
tournament. After I finish this press conference, I'll go for a massage,
then I'll go for dinner, I'll try to sleep as best as possible. Well,
tomorrow, I'll try to train a little and prepare.
Most important thing is that I'm not feeling that tired. I've been playing
for a few hours - more than Federer and Nadal. I have more hours throughout
this tournament. But I'm very happy because I've trained very well. I'm not
a favorite in the final, but I might upset the opponent.
Q. Against Acasuso, you say you felt comfortable, won easily. Against Canas,
you said you could control him. Against Davydenko, you said if you went to
five sets, you could win, play as many as seven sets. Against Nadal and
Federer, do you know what you're going to do? Do you have a plan? Do you
know you can find a soft spot in those two players?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, against Federer I'm going to play to his backhand
because that's the only sort of shot that you can play. I'll try also to
use the service. Against Nadal, it's going to be a battle. We play in a
very similar way. We have the same sort of shots. Against Nadal, I think
it will be who is on the ball first.
All this, of course, is something ahead, so I haven't thought it out well.
Against Federer or Nadal, I'll try to do something, obviously. Forget it,
I'm going to try to do something. I'm going to fight like crazy.
I don't know if I'll ever be in a final in Roland Garros, so I'm going to
try not to miss this occasion.
Q. Is Argentina an example, a model to many people?
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes, maybe. Probably. I'm probably an example. I'm saying
this in a very humble way. I might be an example for many young people who
can see that, you know, I've been fighting, that I was very stubborn, that
I had an aim and I stuck to that. Yes, I could be an example.
If you want to do something, if you really fight for it, you train, you
don't give up, you can achieve that.
Q. Did you know that this press conference is broadcast live in Argentina.
Have you spoken to somebody in Buenos Aires?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I spoke two minutes with my brother-in-law, Sebastien,
who is over there. I also spoke with Dario, my physical trainer, who is going
to take the plane. I said, "Come and watch the final." He was very happy.
I'll be seeing him here tomorrow.
Q. Who are you going to talk to now?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I want to phone my father, my mother, my brother.
Q. You have Vilas as one of your references. He's somebody who is very
important in your childhood, or wasn't he that much of a reference?
MARIANO PUERTA: Guillermo was a reference for all of us, you know. We play
tennis because of him. In Argentina, people know about tennis because of him.
I had a very special relation with him. I have a lot of respect for him. I
like to talk to him.
Every time I have an opportunity, today for example, it was great for three
and a half hours. He was sitting there. He was supporting me. He was talking
to me. Next to him I'm nobody. Vilas, it's amazing. With Vilas, well, he
helped me a lot, you know, with the doping. He always wants to help all of us.
You know, he immediately wants to help all of us. When somebody -- when you
have a problem that's so tough and there's somebody who looks after you and
tries to help you out, that's something that I think is precious. I'll never
forget. I'm now in a very nice situation, but I never forget those who
supported me.
I think the best thing in life is to be in a favorable situation and to
continue to be with those people.
Q. After winning the other day against Guillermo Canas, we spoke to Guillermo
Vilas. He said about you and Guillermo Canas, that you made a huge effort to
come back. He said you were examples to younger players who sometimes have
lows and think they can't get back.
MARIANO PUERTA: Exactly. Willie is also an example. Willie had two or three
operations, at least two, to his wrist. What Willie did is incredible. That
gave me strength. He had problems similar to mine. He had problems with his
wrists, and he came back. For me it was very difficult. I admired him. I
can't believe how quickly he came back. He gave me strength to come back
as well. I really identified with him, and that really helped.
Q. Journalists have to congratulate you. You have been very polite on the
court. Are you a modern Vilas in a way?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, yes, maybe. I remember some images of Guillermo, and
I play in a similar style to him. I play backhands, cross shots - in a modern
version if you like. Today you play at a different speed. The points are
shorter. But, yes, maybe so. I hope I'll achieve 10% of what he achieved.
Q. People like Pernfors, Martin Verkerk have been in a final and lost easily.
Is there something between that and winning in the final?
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes, I think I also said that to Willie. I never imagined
something was going to happen like that. I've never been in a final in a
Grand Slam. I was very happy in the quarterfinals already. And today, too.
He beat Coria in four sets. He beat Haas very easily. At some point I felt
that he was playing as well as me - in the fourth set, for example. I
thought, this is a semifinal in Roland Garros. Nevertheless, I won the match.
I've seen many finals of Roland Garros where one of the two players starts
badly. Gaston started badly. Agassi lost the first two sets against Medvedev.
I hope I can start well, of course. Obviously I'll be feeling pressure, I'll
be feeling nervous. I hope I can reach the final in the best possible state
of mind.
I think obviously there's a middle point between the two examples you
mentioned. If I lose, I do hope I'll lose playing good tennis.
Q. Over and beyond the wish to be in the final, when you were in Teheran,
did you think that through your game you would be able to be here? You
watched Gaston. Did you think you could be here, too?
MARIANO PUERTA: Well, I think in November last year, I gave an interview
to a newspaper in Argentina. I said that, yes, I could be like them. I was
always convinced of that. I always said I would be able to play well - not
that well, but I thought I could be in the Top 50 once more. Yes, of course,
I'm happy. But I always thought that I'd be able to play like them.
Q. Federer and Nadal are one set each.
MARIANO PUERTA: I hope it (doesn't/does?) rain. I hope it's three sets,
three hours tomorrow (laughter).
Q. Would you like that?
MARIANO PUERTA: Yes. We were thinking about the rain, of course, about
the match not finishing.
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※ 編輯: esnique 來自: 218.165.193.70 (06/04 15:07)
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