[訪談]Verkerk (上)
Day 12 - Martin Verkerk
Friday, June 6, 2003
Q. I think we all knew you would serve very well today.
Would you be able to have patience with Coria's ability to get all those
balls back?
Was that a big question in this match?
MARTIN VERKERK: Yeah, that was the main thing, to hurt him with my strokes and
not play long rallies with him. He's a fit guy, he's quick. He runs well.
I mean, I was serving really big. So he can run what he wants, but if you
serve big, it's difficult to get the ball back. Then I get an easy ball back
most of the time.
In the first set, he was playing unbelievable high level. I was struggling
actually. Played a good tiebreak, so I won the first set.
But the first set he played a little better. Second set, I was better, I think.
Third set, I had chances, he had chances, actually both way. I was really not
lucky but I played unbelievable good tiebreak in the third, so that makes a
difference.
Q. It looked like as you were defending champion at least, but in the history
of the game, John McEnroe came as a qualifier in '76 in Wimbledon.
He was in the semifinal. Now you reach the final. How this can be?
Do you have any realistic explanation how someone can play and produce such
a tennis, beating Moya and actually Coria? Your total prize money in ITF/ATP
guide is $289,000.
MARTIN VERKERK: Now a little more (laughter).
Q. Now you score five times more. How this can be?
MARTIN VERKERK: First of all, it's not the money, is not important to me. But
that's another thing. How it comes is I cannot explain this. I mean, this is
a dream. This is actually a little bit of a joke (laughter), because...
I mean, I don't know anymore what happened to me. It's like the thing is,
I'm playing well. So the main thing is that I worked really, really hard.
So maybe they always say, "If you work hard, it comes one day." And this is
the day. Let's keep it that way. I cannot explain it in another way
(laughter).
Q. The magical prescription is to work hard and make the big joke on center
court in Roland Garros, semifinal?
MARTIN VERKERK: No. I mean, if you work hard on the good things in your game.
IF you see me one year ago, I had difficult with volleys, I had difficult to
run, I had a weak forehand, I had, actually, only a backhand and a serve.
Of course sometimes I had matches that I serve well and beat good players.
But now I serve the whole tournament well.
So if you work hard, make your hours, eat good, sleep good, physically in
the gym, do all your things, something like this can happen. I mean, maybe
not like this, because this is too much maybe (laughter)...
But you can be a good player.
Q. Very last question. On your actual list of your dream, I mean, in the joke,
is it included also to beat whoever of the Spanish players would be in the
final?
MARTIN VERKERK: Sorry, you said something about Spanish players?
Q. I said in your dream and joke, plus hard work, is it included on your actual
list also to beat in the final? I imagine your dream ended with a trophy?
MARTIN VERKERK: Of course. I'm close by. I can beat Moya, I can beat Coria,
why I cannot beat Costa or Ferrero?
You have to be honest, Ferrero is always doing well here - two times final,
I think. Costa won it last year. So it will be really, really tough.
Today, I said it also, when was that, that Coria will be really, really
tough. But I beat him in three sets. So let's keep it this way that he will
be really, really tough. It's gonna be difficult against Ferrero, Costa.
At the moment I'm not thinking so much about that match. Tomorrow I will
relax a little, practice. Sunday morning I will focus on the match, try to
beat those guys. If they are better, they are better, whoever wins.
I mean, I'm gonna work, I'm gonna focus myself. I'm not happy yet.
Q. You said earlier in the tournament you should not be compared with Richard
Krajicek.
Do you think now you deserve to be compared with Krajicek?
MARTIN VERKERK: No. He's still way above me. He was No. 4 in the world.
With his talent and his way -- he was a lot injured. If he was not so much
injured, I think he would be in easy Top 5 all his life. I'm not gonna
compare myself with him because I don't have the results that he had made
in his life. I mean, if I win this tournament, then I'm still not Krajicek,
but then I achieve something that he did also, is to win a Grand Slam.
So if I can be in a list where he is in, I will be really happy.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.csie.ntu.edu.tw)
◆ From: 140.118.122.156
※ 編輯: okk 來自: 140.118.122.156 (06/08 02:04)
NED-BEL-LUX 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章