Verkerk法網決賽 賽後訪問
Day 14 - Martin Verkerk
Sunday, June 8, 2003
Q. Martin, bad luck today. But for the first time in that first set you
didn't look comfortable. How much was to do with nerves, how much to do with
how you felt generally?
MARTIN VERKERK: Well, not so much had to do with nerves - a little bit, of
course.
But, I mean, against Ferrero, you have to play aggressive and attack and
serve well, and I wasn't really serving well.
And, yeah, he was playing all the time aggressive, so I was always walking
behind the fact, you know. I was running around. I tried to make the first
shot, but it was so heavy, how he played.
And the wind didn't make it that easy for me also, for my game. But without
wind, I'm not saying that I win without wind, because today he was too good
for me.And the better player won.
Q. When you got up this morning and saw that it was raining and windy, did
you think, "This isn't good for me"?
MARTIN VERKERK: No. I wake every morning up happy, with a big smile, so I'm
not so worried about wind or everything.
Q. What did these two weeks mean to you? What does it mean for your career,
do you think? And just in general, what are you thinking?
MARTIN VERKERK: I think everything change. This is the first day I can be
really happy about it because the tournament is over. And I'm gonna enjoy
it.
Was an amazing week for me, incredible result. And I'm unbelievable happy
and also proud of myself, how I compete and fight.
Also this match I fought what I could, but he was too good.
Q. Have you ever played someone who could stand 10 feet behind the baseline
and hit returns within a foot of your baseline and leave you very little to
hit on the next shot?
MARTIN VERKERK: Yeah, especially in the beginning, he was returning the
balls like on the lines and on my feet all the time . Before I moved after
my serve, the ball was on my feet. Okay, maybe I was not moving so well
because a little bit of nerve maybe; I don't know.
But what I say, his level was unbelievable good.
And maybe I was not playing the way I can, but maybe I play not so good
because he let me play not better than this.
So I'm actually - not happy, of course, because it's maybe better to lose in
five or something - but on the other hand, I can say now, "Okay, I had no
chance."
Q. You looked unhappy with some of the referee decisions, some balls that you
were looking for...
MARTIN VERKERK: Yeah, I was unhappy with that I hit everything like this out
(indicating).
Every time I checked, he came and he said "out." Yeah, and I looked, and it
was like this out (indicating). All the time I was little bit -- I mean, not
unlucky because it's 1, 3 and 2, so there's nothing to be unlucky about.
But I played everything just out today.
Q. Finally, you agree with most of the --
MARTIN VERKERK: He was totally right. Good referee. No problem.
But I had to check, because if you serve 210 like this out, you don't see
that so clear. So I let him check. And a few time I was right, because a few
time was a wrong call. But most of the time they did a real good job today.
Q. Did you notice a Dutch top model was rooting for you? Did you notice her
rooting for you?
MARTIN VERKERK: No, was she here? Something good about today and I don't see
it (laughter).
Q. First row.
MARTIN VERKERK: Are you sure? She maybe will be tonight in Paris, so I'll
find out where she is.
No, no, I haven't seen her.
Q. Can you talk about the expectation of what you thought it would be like
to be in a Grand Slam final and what is it really like? I'm sure all tennis
players try to imagine what it would be like. How did it compare with reality?
MARTIN VERKERK: One more time. I was thinking about the last question
(laughter).I mean...
Q. I'm just wondering about your expectations of playing in a Grand Slam
final. Your whole career you probably try to imagine what it would feel like.
How does it feel to be in a Grand Slam final? How did it compare with your
dreams about it?
MARTIN VERKERK: Yeah, it's more than that. When I came out and the Dutch
crowd was yelling, it's an amazing crowd. I mean, the way they scream and
the way -- doesn't matter how you play. If you fight, it's okay. They make
the most, the great jokes in Dutch, like put your nerve away and just hit.
I mean, yeah, I know, I want to hit, but, I mean, it's not going.
Yeah, it's true. I mean, it's more than a dream. What I say, it's great to
be playing here. Also for the French crowd it was great against Moya. I mean,
yeah, it's just...
To be in a final of a Grand Slam, there are no words for that. I mean, I'm
still dreaming. And I think I will dream for a little longer.
Q. First game of the second set you finally won an extended rally. And even
though you lost that game, you looked very strong in the next two games. It
looked like you finally had found a little bit of a spark.
MARTIN VERKERK: Yep.
Q. Your serve was cracking again.
MARTIN VERKERK: Yep.
Q. Did you feel like you were going to get back into it? How did you lose it
again?
MARTIN VERKERK: You're right about that. At 2-1, I should have got the game
to 3-1. That was a little bit mistakes of myself, also. Because if it's
getting 3-1, you never know what's gonna happen in that set.
But I felt strong about -- what went wrong is that my serve was not going
well today. I served around, I heard, 47 percent. It's not good enough. My
strokes were not good enough. The length was not good enough. My volleys was
not good enough.
Yeah, I mean, what was actually good (laughter)?
So today my fighting was good again. But all, all to do with Ferrero. I mean,
there's no excuse about something that I should have play better because the
level that he played, I mean, he maybe didn't play his best tennis from the
tournament because it was windy and everything, but I couldn't handle his
pressure today.
So the better player won.
Q. How does the wind affect your serve? Is it the toss, is it where the ball
goes? What exactly happens on a day when it's this windy?
MARTIN VERKERK: I mean, you have to wait all the time. It wasn't like this
two weeks, was like no wind, beautiful weather, no wind. Today it was windy
and it goes over the court like this. It's not one wind, not like coming to
you, it goes like this (swirling). Between first and second serves, suddenly
wind comes and you have to wait.
So it doesn't make me come in my rhythm. That's the most important thing.
And, I mean, of course he had also problems with the wind, but he's not -
how you say it - he's not so much -- his serve is good, but it's not his
weapon.
Q. He doesn't rely on his serve.
MARTIN VERKERK: Rely on his serve, yeah.
So I have to rely on my serve. Today it was not good enough. And then a lot
of my games fall apart.
Q. What did you think when that streaker got naked on court?
MARTIN VERKERK: It was funny. I liked it very much because it make me a
little bit relax. I was smiling. I mean, he's just -- I mean, wasn't...
(Laughing).
Was like an idiot, I mean, I don't know what he was doing. Jumping over the
net, like trying to get rid of four of those security guys. I mean, it's
pretty, pretty tough for him to try that.
But, I mean, I found it real funny. Same way what happened with Wimbledon
with Krajicek-Washington. Richard was really tense. Then suddenly -- I prefer
of course a naked woman came on the court, but I have a man on the court, of
course (laughing).
So, yeah, I mean, yeah, can make you relax, like it did to Richard. He was
relax.
Q. Isn't it a bit worrying that a guy like that can get on court and do
whatever he wants to?
MARTIN VERKERK: Yeah. Where did he came from?
Q. I don't know.
MARTIN VERKERK: No, but the security's pretty good here. I have to walk
around with this all the time and suddenly some guy -- I don't know where
he came from.
Q. He was wearing a coat.
MARTIN VERKERK: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not a dangerous guy. He just jump
around naked.
Q. What if he was dangerous?
MARTIN VERKERK: It makes -- I mean, yeah, there's security behind me, so,
I mean, after that thing with Seles, I mean...
You have to be careful for it because maybe some guy wants Ferrero to win
real bad and I'm two sets to love up and he starts hitting me, you never
know, or different.
Crazy people around the world. You see it also in -- bigger thing also with
what happens in the world now. Nowadays, it's scary.
So I know you're right, you have to make secure all the time. But if
somebody wants something, you see it now, he wants to walk naked on the
court, he walks naked on the court. It's scary, but...
That guy, I don't know what he was doing.
Q. I mean, you said you couldn't rely on your serve today. I mean, what
shots do you think you need to work on as a result of today's match?
MARTIN VERKERK: My other shots are good also, but against Ferrero, not.
Ferrero is, on clay, the best in the world. I mean, you can see that now
also. And last year, he didn't play that well in the final and Costa was
great. But the level he plays is tough.
So on clay, I can work on my strokes whatever I want, but I will never be
as quick as Ferrero, I will never be the player Ferrero is.
So I have to serve well, I have to hit my backhand well, and those shots
were not there today. And then my game falls apart.
So it's the same if Ferrero is running in the back and he doesn't hit a
forehand or a backhand in the court, you know. He can say, "I have to work
on my serve," but, no, his weapons fall down, so then you lose.
And it was today, also. I lost to a much better player, actually.
--
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