Gonzalez八強賽後訪問 - 網球 Tennis

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/interviews/2009-06-02/200906021243968237
524.html

F. GONZÁLEZ/A. Murray
6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4

An interview with:

FERNANDOGONZÁLEZ

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What was the key to the match? What was the reason you won, you think?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: I think I was playing really high. I tried to dominate with
my forehand, because I know that Andy bothered a lot when the balls bounce
high. He doesn't play on clay much.

But I think also i took every chance that he gave me. Maybe in the first set he
made a few MISTAKE and I took it. I took my chances, and that was really
important in the fourth set.

Q. Andy has just been in and says you have the best forehand in the game. You
ever hit it better than that?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Sometimes. Depends on the day. But I thin kI'm feeling the
ball really well here. I feel that I can hit the ball hard, flat, high, and I
can do many things with that side.

I mean, I have trouble with the other one, but I'm playing real good level now.

Q. I remember a match here with Ferrero about five, six years ago. You guys
hit the ball so hard. You've been hitting the ball hard for a long time now.
Is there any explanation for your forehand? Anybody teach you something special
when you were young? It came naturally? Why is your forehand so powerful?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, I think most of it is natural. I've been hitting
the same thing for years and years. Of course I improve a few things, but on
the attack, I always try to hit and I have no fear. I just go for it.

Some days I can miss,but I know that if I have to win important match, I have
to do it on that side.

Q. Did you feel your experience on clay was a big factor today?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Maybe. Maybe. Because Andy, I mean,he's a great player.
But he doesn't has enough experience maybe playing five sets on clay courts.

I mean, that was really -- I know that in the beginning of the match many
things can happen. I mean, the match can go back and forwards really easy. I
think that was really important.

Q. Did you ever think it would be Robin Soderling on the other side of the net
in the semifinals of the French Open?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: When you get to French Open, when you say French Open, you
think Nadal immediately.

But Robin is a great player. I mean, he hit the ball harder than most of the
guys. If he's in a good day he don't let you play, so it's gonna be a really
tough match for me.

Q. This is his first Grand Slam semifinal. You've been in the final. Do
you think that's an experience that's important for you?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Hopefully. Hopefully I can use that. But, you know, every
match is different, and we start 0-0, so you don't know what's gonna happen.

Q. Just considering that you've been really one of the best clay-court players
for the last few years, in many ways do you feel like you've underperformed
here at Roland Garros? You're a past junior champion. Are you surprised it's
taken you this long to get to this round?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: It's interesting, because I like to play more on the
hardcourt. But in this year or last year I been feeling really good on the
clay. I have really tough moments to adapt coming from hardcourt to clay. I
take long time to adapt, to slide, to many things.

But I feel that, I mean, I can recover really well. The worst thing I have is
the return of serve, so here on clay, the serve, it's not really important
like on the other surfaces.

So I've been improving a lot on that. I'm more patience and more fit now. I'm
able to run for more hours, and that's really important in the way that you
have to play on a clay court.

Q. Just a question on the other South American still in the draw. I mean,
obviously with all these big names dropping out people are talking about what
an open tournament it is, but still you don't hear much about Del Potro.
Can you comment on what you think his chances are here?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Have big chances. I mean, he's a great player. He's only
20, 21 years old, and he's No. 5 inthe world.

I mean, he's really -- he have really good chances. But, I mean, he's as long
guy. I mean, he grew up playing on clay, but I think he play better on
hardcourts, as well.

But I think he have really good chances. He's playing Robredo. But normally,
if things going normal, I mean,he have to win.

Q. On Andy, I know you practiced with him as well last week. What do you think
he needs to do to improve on clay?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Maybe try to be a little bit more patience,but he has a
really good coach on his side. The best hinge his coach had was patience.
Alex, I mean, he have many things to learn about Alex. But Andy is No. 3 in
the world, and he's only 21 years old.

I mean, he's a really good player, and he's gonna dominate the tour in the
next years. I mean, now he's dominate. He won a couple Masters Series, and he
made the final in the US Open last year. I mean, the only thing that he need is
time and work a little bit. Just that.

Q. Do you feel you and Roger are defending the honor of the older players?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, it's interesting, because I talk a lot about that
with my friends. They thought that maybe I'm a little bit insane that I'm old
guy, 28, 29 years old. But for tennis I'm giving like five or six years
advantage to the other guys.

I mean, I'm trying but I feel -- I feel better now than I was 20 years old,
you know, physically,mentally. Of course, my tennis, I been learning every
time, and I'm fighting for that.

The day that I don't want to learn any more and I don't want to give my 100%,
I'm going to quit.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. Well, first of all, congratulations. How did you manage to reach that level?
You had wonderful shots with your forehand, but every day was wonderful. You
always showed very good control on the court, and you won each match with great
authority.

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, control, yes. It was important for me to take all
the opportunities I had, especially on this match today. I managed to win the
third set very easily, and that gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of
the match.

I also had a very good forehand today, so it gave me lots of confidence. It
meant to me that I was in a position to win many points with that shot.

Q. This is a wonderful season for you on clay. You won in Viña del Mar, so
now what's the influence of Martin Rodriguez on your game?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, he helped me improve my backhand an dfeel more free.
You know, there are coaches out there that know a lot, but they demand that
you are more structured; whereas with Martin, we worked on specific things
every day.

We worked very hard,but he gave me a lot of freedom. So I feel free on the
court. I can do many things. And when I don't feel very well one day, I tell
Martin, Okay, let's practice for 40 minutes only, and other days I will
practice for longer.

That's very important. Martin knows me as a player. He is a very good player.
He's a very good friend, as well. He reached his best level at the same age
as I am now, so it's important for him, because he knows the experience of
an older player, as you say.

Q. When you played Hanescu, I told you the other day that what was striking to
me was that you were regular in your game and you felt your serve was not
that good. So was your serve useful today?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, I did play quite well, and my serve was much better
today. It's true that during the other match my serve was not that good, but I
worked a lot on my serve to turn it into an asset for me.

Then I had my forehand, which is a beautiful weapon, so it really helped me
gain confidence and helped me win the match.

Q. So 6-Love, had you imagined scoring 6-Love against Murray? And have you
watched Soderling's last match? What do you think about it?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: 6-Love playing Murray? I would have never dreamed it, even
playing table tennis. But, you know, he also helped me. He made a few mistakes,
and you have to face it.

As for Soderling, yes,I looked at him, and I know how well he plays at the
moment. It's going to be a very tough match. He's playing very well at the
moment.

Q. You have this really wonderful forehand. Can you tell us what you feel
when you hit the ball with such strength and so much power?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, it's absolute pleasure when you dominate the game.
But when my opponent makes me run, it's the kind of a weapon I can use. I have
great pleasure hitting the ball hard, managing the game, managing a wonderful
dropshot.

What's great is to have fun when you play. When you practice,you need to have
fun, and it's not all about winning or losing.

Q. You're playing a semifinal here in Paris against Soderling. That was
probably something you were not planning. What's your analysis, and would you
say it's a big opportunity for you?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, it is a big surprise. We all know Soderling, how he
plays. Had someone told me I would reach the semifinal of a Grand Slam and I
would have to play him, I don't know if I would have believed it.

But when you play guys like Federer or Soderling in the semifinal in such a
big tournament, of course it's a big moment in your career and you want to
make the most of it.

Q. Everybody is praising your forehand: Andy, the press. What do you feel about
it?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, that's good. There is one thing I've always been
convinced about, is that I win my matches with my serve and with my forehand.
I can play well, but I win with those two shots,and that's what's happening
at the moment.

Q. When you play Soderling, would you think you're a favorite?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, I want to think I'm a favorite because I feel fit to
win the next match, and this is what I want to focus on. I want to focus on
my next match. I walk on the court to win the match, and this is what I feel
when I walk on the court for the next match.

Q. What do you think about a final González and Del Potro? What's the
probability?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: I'm very bad at math, so I couldn't answer this question.

Q. Would you say it's 50/50?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, I don't know, because Juan Martin still has two
matches to win. I have another one to win. So wait and see.

Q. You must be pretty nervous, because of course you're facing a player with
great experience, and you have great experience. On this match when you were
at 5-3 in the last set, you were probably a bit nervous.

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, not as nervous as I usually am. I was a bit tired,
but I wouldn't say nervous. I served. He returned in a way that I wasn't
comfortable with, and there was a wind, as well.

So he managed to win the game. But, you know, that's part ofthe game. I also
knew that he would beon the other side of the court afterwards and he would
have to serve with the wind blowing in front of him, and things would be more
complex for him.

Q. How will you play Soderling? Same way you played Murray?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: You know, you think about that match 10 minutes before you
walk on the court, and I have two days before that.

So I need to take time. I need to rest. I think we'll fight to see who takes
the initiative first, because we're both attackers. We'll see who wants to
attack first.

Q. You have dreams like everyone. Is it a dream you have to win here?
Because you're very close to the cup now, aren't you?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, yes. Maybe I dream about it, but I'm still two
five-set matches short of thatcup, and that's a lot. That means lots of hours
playing tennis. Of course I dream about it. But at the moment, it's only a
dream.

Q. Well, Fenya, how do you feel for this semifinal? You always said that you
had no expectations,but now it's a semifinal against Soderling. Is it the
semifinal of your dreams?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, yes, you always dream about reaching the semifinals,
and then you think about the next step and what can happen after that.

But right now I'm happy because I'm having great time on the court, and I
think you see that. I really have fun playing, and that's the most important.

Q. Don't you have too much pressure in your country about Roland Garros?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, at the moment, I'm just playing Roland Garros, so
don't ask me more questions.

Q. Tennis in Europe is very important from an economic standpoint,political
standpoint, but likewise in other countries in Latin America. So how will
you cope with that for Latin America? How can you bring this cup back to South
America? What will it mean for you to do that?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, there was already a final of the Davis Cup five
years ago, I think, and that was in Argentina. But I can't answer your
question.

If I win on Friday,maybe I'll have an answer to that question.

Q. You had a fever a few days ago. Apparently you suffered a virus. Are you
okay now? Did you have time to rest? Another question: Eleven years ago you
were the junior champion here, so how did you evolve over the last eleven
years?

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, to your first question, yes, I recovered from this
viral infection. I didn't play the double because I didn't feel well not
yesterday but the day before.

But adrenaline is good for you, you know. It helps you overcome your symptoms.
I really think -- well,I have two days of rest now, and I really think I'll be
at my top to fight the semifinal.

Now, for the second part of your question, 11 years, that's a long time.
It's almost a whole career. So did Ichange? I don't know. I'm still the same
person. As a player I have changed, of course. I have played many matches. I
can take perspective now, and I enjoy playing tennis more than I used to at
that time.

--