April 3, 2007

David Ferrer
Tommy Robredo
Emilio Sanchez

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CARLOLINA

CAPTAIN EMILIO SANCHEZ. ...I like how Tommy plays, but maybe he don't like. But when the country playing, is everybody goes with Tommy. So it's maybe competition. And we have national TV here making a big setup, and it's a big repercussion in Spain.
So we really like to compete for our country, and we hope that we can represent our country in the best way possible.

Q. Can you talk about facing Andy Roddick.
CAPTAIN EMILIO SANCHEZ: Well, he's been practicing. So for the moment, until there is no announcement, we think that he's the most successful player from the American team. So I think that if he say he's healthy, he will play. If he doesn't play, then we will work hard these days and try to be as competitive as possible in the matches. We will not change our way of approaching the tie because he plays or don't play.

Q. This question is for David. Can you talk about being here in Winston-Salem.
CAPTAIN EMILIO SANCHEZ: I thought I was the only one around that time speaking English.
DAVID FERRER: About this place, we been here a couple days, and we are for the moment very, very glad. It is a great stadium and great hotel, and the people is treating us very well. USTA is doing their best efforts to make us happy, so we are very well here.

Q. Tommy, are you confident about playing?
TOMMY ROBREDO: Am I gonna play? I don't know if I'm gonna play. I know I'm gonna play on Wednesday -- on Friday, on Saturday or Sunday, or if Andy is gonna play.
Anyway, I don't care if he beat me in the past or if he's gonna beat me in the future. What is important is to beat him here. If I do this, it's great. If another one is doing that, it's perfect, no?
Anyway, the important thing is to win three points here, and that's why we are here. If not, we will be at home preparing for the clay season.
TIM CURRY: Thank you.

April 5, 2007

Tommy Robredo
Emilio Sanchez
Fernando Verdasco

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CARLOLINA

CAPTAIN EMILIO SANCHEZ: ... the team very well. On the other side it's a difficulty to choose who's going to play. But Fernando did a great job on the practice and adjust very well to the surface, and he has great potential. I hope that he does a competitive match.

Q. Tommy, talk about your first match of the weekend. You're going to be opening it up.
TOMMY ROBREDO: Yeah, it's true, I'm going to be the first one getting onto the court. I think it's good for us, no? Because I'm playing with Blake a few times and last time I beat him. Then I think it will be great for us to start with a win, because then the Americans will have a lot of pressure, no?
But anyway, I'm going to just try to do my best get into the court and play my best tennis and see if we can have a great battle.

Q. Fernando, can you talk about the surface itself and, you know, how you feel to be on that surface?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: I think it's fast, no? But I feel so good these days practicing and, you know, I think for my game I can play good here.
Anyway, with Andy it will be tough for sure because with his serve here it will be tough. But I think they're the favorites here and we don't have nothing to lose. I beat him twice, and I think that for me will be a very good match. I always play good with him, and this is very important to play one match.

Q. Emilio, was there any doubt in your mind that Andy Roddick was going to play for the United States? Were you preparing all along for that reality?
CAPTAIN EMILIO SANCHEZ: Of course, having to retire one week ago in Miami, and what came out in the press was he had a problem in the hamstring. Normally these problems are very difficult to resolve. We were doubting because we didn't have the information.
And we are not going to go to Patrick to see if he was a player. We were checking a bit the practice here to see if he was okay. Obviously he was taking it easy on the practice, so we had a lot of doubts if he was going play or not.

Q. Fernando, you mentioned that you've had success against Andy. Why do you match up with Andy as well as you do? What is it about his game that falls into place for you?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: I don't know. I think with your style of game you have always players that you play better than other ones. I always play good with him. I played a lot of times, and you know, always -- last times I lost, but always when I play with him I play good.
The last time in the US Open I lost in five sets and I had my chance. I think I always play good with him, and I think it will be a good match, no? And I think I can beat him. It's the most important thing.

Q. Could you all speak about the American home-court advantage and how you think you'll play here on American soil.
CAPTAIN EMILIO SANCHEZ: Well, for us it's a big challenge to be here. As the president from the USTA said, this is one of the ties that the association put more people in the court.
And in a way, I suppose that us as rivals we have something to do about that. So for us to be here, how they treat us and to go for the goal that we have to play competitive this weekend and be able to create chances to win is the only thing that we've we looking for.
So hopefully in three days we can talk about a surprise also and that we can do well and try to win.

April 8, 2007

Tommy Robredo

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CARLOLINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was it like, Tommy, for you to salvage a point for Spain today?
TOMMY ROBREDO: I don't know. It's just thankful for the people who support us. I think that's the only reason why we were there keeping heart, no?
I think that when the tie is done, we are out, we always just care about the respect of the people. I think the fans who came here and support us, and the people who is in Spain supporting us, I think they deserve us to fight till the end and try to win every point and every match, no? That's why we get into the court and fight so hard.
For me winning today, especially it doesn't count, it's just for them.

Q. Was it tough for you to gauge his game early on because it seems like you were playing evenly up until the end of the first set?
TOMMY ROBREDO: Well, obviously when you play against a lefty, a good lefty with a lot of power, with a lot of great serve, every time he was going to the volley, he never miss one volley. I think it's tough, no? You have to get the rhythm of the match. In this type of court, it's so easy for him to make a lot of easy shots, no?
I knew if the match was going on, then it will be a lot more easier for me. That's what I tried, just to try to get the rhythm of the returns. As soon as I could get it, I broke him three times. I finally could get the match.

Q. Were there any tense moments for you when you were up two breaks, then you lost a break?
TOMMY ROBREDO: Well, I don't think it was a tough moment. I think it was just I knew my captain is going to make push-ups. I was making fun of this. He just broke me back once. But it's a lot here in this court to have two breaks up. Then I just get advantage and I finish the match.

Q. I saw you ask Emilio to do some push-ups. What was it with that?
TOMMY ROBREDO: Well, obviously it's tough to play days like today, no? It's not going to change nothing if you win or lose. As I told you, only the respect of the people.
But also we need to get a little more motivation extra, like some funny things to keep working. Then when he's next to you, you can talk about something. If not, it's boring, no? All of the team, we are a little bit down. We need to get some funny things to recover soon.
During the match, I just told him, Look, if you want me to push hard, you have to make 10 push-ups if we give Spain the first point. He said, Okay, I do it, don't worry. It was just something funny, I don't know, to keep focus.

Q. What was your experience like in Winston-Salem like this week, not only the last couple days, but the days leading up to the matches?
TOMMY ROBREDO: Well, it was nice experience to see 24. I have all the five seasons. Now I'm on the fourth one. I think it's good experience to see Jack Bauer making these things on the TV.

Q. How is it unique playing singles against someone with a doubles background?
TOMMY ROBREDO: I think you make a few mistakes on the sentences. How is to play against the world No. 1 doubles players on the tour?

Q. Playing singles against someone with a major doubles background.
TOMMY ROBREDO: Yeah, but also on a day it doesn't matter who wins, no? Then it's a lot of difference because if we have to play for points and for going farther in a tournament, he's going to have a lot more pressure, then he's going to make a lot of mistakes.
I think it was a perfect day for him to play against a top 10 player without pressure in the best surface for him to try to beat me with 14,000 crowd. I think it was a great match for him to try to play one singles match.
I think he's a great player of singles and doubles. Obviously he's just decided to be focused on doubles. I don't know, maybe he will be playing singles, he will be playing a lot of great tournaments.
But anyway, it's always tough to play with a world No. 1 player, even if it's in doubles.

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