Live Tennis interview: David Ferrer
David Ferrer is renowned as one of the most humble players in tennis, though any talk of him not getting the praise he deserves is a bit outdated now. Following his run to the French Open final the man nicknamed 'The Little Beast' is rightly regarded as one of the best players of his generation. Had he been plying his trade during any other era you'd imagine his trophy cabinet would have at least one slam in it too, maybe several.
That being said, entering the grass season Ferrer isn't necessarily considered one of the main men to beat. He's enjoyed more success on grass than most, though his achievements on the lawns pale in comparison to his clay and hardcourt exploits.
I meet Ferrer during a press event at The Wimbledon Club for Maui Jim's sunglasses. He's on a tight schedule and is undoubtedly eager to dash over the road to the All-England Club, but he finds time to talk. His English is a little patchy in places but he's still got plenty to say. His first match at Wimbledon 2013 is just days away so I ask if he's ready for action. He says he's feeling good, adding:
"It's different because in Spain we don't have grass courts. So, I think on grass court I have to play more with my game, it's very important, my serve. You know, I am not a specialist on grass court, but I think I have good shots to play good here."
"It's difficult to [reach] one final on grass court or to lose semi-final at Wimbledon, it's very difficult. The surface for me is hard court or clay court, but you know I need luck, I need to have a good mentality and physicality. I don't have too much time for practice on grass courts, because in Spain we don't have these kinds of courts, but it's not an excuse. I know I can play good here, but to [reach] final on this surface is more difficult than the other ones."
Following this up, I see if he thinks more grass court tennis should be played in Spain. He says yes, but notes that his fellow countrymen have stepped up their commitment to playing on the turf in recent years. After all, Rafael Nadal is a two-time champ and Feliciano Lopez, who won this year's AEGON International in Eastbourne, has proven to be a first class opponent during the grass swing over the years. Here's Ferrer's take on the situation:
"I think the Spanish players now change their mentality. I know we can play good in grass court, Rafael won twice at Wimbledon, Feliciano Lopez is a very great player on grass court, won last week in Eastbourne. I think all the Spanish players change their mentality to play on grass courts."
On a slightly different tangent, I quiz David for his thoughts on the Wimbledon 2013 draw. He's been seeded fourth and has a dubiously dubbed "clear" run to the semi-finals. He lets out a big laugh when I ask if he's happy to have avoided Nadal though:
"No, I don't want to think about that! I want to be focused with my next match, because if it's not Rafa, there is Novak Djokovic, [Juan Martin] Del Potro, you know, there are a lot of good players. Now I have to play only first round and I will try to do my best."
Before Ferrer makes his exit there's one more thing I want to know more about. Rafa had mentioned in a French Open presser that he sometimes hangs out with Ferrer off the court and that they like to play a few video games from time to time.
"This year we didn't play the Playstation," says David, "Normally we play soccer, FIFA or Pro Evolution."
So who usually wins? Ferrer grins and lets out another chuckle.
"I think, I am better!"
