The Radio Interview - Part II

Here's the second part of David's radio interview with FM Metro 95.1 (06/08/09). Again I can only thank Tamar for not only recording the interview but also providing me with this transcript. The third and final part, however, I'll have to do on my own. I'll post that in form of a summary.
I've taken the liberty of leaving out those bits where the moderators interviewing David talk among themselves and it's not about asking David questions or his replies. There are also some parts where everybody is talking at the same time and it's impossible to make out what's being said. Bits like that are indicated by a "(...)". The different moderators are only indicated where necessary.
So, here's the second part:

Q: Did you stop watching tournaments and forgot about tennis, or did you have a look? Did you follow the Davis Cup tie?

D: No, I do follow tennis. Let's see... Davis Cup, yes. I sit down to watch that and plan my day so I can watch it. But with the other tournaments, I just have a look at those while I'm having lunch, when I'm home or somewhere else and I can watch it. And then the matches of the boys [the other Argentine players], I watch those. And then... the semifinals and finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, those I watched as well, obviously.

Q: How do you see the resurrection of Roger Federer?

D: I think that - and I said that for a couple of years - for me, Roger is the greatest of all time, because of what he achieved, regardless of not having managed to win Roland Garros and not having overtaken Sampras at that time, right? And now, this year, after having won Roland Garros and having overtaken Sampras, I think that there can be no doubt that he is the best in the history [of the sport]. I remember when Sampras was No.1, he was practically unbeatable at the Grand Slams. But at the other tournaments, he lost a lot of matches. At Roland Garros, he'd lose to players who were ranked 50 or 100 in the world. And I don't think Federer ever did something like that. During his best years, Federer lost two or three matches per season and that's really very, very difficult, something that not even Rafa can do. And for me, that put Federer in a place where sooner or later he would overtake Sampras, he would win Roland Garros. And, well, achieve everything that he has now achieved.

Q: Do you talk to Nadal? You get along well with him.

D: Yes, yes. I have a good relationship with him.

Q: The two injured ones, sidelined...

D: Yeah, the two injured ones. But fortunately, he now plays tennis again while I have to keep watching on TV...

Q: But Federer is very lucky because of this, because the only two guys who have defeated him many times are you and him [Nadal], and those are the two injured ones.

D: You mean we're doing him a favour? (laughs)

Q: You've always been special for Federer, eh... Whenever he gets asked what's a difficult match for him he says, 'for example, Nalbandian', doesn't he?

D: Well, but that's because of the history we've had since juniors, throughout our careers. The truth is that I take pride in the fact that a player like him, of his caliber, respects me as an opponent. Because he's a player who knows that walking on court, ready to play, he wins against almost everyone... Against just about everyone there is. And to get that kind of respect [from him] is nice. Another thing is to be, in terms of belonging to the same generation, part of the same group of players like Federer. I think that's good because he's a tennis player of the kind you're not likely to ever see again.

Q: But I had asked you about Rafa... (...)

D: I think Rafa is going through a difficult phase in his private life with his family and because of that it [his injury] affects him a little more. The situation with his knees is precarious, very complicated with the lingering injury. He will continue to have those problems because of his style of play. But right now, I think because of what's happening with his family situation, it must be hard to look ahead, and also that's he's a bit down, emotionally.
(...)

Q: Sometimes, I think that tennis players are like Formula 1 racing cars. Something you get to see when you guys have to go for a pit stop - and by "pit stop" I mean repairing things, having surgery and all that - how everything gets analysed and often enough, decisions are made against your health, the decision to have surgery and to step out of the race.

D: Mhmm... Look, for my part, I had surgery at the worst moment because I'll miss most of the year. I miss three Grand Slams, three Davis Cup ties, I miss a lot of tournaments. I would've liked to have surgery after Wimbledon at the earliest. But I couldn't make it. It was really very bad, it was a time when injury was dragging on more and more, it was troubling me very much and it made me unable to go on. And the truth is that this is why things went wrong on the court. Because the idea is, at least it is for me, that when you go out there to compete, and even though there's the rivalry with your opponent and you want to win every match and every tournament, you do it because you like it, because you enjoy it, because it feels good. And I was going through a time where I couldn't enjoy any of the matches I played, not a single rally, because I was suffering too much. And to face two Grand Slams, with best-of-five matches - that was impossible.

Q: David, will Argentina win the Davis Cup? I know you're not a magician, but...

D: I'm sure of that, yes. I'm sure of that. That's an issue of historical dimensions in Argentina because with the other tournaments always, or almost always there's been some [Argentine] tennis player who won it and the Davis Cup is the one thing we haven't been able to achieve in tennis. There were many years where we came close [to winning it], lots of semifinals, two finals in three years, and we were always very close, always had a good team. And we still have. I don't doubt that we'll make it.

Q: And with you and Juan Martin Del Potro [playing] at a good level, there seems to be a good chance. So, what was said, or talked about, if you'll let us know, during that conversation with Del Potro and Tito Vázquez? Did this meeting happen, or not?

D: No, no. That meeting never happened... I can't say anything about that because it never happened.

Q: But you really stirred up a debate, because when you fired that - I don't remember what the rebuff was, but you fired that statement at Tito Vázquez, "who should stop the crap" or "make the meeting happen once and for all", I don't remember exactly... So when you view that reaction now, from a distance? I'm asking you because those statements generated a lot of noise. After that comes all the criticism, and you're in the middle of a situation that's rather uncomfortable, I guess.

D: Look, do you know what's going on? I'm going to tell you the truth. I don't have to hide anything from anybody, or make things up. So, if they want the meeting to happen, or if they want to get together, talk and if they want us to train together, and they want to do... - whatever. That those things don't just remain to be words but that those plans are put into action, that you do something about it. In order to keep those things from going in circles and nothing more. That's why I said that if there's so much talk about how we should get together then let's get together and that's it. (...) I didn't have any bad intentions, saying that and my point of view really is that if they want to do it, we can do it any day, any time. It depends on the captain and nothing else.

Q: (...) In your eyes, what went wrong against the Czech Republic? It was a difficult tie. But what do you think went wrong?

D: We already knew that the Czech Republic would be a difficult and complicated opponent, that the five matches would be tough. I think the tactic of the boys was that Juan Martin would win his two singles and for Pico to try and win another point, or try winning the doubles. And well... It didn't work. Pico came close to winning on Friday and after that there was not much of a chance. Well, it was a very respectable opponent because of the surface and because of the quality of players they had.

Q1: But David, it's true that there's always some kind of mess among Argentine tennis players, especially in Davis Cup, that's undeniable. One can only look in envy at the Spaniards, how well Nadal gets along with Ferrer...

Q2: Doesn't matter, the triumphs cover up everything...

Q1: Yeah, okay, but Spain doesn't always win the Davis Cup and the United States don't always win the Davis Cup and they have Roddick and the Bryans.

Q2: What you mean is that Argentina would've won if, say, Feliciano [Lopez] hadn't been talking to Verdasco?

Q1: No, well, I don't know, but I look at what happened in the past: Vilas and Clerc didn't talk to each other, Mago [Guillermo] Coria and David got along very well but didn't win... The Davis Cup final last year was a dodgy affair, to speak the truth. We won't try and find a culprit, but it was a mess.

Q2: There was a lot going on behind the scenes, (...) the focus mostly was on where to play, more than on other things, including the sports aspect.

D: And what is your conclusion?

Q1: That you need to get together one day in all seriousness and say "let's stop pretending and all those discussions, we're not friends, that's it, the problem will be solved in terms of cash..."

D: But what do you think happened at Mar Del Plata?

Q1: I watched it from the outside because you know I don't have friends among the tennis players. And I wasn't friends with Luli Mancini, but for me - from the outside - I saw it as the famous cabaret of... - or simply a mess. I saw that there was no connection between you [players], that you didn't show up at the press conference after the doubles, which Calleri had to do by himself, that Del Potro going China wasn't very well received...

Q2: There was a lot going on behind the scenes...

Q1: Yes, it was a mess. But the mess began when Argentina beat Russia. Cordoba, the Bank of Cordoba, no, Mar del Plata, someone says one thing, Del Potro's father says another thing...

Q2: Do you think this is more or less what happened, David? Or do you take a different view?

D: I agree about some things, about others I disagree. It was a mess. It was a mess at the level of the players, of the association [AAT], at the political level, at the level of the country. But where I have to disagree a little is that regardless of any differences you may have with a teammate, in the morning you have to go to work. You [guys] have to be there on the radio, and we have to walk on court and we must win. So you can have thousands of differences with anyone but when it comes to defending the colours of the country, you have to put on the jersey, play and win, because that's what it's all about. (...)
And then afterwards, we can sit, eat, talk, keep on discussing things, sort things out, or not. But you have to go on court and win, and even more so in Argentina, playing a Davis Cup final. For me it is very simple, I see it that way because of the passion I feel for playing for Argentina.

Q: And because you won your rubbers...

D: I make my schedule based on the Davis Cup.

Q2: And you've played Davis Cup, being severely injured.

Q1: Nobody would dispute that...

D: Excuse me, I didn't get that - what?

Q: That you have played severely injured once in a Davis Cup match against Söderling, against Sweden, which [in the end] you paid for by having to have surgery. Nobody disputes that. But what's causing trouble is that you're the point of reference, you're the leader of the pack, regardless of the ranking and Del Potro doesn't matter... What happened at Mar del Plata, watching it from the outside, I couldn't believe it.

D: Me neither.

Q: David, do you think you've done some damage to your relationship with the people? The idolatry will continue, because of winning tournaments, the people like you, you're a [tennis] player and those things you already know. But do you feel that there's some damage, do you sense that there was some mistrust, somewhere between the applause of approval after that [Davis Cup] final, or is your relationship with the people still the same?

D: No, quite the opposite. I think that the people understood how things were, at least from what you heard in the street. I'm not talking about friends of mine here, but people I don't know and all the rest. I think there was a bit more support than before but I always felt the support of the people, the sympathy, the affection, which is truly incredible because, let's face it, people are very focused on success and have great expectations, like everywhere else. But when it comes to showing affection we really are very affectionate in that sense. You have the pros and cons of Argentine society, but apart from that I think that the people were great, especially the way they treated me. I always felt the support. They know what playing for my country means to me, they know what I give for that and for tennis.