	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ROGERS MASTERS

August 10, 2006

Rafael Nadal

TORONTO, ONTARIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Rafael.

Q. What you've had one month away from competition, is there a greater risk that you can suffer a defeat like that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure. But I need to stop. I was need to stop. Yeah, that's the risks. But I say that's the risk. If I was playing one month tournaments, Bastad, Stuttgart, I could come here and lose with Berdych, too. He's one of the best players in the world, especially in hard court.
So he play good match. I don't feel my best. I feel bad, especially with my forehand. I can't touch the ball 10 times consecutive with confidence. I lost a little bit the feeling. So for that I lose today, no? He play a good match.

Q. Do you know why you feel bad?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure, sometimes you play better, sometimes you play bad.
If you play against another player and you not feeling your best, you can win for sure, no? You can play tomorrow another time with a little bit more confidence, with a little bit more rhythm. But I don't have the best draw here. Berdych is a bad draw, for sure, in the third round.
It's okay, no? I can't play every week the final, no? I lost in third round against a very good player here. I don't find my best game here, so I will try in Cincinnati.
But I need matches. I need a little bit more confidence. That's how I can get this confidence, winning matches, no? One month without is tough, no?

Q. Is it also a question of his style matches up quite well against your style?
RAFAEL NADAL: Who?

Q. Berdych's style, is it a question that his style matches up well against your style? He likes to have time in which to attack, to hit the ball.
RAFAEL NADAL: So yes, but maybe he can play comfortable because my style is not working a hundred percent. If I am playing good, for sure my style going to be tough for him, no? Because if I am touching hard my ball with the forehand, with the good topspin, not shorter like this, sure, my style going to be tough for him, no?
But if I am not feeling my best, the ball is very low here, very big, he can play very tough, and the ball never go out. That's more easier for him, no? But we will see. We will see in the next games against him. I hope I gonna win.

Q. After going through something like that in singles, is it difficult to go right back out there an hour and a half later and have to play a doubles match as well?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I was trying my best in the doubles, for sure. I was trying my best. I was playing against -- we was playing against very tough players. They was playing the final of Wimbledon. We play a good match. We don't play a bad match doubles. We lost 7-6, 6-4. We have chances. But that's okay, no?

Q. A lot of people here were talking about you going up against Roger. It seemed in a lot of people's minds, that's what they wanted to see. They thought maybe that was going to happen. Is the sport just so unpredictable, you never know what happens from week to week?
RAFAEL NADAL: The normal thing is not happens because in the draw we are 64, not two. Maybe we understand better that than yous, no? Always is the same question. "You going to play the final against Roger?" No, going to play the first round, third round, second round, quarterfinals, semifinals. If you win a lot of matches, you can play the final. But that's very tough.

Q. Were you feeling better on the court tonight when you were playing doubles? Better than this afternoon?
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe today I serve a little bit better - not in the doubles, in the singles, is my best day with the serve. That's important. But the doubles is not -- I can't compare the doubles, no? Is another sport.
We will see. Tomorrow maybe not practice, but after tomorrow in Cincinnati when I going to practice, on Saturday and on Sunday, on Monday. I hope I going to play Tuesday. We will see the next Tuesday what's my feelings, no?

Q. Berdych beat you twice. Why is it so difficult to beat him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Who beat who? Berdych?

Q. Yes. Why is it so difficult?
RAFAEL NADAL: He's a very good player. He play very tough. He has all shots, good forehand, good serve, good backhand. But I am worries about me, not about the others, no? I need play good -- if I am playing good, I have chance against everyone because I know I win against Berdych, I win against a lot of -- against all players, no? But I can win and they can lose always. So sometimes win, sometimes lose. If you feel good, you can win, and you can lose. If you feel bad, you have more chances for lose. If you feel good, you can win and you can lose. If you feel bad, you can win and you can lose, but you have more lot of chances for go to Cincinnati lately (smiling).

Q. It was very windy out there. Can you talk about the effect that played?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, maybe that's little bit worse for me because against the wind, he serve better than me, he serve more tougher. He hit the ball much flatter. That's more important, because with the wind is tougher to play with topspin, play with control. That's better for him, for sure.
But he play better than me. We can say -- we can't speak about the wind. I don't like to find more excuses than the game, no? He play better. I lose. That's okay.

Q. Can you talk a little about how much support you had from the fans throughout this whole tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I was surprise here. The fans were unbelievable every day. To say thank you very much to the Canadian fans. I feel very good here - not in the court, but outside sure. Every day was very nice for me, no, when I go to the practice, when I go to the court. Very nice sensation.

Q. After Wimbledon, with the rivalry budding, do you allow yourself to kind of look ahead to the next Grand Slam, to the Open? If so, are you just thinking of your next tournament before you play New York?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no, I think about Cincinnati now. I know the most important tournament is the U.S. but I know for play good the U.S. I need find the good rhythm, the good confidence. I need to play a little bit better in Cincinnati, no?

Q. What would you like to be different at the US Open this year compared to last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: First thing, don't come back to Mallorca, no? Last year I won in Montréal, I played the first round in Cincinnati, and I come back to Mallorca. This time, if I lose the first round in Cincinnati, I going to be there, no? Is tougher, the jetlag. That is the first thing.
After, I don't know what. I put my best. Last year I was arriving to the US Open with not my best mentality. And this year, sure, I can lose. I can lose in first round. But I hope I arrive with my best mentality. That's decisive for my game.

Q. Will you train in New York? Will you be in Manhattan if you're not going home?
RAFAEL NADAL: I going to be in one hotel, no. I don't understand.

Q. (Questions translated.)
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure, I going to practice in there, in New York, no? Flushing Meadows.

Q. A lot of players don't actually practice all the time at the tennis center, sometimes at other sites.
RAFAEL NADAL: I prefer play in the main court, no? If I can't, go to other place. But maybe I can.

Q. Television graphics at Wimbledon showed that where you stood to receive serve on grass was very different.
RAFAEL NADAL: I saw. The comparation (sic) with clay, the final of French. I saw on TV this comparation (sic). It was two meters.

Q. A lot.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes.

Q. Is that something you must do on hard courts or not?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sometimes yes, sometimes not. Is not the same like Wimbledon. Sometimes yes. I need practice these days a little bit all game, no? I going to practice a little bit my return more. That's important. I was returning not good, no? That's important for begin well the point. For me, most important thing now is begin my best feeling with my forehand. If I feel my best feeling with the forehand, all game is easier, no? So we gonna see.

Q. Other than Roger, maybe Berdych was the most dangerous player for you in the draw. Not so lucky to get him in the third round.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't want to say Roger -- because I lost today against Berdych, Berdych is the best after Roger, no.

Q. The most dangerous.
RAFAEL NADAL: Not the most dangerous. Today, yes (smiling). Today, yes, he's the most dangerous for me. But we will see. Tomorrow he play against Gasquet, maybe he has a tough match. We will see. Gasquet is playing well. For me 50 and 50%.
Thank you. See you next year - next after two.

End of FastScripts...

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297