US OPEN

September 4, 2006

Rafael Nadal

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I would like to know about your ankle. During the match, you had a problem.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I had a little bit problem after the first set, 2 1 of the second. I don't feel nothing, no? I don't turn off the ankle, nothing. But is beginning the pain, so, you know, I little bit scared, afraid.
But after, I can play. I was with pain, but I can play, so that's important. I can finish the match and now I have 48 hours for improve, no?

Q. Did it hurt the last match, no?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yesterday I turn off a little bit the foot, but nothing, no? After, I play, and I don't feel pain, I don't feel nothing.

Q. If you were to make the semifinals, one of your opponents would be Lleyton Hewitt. Could I ask you, whether you think he's still one of the top guys? Do you think he's one of the top guys still?
RAFAEL NADAL: Who?

Q. Hewitt.
RAFAEL NADAL: Is one of the top?

Q. Top players, one of the top players to beat.
RAFAEL NADAL: Hewitt was two times in the No. 1 in the world. Sure, he's one of the best players in the world, top players.

Q. Can you talk a little about the point in the tiebreak, the one that leveled it at 3. You seemed to enjoy winning that point, celebrated with that double fist pump.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, was very important point, no? Because after, if I was losing 4 2, I have chance. But is more difficult than with 3 All, I change the part. I change. The wind is in my favor. 3 3 and the wind in my favor, I have big chances for win the tiebreak. So if I was losing 4 2, you never know, no? So was very, very important point.

Q. I would like to know why you put your water very you put this one in a place, this other. Is it something that is
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I do that sometimes. So, no, is not I don't know if is superstition or not, but is part of the I don't know.

Q. Routine?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I don't know. I always do the same, so...

Q. This year you're going to make the Tennis Masters Cup. It will be your first time going to the Tennis Masters Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: I hope (smiling).

Q. Is that exciting? Looking forward to it? How special is that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, gonna be important for me be for second time consecutive in the Masters Cup. So that's very good new, because I am one of the eight best players in the world. That's very nice, no?
Now I am focus in US Open, but I hope this year I can play in Shanghai, no?

Q. What makes that event special?
RAFAEL NADAL: Huh?

Q. What makes that event special? What makes the Tennis Masters Cup special for a player?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, Tennis Masters Cup is special tournament. You play with Round Robin, so that's very nice. After, you play with the top players in the world. So with the eight best players in the year, no? So always is a special sensation.

Q. Safin said he thought the HawkEye machine might not have been that successful over the past week. I was wondering what you thought, if you thought it was right.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know.

Q. Have you enjoyed using it?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's funny, Marat sometimes (smiling).

Q. Is the HawkEye system what do you think of the instant replay?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? The statistics is 90% on, 90% okay, no? So if the statistics is that, the numbers is the numbers, no?

Q. Can you talk about your performance here so far? This is your best result at a US Open. Obviously, there's a long way to go, but you've beaten your previous performances here.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, well, I play I am playing a good tournament, no? Is important for me play good here, too. Was tough, the last years playing bad here, especially the last year. I come back here. I have I was for one month here in America. I was not playing my best in Toronto and Cincinnati, that's sure.
But I have the special preparation for here, no? Is the that preparation, play Toronto, Cincinnati and be here, not come back to home the same like last year, no?
So I try my hundred percent always in every tournament. I was not playing my best there, but, you know, I was playing seven matches, so that's important for the performance here.
I am happy. I am playing my best tennis here since last month, that's for sure. But I'm not playing the tournament of my life, but I am not playing bad. I am playing good. I am in quarterfinal. So if I am quarterfinals in one Grand Slam, sure, I am not playing bad, no? I am playing good.

Q. You beat Federer on hard court in Dubai. Is that about the same kind of court we have here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, similar.

Q. It is similar?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. Same stuff, okay.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. Anything you like to do in New York special? You like New York? Too big for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: When is not raining (smiling)...
Yeah, I go out a little bit. Not much because I play so I play yesterday, I play today. But today in the afternoon maybe I go out, no?

Q. Like to shop or go to the theater?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I go to walk and if I find anything nice, I can shop, no?

Q. What about Youzhny? You beat him last three times?
RAFAEL NADAL: Last three times? I play three times? I play in Australia, in Rome last year.

Q. Two time on hard court.
RAFAEL NADAL: Australia, Roma, Doha... I don't remember the other one.
So, yes, is a good score, no? Youzhny is playing good. I don't know what's happening in the match, Youzhny and Robredo. Youzhny was winning very easy, but I don't know nothing. So is very strange. Youzhny is winning very good matches again. Ferrer, against Robredo. Very good wins because Robredo and Ferrer is very tough players. He was playing very well. So we will see. But I will have a very difficult match.

Q. You've tried very hard this year to have good results on grass, on hard courts. I wanted to ask you, in view of that, what do you think of Agassi's achievement of having won each of the Grand Slams once?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Speaking in Spanish.)
Yeah, I don't know, no. Winning in all surface is always very difficult. That's it. Agassi was a special player, unbelievable player. He can do. I don't know.