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BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

November 27, 2010

Rafael Nadal

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. NADAL/A. Murray
7-6, 3-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Give us your thoughts on today's match.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I think was incredible tennis match, no? I think was very good level for both of us. I think Andy played at very good level almost all the time, and I was a little bit lucky in the beginning of the third with 1-0 for him and Love-30. He had two mistakes, very important mistakes for me in those moments because I was a little bit tired.
But in general I think was a fantastic match, no? I am very happy to beat a great champion like Andy. For me is an amazing victory. Just can say I am very happy for everything because was a really difficult match against one of the best players of the world. His level is unbelievable almost always. If he plays like this, I don't have any doubt he going to have big chances to win very important titles.

Q. In the final set tiebreak, you were down 3-Love. Describe what you were feeling and how you came back into the tiebreak.
RAFAEL NADAL: The feeling is he make an ace and two winners. I didn't have a chance to do more in the tiebreak in the 3-Love, no? In the 3-Love, he had a mistake with this close forehand.
But even when I was losing 4-1, 3-0 in the final tiebreak, I was happy. You know, I was saying, Just try to be there, because always can still a chance for me. But I was really happy because I was playing a great match. Even if I lose, I had a fantastic season. My image changed a lot from last year in this tournament, winning three matches, and playing a very good match in semifinals.
My thoughts was, If I lose against Andy playing like this, just congratulate him, go home very happy for everything, and practice for next year.

Q. The particular moment in the third set when you were Love-30 down, would you say it was a turning point in the match, more than what happened in the tiebreak? Also what was really going through your mind at that moment?
RAFAEL NADAL: What moment?

Q. Love-30 in the third set, 1-0. He had four straight games in a row.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, seriously I was a little bit tired in the second. So when I had a big chance in the beginning of the second, I saw him a little bit tired in the beginning of the second, and I had my chance with 15-40, no? But he played unbelievable second serve, and after very good cross backhand winner. Really I didn't have the chance. I didn't have a mistake in that moment.
So he played well. And when he break me, I said, Well, going to be very difficult to come back to this set. I didn't have a break during all the match. So come back in this set going to be very difficult. I going to try to win my serve, but if is not happen, it's okay because I needed to rest a little bit to start the third, no?
So in the beginning of the third, through my mind say, C'mon, start another time, because in the beginning was a little bit hard for me to start another time the movements, move the legs. Everything was little bit slower in the beginning of the third. So for that reason, I said in the last question, I was a little bit lucky he had a few mistakes. After that, I started to move another time, I started to play my tennis another time.

Q. How do you feel physically and how do you think you'll be for tomorrow's match?
RAFAEL NADAL: I repeat what I say always. I don't know what going to happen tomorrow, how I going to feel. You can imagine, right now I am very tired. That's the true.

Q. You repeat every day is it is the worst condition for you to play here. You are in the finals. How can you explain that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I play very well. I think I play better than ever in this surface. I am fresh mentally. Every day I play better and better. That's the true. I am not saying anything wrong about that. I am not finding excuses, because I never find an excuse when I lose or something like this. I say the conditions are the more difficult conditions for me.

Q. In what ways? Surface too slow, too quick?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, the surface is not too slow, it's not too quick, it's okay. But here when you play indoor against the best players of the world, they are more specialists than me in these kind of surfaces. So I said before the tournament to somebody, I don't know, but here you don't have a big chance to defend if you are not playing very well, to play higher balls, to try to find solutions.
The only way here is play really well. Play well, play aggressive. You can play defensive for moments, but you have to come back to the attack. If you're not playing really well, it's impossible.
So for them maybe they play in these courts more times than me and is a little bit easier for the other players. If we saw the players, Federer is an indoor specialist, Djokovic, too, Andy, too, Soderling, Berdych, these players are specialists on this kind of surface, no?
So for that reason I say is the most difficult tournament for me to win - not only for the surface, for the opponents, too.
In general, I think if we know these both things, that makes the tournament really difficult for me. But I am lucky I played really well and I am in the final.

Q. Did you have to adapt anything in your game? Did you do anything different on this surface under these circumstances, like playing different balls, different tactics?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I improved my game in general. For that reason, I am able to compete against these players this year, no? I think I improved a few parts of my game. Improved a lot the slice backhand. That's give me another chance, another option to do when the point is long or I have to defend something, to change the rhythm.
My serve, is true, I served for moments well, for moments not that well. But in general my serve improved a lot since last year. And my position on court is closer to the baseline. What happen in this court for moments I lost the court. I went behind the court, and I didn't have no one chance against Andy, no, because he was inside, he was repeating me against my backhand.
Every ball I was far away from the baseline, no? So is no chance. Only chance is try to be closer to the baseline. For that reason I am able to play well in this court now and to compete against the best players of the world because my position on court is more inside and I have more options to do.

Q. When you say you were feeling tired in the match, was it mentally or physically tired? What happens then? You lose a bit of concentration or do you feel a little bit slower?
RAFAEL NADAL: I start to feel a little bit the legs, little bit, harder little bit for a moment, stiff. So I am talking about that, not about mentally. Mentally, in general, I think I played a very good mental match.

Q. Andy said he really enjoys his matches against you. I wondered if you felt the same way.
RAFAEL NADAL: For me I say before, was a fantastic match. Is really nice to play against Andy, especially with his attitude, fighting all the time, trying to find solutions. He's very talented player because he can do everything. His serve for moments was unstoppable. His defense was unbelievable, no? He's very fast. He see the balls very quick, before than the rest of the players I think.
He can do everything. He can attack well. He can volley really well. His hands are very well. You have to all the time find solutions to play against him and to try to beat him, no? I think he's a great champion.
For me play against him is a pleasure, play matches like this. Even I said before, even if I lost that match, I am going to come here and say I am very happy for everything because I think I played a very good match. When you arrive to this situation, anything can happen.
I won today. I am sorry for Andy, but I think he really must be happy about how he played this match because he had chances to win and he played I think in a very good level.

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