AN HONEST NADAL EXPLAINS FEDERER WON BECAUSE HE PLAYED BETTER

TENNIS MASTERS CUP interview after Federer vs. Nadal Match in Semi-Final

November 17, 2007

SHANGHAI, CHINA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Olympic medal, Grand Slam champion, which do you prefer?

RAFAEL NADAL: Nice start press conference today. Grand Slam. I prefer Grand Slam. And after a Grand Slam, between Davis Cup or medal. Right now medal because I have the Davis Cup, no?

Q. The first set up until 4-4 looked very tight.
RAFAEL NADAL: Very tired?

Q. Tight. One could argue that you played a cleaner first few games than Roger, and then he broke you and sort of ran away with things.

RAFAEL NADAL: I play very good match the first set. I have a lot of chances. Love-30, one breakpoint. Well, not a lot. Love-30, one breakpoint with one forehand for have the break, the passing shot to the forehand.

But, well, later he do the first break in the 5-4. The first opportunity, he make it. Finally the start of the second set, kill me, no? I tried. I was focused for try to continue, but he play unbelievable in the beginning, no? Playing very crazy inside the court was start to not do mistakes. Was very tough for me the beginning of the second.


And finally he give me the second break and the match was finished, now? I fight. I fight. I fight. I try to stay in the match, but he play very well today. Nothing to say. Just congratulate him.


Q. You looked good on the service at the beginning of the first set. How important is it not to let him get ahead of you? Is that the key to everything in a match against Roger?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no, because I beat him a lot of -- sometimes without serve very well. The key of the match was not the serve. Never, no?

The key, especially in this surface, first is if he cannot play his best tennis, no, if he don't have the best day, it will be easier for me, you know. And after, well, I have to play very focused all the time.

Today I didn't get the rhythm because the play was very aggressive. Was difficult for me stay in the match. And when I need the rhythm, the rhythm wasn't there because they put me lot of aces, they play very aggressive in the return all the time. So was very difficult play with good rhythm, no? And for beat him, is important for have a good rhythm.

Well, is important serve well. Not against Roger, but against everybody. Against Roger, too. But very important serve well against everybody. I improve the serve in the last months. I am serving a little bit better. So I think it's continuing improving for next year, no?

I have one month right now for try to continuing improve every day. I am young, no, and I have to continuing. Anyway, I have to try. I don't know if I gonna do, but I have to try.

Q. Roger and David will meet in the final. David is one of the best performing players in this tournament. Roger beat you tonight within one hour. What do you think is going to happen in the final?

RAFAEL NADAL: Anything can happen, no? Roger is the favorite because the style of Roger is not easy for David. The final is three sets or five sets?

Q. Five sets.

RAFAEL NADAL: Five sets. Well, David has his chances because he arrive to this final with his best performance ever, no? He never was playing like this before. So he's doing very well everything, playing with very good confidence. And if he believe on the victory, he gonna has his chances, no?

Always if Roger is not at his top level -- if Roger is at his top level going to be very tough, no, because is difficult. David needs a little bit the rhythm, too. If Roger serving like today is going to be difficult.

Anyway, David is very good returner. He has a very good return. We will see tomorrow. Going to be interesting match. I wish -- I just say best of luck to David, and Roger, too. But David is from Spain. If David won here, is very good news for the tennis, especially in Spain, no?

Q. Do you think he won this game tonight because he served in such an amazing way tonight? Do you want to do some work to improve your return?


RAFAEL NADAL: No, he won because he played better tonight. On this surface at this moment I think -- no, I am totally sure he is better than me. If he is playing very good, I have to play unbelievable for try to play against him, no? If not, it's impossible, especially if he's playing with good confidence.

And today he's playing very inside the court and was very difficult for me.

Q. Are you going to approach next season differently at all, play fewer tournaments or train in a different way, to make sure you maintain your health?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no. Everything is going well. No. 2 in the world for third year in a row. 5,600 points. I don't know if I am the best No. 2 in the history by points, but one of those ones for sure. With these points, in a normal situation, I am the No. 1 in 75% of the situations, no? So I think the things is going very well.

I don't have to change a lot of things. I have to continuing improve my things and I have to try to improve my serve more and more. I have to continuing trying improve my return, my aggressive return, continuing improve the volley, the slice. I improve a lot this year the slice, the volley. I am going more times to the net.


So that is important point for me. But I have to continuing do for be better player, no? But didn't change too much things. You say something about the healthy. So the problem only was one. I wasn't play the US Open with my best performance because I have a problem in the knees. But for the rest, I am the third player or the second player of the tour or the first. I don't know exactly who play more matches every season, and I didn't lose any important tournament.

Only the US Open I have this problem. If this problem I have, I don't know, three weeks after when I have to go to Bangkok, no one going to speak something about that.
So I didn't have the best of luck in this situation, no? But I play a lot of matches. I play a lot of weeks, a lot of matches every weeks. I play Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Hamburg, Paris, Wimbledon. The same every time the final. So is very difficult be a hundred percent always.
But this year I didn't have any problem. Only the US Open. So that's very good year for me and very good news because physically I was very good all the year. But sometimes the people always are speaking, Rafa is injury. No, I am not injury. Sometimes I have some problems, but the normal problems like every player, no?

Q. At one point Roger won 20 of 21 points from 4-4 in the first set.
RAFAEL NADAL: In a row?

Q. He won 20 of 21. He won a lot of points in a row.
RAFAEL NADAL: 20?

Q. Something like that.
RAFAEL NADAL: That's a lot (smiling). I don't think, no.

Q. How frustrating was that period of the match? Is that the best Roger has played against you?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I remember unbelievable set from him. Two. The first set of Wimbledon of 2006, and the first set of Dubai 2006 was unbelievable, too.

Today when he start was very tough stop him, no? But I remember better moments from him. But from the 4-4 to the 4-1 or 4-0 in the second set was unbelievable him. When he's playing in this way, it's impossible to stop him.

Q. With the win tonight, Roger is now having a better record against you in 2007 with three wins and two losses. On clay court, he is having more chances to play against you than a couple years ago. Do you think now you may lose advantage to play him mentally and technically?

RAFAEL NADAL: I understand your question, but I didn't understand the beginning of the question. What's happening? Well, he beat me in Hamburg. He beat me in Wimbledon, his best surface. I had more chances to win against him than he won against me in this match.
But, anyway, that's doesn't matter because I always say the same. This is not a competition against Roger. This is a competition against the other guys of the tour because I always said Roger, when he's a hundred percent, he playing another league.

So I never compete against Roger. This year I have some chances for be No. 1. Yes, the watch of Wimbledon was very, very important for try to be No. 1. I have chances. I had a lot of chances for won this match. Finally I lost.

And anyway, was the year when I was closer to him. I lost three times, I won two. But always it depends of the moment or the situation. Last year I don't know if I won more times than him, but I play more times on clay. So this year I play three times and I won two. And in grass...

Is the same if he think right now you are closer to Roger on grass. No, why? He beat me anyway. So I don't think. I think is depends always of the moment.
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