RAFAEL NADAL in MONTE-CARLO for CLAY COURT SEASON

ATP Masters Series Tennis in Monte-Carlo, France
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Rafa interviewed by TVE
Thanks to Ines for the upload by gandaines
Translation by Rafa fan Ines from Sevilla, Spain (from Rafa's website's Forum at www.rafaelnadal.com) :
"I trained pretty well, today I've did a good train, a little bit better every day, but I had very little time to train, it is obvious and clearly the start is going to take me a lot, the draw has been difficult, since the beginning, I have bad first rounds, but well, I will try to do everything as possible to get to Wednesday with warranties to make a good match.

I have many points to defend, yes, but I don't think in anything at all this, I only think is that at the moment, I made a great start of the season. I am the number two in the race and I have to try to keep playing regularly to stay in the top, no?"

Match report: Mario Ancic vs Rafael Nadal

4/23/08 6:35 PM | Johan Lindahl
If you blinked during the first set of this match, you probably missed it completely. So dominant was Spaniard Rafael Nadal over Mario Ancic, that the Croat won a dismal six total points in the set, five on his own serve and one on Nadal's.

Nadal had incredible depth of shot on both the forehand and backhand side, pummeling Ancic on all sides. Today should remind all and sundry of precisely why Rafael Nadal won 81 matches in a row on clay.

The second set was significantly better from the big Croat. Nadal broke to start theset on Ancic's first service game, but was broken right back. Ancic played attacking tennis, coming to net more and more. Unfortunately for him, Rafael Nadal was on the other side of the net and could quite easily spend all day passing his opponent, which he did. The two men stayed on serve until 4-3, when Nadal made his move. The Spaniard started the game with a smoking forehand down the line. Ancic contributed a netted volley at 30-30 and a wide forehand at break point. Nadal made no mistake serving the set out for 6-3.
Source: Tennis Talk News Mario Ancic_vs_Rafael Nadal

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Highlights of the match April 23, 08 with an interview
Rafael Nadal versus Mario Ancic Uploaded by: gandaines
Translation by Rafa fan Ines from Sevilla, Spain (from Rafa's website's Forum at www.rafaelnadal.com):
"Thank you very much. yes, an important match for me, it is clear that start the clay season winning to a difficult rival as is Mario Ancic is a good start, there is no denying, no?, Happy... because I played a great first set and the second was going well at the beginning, but I played a bad game and Mario started playing better, so it got complicated ... but in the end I was able to resolve it well."

ORDER OF PLAY, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008

Worldwide TV Schedule

COURT CENTRAL start 10:00 am
[5] D Ferrer (ESP) vs J Tipsarevic (SRB)
[13] J Ferrero (ESP) vs [2] R Nadal (ESP)
[1] R Federer (SUI) vs G Monfils (FRA)
[3] N Djokovic (SRB) vs [14] A Murray (GBR)
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs [WC] J Benneteau (FRA) / N Mahut (FRA)

COURT DES PRINCES start 10:00 am
I Andreev (RUS) vs N Almagro (ESP)
[16] P Kohlschreiber (GER) vs [4] N Davydenko (RUS)
[12] T Robredo (ESP) or R Soderling (SWE) vs [6] D Nalbandian (ARG)
S Querrey (USA) vs [Q] K Vliegen (BEL) or [7] R Gasquet (FRA)
F Cermak (CZE) / P Kohlschreiber (GER) vs R Nadal (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP)

COURT 2 start 1:00 pm
J Coetzee (RSA) / W Moodie (RSA) vs [7] A Clement (FRA) / M Llodra (FRA)
[8] J Bjorkman (SWE) / K Ullyett (ZIM) or M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) vs P Hanley (AUS) / L Paes (IND) or [2] J Erlich (ISR) / A Ram (ISR)

You can buy live streaming at www.atpmastersseries.tv
and at www.TVUnetworks.com some of the matches are shown delayed ~ FREE. For example the days' matches are shown in the wee hours the night of the day they were played. Tonight, you may be able to catch Rafa's match from this morning. They don't say what or whose matches will be aired, just that Monte-Carlo Tennis Tournament is scheduled. But you'll need to do the installation first.

Tonight, technically Thursday morning, TVU's schedule says these hours will be showing Monte-Carlo
Midnight (USA EST) to 3:00 a.m.
4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Friday, April 25, 08
Midnight - 3:00 a.m.
4:30 a.m. - 6:29 a.m.
6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
10:31 a.m. - it didn't say

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Resumen Nadal-Ancic con entrevista = Summary Nadal-interview with Ancic
Uploaded by gandaines
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Resumen Nadal en montecarlo = Summary Nadal in Monte-Carlo
Uploaded by gandaines

April 23, 2008

Rafael Nadal

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

Rafael NADAL Versus Mario Ancic
6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. He's a very talented player, obviously. You must be very pleased to have come through that relatively comfortably?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. Was a tough draw, no? Mario is a big player. He had some injuries in the past, no? But he gonna be in the top position soon another time.
Well, very, very happy for my win today. I started playing very well the first set. Later I play a bad game in the 2-0. But I think I have to be very happy about my game today. First match on clay after long time. So, well, happy about everything.

Q. Were you pleased how good it felt straightaway, that you felt so good on the clay straightaway? Good for the confidence?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure, is very important win the first match, no, especially against tough opponent like Mario. But, you know, is very soon for say something, and now is important win for me. Start the clay season like this always give me more confidence.
But I know tomorrow I have very tough match against Ferrero, no? I have to be very concentrate to try to have a good win tomorrow. I know going to be a very tough match.
But I hope continuing playing well and I hope have my chances.

Q. Do you think about all the next weeks of all these titles you have to hope to defend?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I No. 2 in the race right now. I was doing very good hard court season and I arrive here for try to do my best. If my best is do semifinals, quarterfinals, final, champion, I don't know. I gonna try my best in every tournament. If I can win any tournament, gonna be important for me. I know repeat every year, every title gonna be impossible.
But I know gonna be a very tough clay season. I gonna try my best. But, well, repeat everything is almost impossible.

Q. When you think of Roland Garros, not winning the titles, but when you think of Roland Garros, what do you think of? What is your best memories besides three titles?
RAFAEL NADAL: The true right now, I don't think Roland Garros, no one minute, no? I think about Monte-Carlo, I think about Barcelona, Rome, Hamburg. I think about try to play and adapt as fast as possible to the clay season, to the clay court.
After when I arrive to Roland Garros and I have my first practice on the center court, for sure is special, no?

Q. What do you think about the reduction of the season on clay? You expressed yourself about that.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I said day before. I spoke about that. Right now I am in the tournament. I prefer don't continuing speak about that. I said everything about how disappointed I am, and I think lot of players are in the same way like me.
But right now I just think about my tournament and try to play my best every day now.

Q. Did you see Roger's game? If yes, what was your feeling?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I saw little bit. He start playing very well the first set after he had some mistakes. But I think he finished the match playing very well.

Q. What do you think about the clay court? It will be a three-player battle, with Novak you and Roger, or do you think other players can fight also?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think never is only three-player battle, no? Look Roger today. He have a good battle against Ramon Ramirez, no? I think every match going to be important for everybody. I don't think there is only three players, no?
Last year was only two players on tour? Right now three? C'mon. I think a lot of good players are on the tour, no?

End of FastScripts

Rafa and Djokovic dress up and do a promo in Monte-Carlo ~ It's fun to see.