Q. In the first game of the match, you hit two very powerful backhands, but for the rest of the match we didn't really see that anymore. Can you explain, because you can hit that shot, why you don't do it more often? RAFAEL NADAL: I really don't know. I didn't think about this. I think I have more backhands, no? But, you know, sometimes it depends of the points. It's difficult say why I'm not touching the ball. It's about your feeling in that moment, no? I don't know.
Q. Because a lot of times you played the backhand more safe, but you can hit it very powerful, and people talk about how you should play aggressive on hard courts. It's much talked about. That's why, because you can hit the shot, and we'd like to see it more often maybe.
RAFAEL NADAL: I going to do more times in the final. (Laughter.) If you like, I going to do it.
Q. I know you still have a match to go here, but could you look ahead to next week in the Davis Cup against Germany and your thoughts on that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, it's going to be tough for me. I going to arrive there on Tuesday night, so Wednesday and Thursday, two days only preparation.
So going to be tough. Going to be the decision of the captain put me on Friday or not. I going to try my best for arrive there with my best conditions, but we'll have a very difficult confrontation against Germany, no? Outside, for us it's always difficult for play outside.
We have a complete team. We can play singles and doubles for all four, because I think we have very good level. So we hope have chances for being in the semifinals and play finally at home after long time.
Q. Talk about your match and Andy in Dubai, and what do you have to do if you play him in the finals to beat him? Obviously return of serve is the key.
RAFAEL NADAL: I think continuing playing like this. So if I play the final like I played the matches before, I going to have chances for a win. I don't have chances for lose, too. But I think if I playing like this, I going to have my chances.
Q. But against Andy, is the key returning his serve? That it?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's always the key, returning his serve. You can't prepare the match believing in return his serve, because if he's serving 144 miles, your strategy is not this. My strategy is try to play aggressive all the time and be safe with my serve and well, with my serve and continuing like this.
So after, wait my chance on the return. If you are all the time in the final normally you have chance.
Q. Every player wants to wins tournaments, Grand Slams. Where does achieving the No. 1 ranking fit for you? How much of focus is there on that? What would it mean to you if that were to come?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, the most important thing is feeling well, feeling playing well, and feeling at the best level. If I am at the best level I have chances for being No. 1, for be No. 2, for be No.3, for No. 4, or No. 5.
But my goal is try to be in the top positions. So I have three years in a row No. 2. This is unbelievable position, because with my points, we have a lot of No. 1s before.
So I think it's I can't say too much about this, no? Just try to continuing playing at the same level like last years, and if I have any chance for be No. 1, I will try to do.
But for me it's not obsession to be No. 1, no? Just I always try my best. I am not finding the No. 1. You are No. 1 or you are not No. 1. That's my feelings.
Q. A lot of the European players tell us that this part of the calendar is very hard for them. They get tired being in the United States for a month or over five weeks. You seem to play well in these tournaments. Are you comfortable here in the United States for that long of time? And if so, why is that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I'm very comfortable in United States, but not for this time. It's not fair have one month, two tournaments, and after go back to Europe and we have to play three Masters Series on clay.
We only have three Masters Series on clay during all the season, and we have three Masters Series in four weeks. So for us it's terrible, that.
And three Masters Series in the middle of the biggest tournament on clay in the world: Barcelona. So if you see the calendar, that is unbelievable.
Everybody can say about the Olympics. Is not for the Olympics. This year we have that. It's because these two tournaments are one week later, because you have university or something like this, college basketball. I respect 100% the college basketball. I think it's very important.
I know here it's very important, the college basketball, because I saw always the American players and the mens in the locker room watching always this.
But, well, we can't have the calendar thinking about the college basketball, no? So we are 100% disappointed about this decision of the ATP.
Finally the European players are, well, I don't know, very angry about these decisions, no? For me it's terrible. You know, I'm a clay player, but I can play very well on all surface. But play four weeks it's impossible if you are playing well, no?
Q. Andy Murray has just announced that had Alex Corretja is going to be his coach through the clay season. Your thoughts on that whether you're surprised, because Alex is a TV guy now, and what you think he can help Andy with.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I really don't know because I didn't have I don't know how he's working Alex against one player, no? For sure he has enough experience on clay. He can pass on his feelings how to play on clay to Andy.
But anyway Andy, I think, is very talented player. He can play very well in all surfaces, no? Why not on clay? I think he going to do very good.
Q. Perhaps the one phase of your game that has improved the most is your serve, both first and second serve. Could you assess for us how much improvement you've made over the last two years in your serving? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't like to speak too much about my improves, because every week we are speaking about my improvement. I don't know, I always try to improve everything. My serve, for sure, is more is more difficult improve my forehand than my serve, because I have my serve here and my forehand here.
When you start playing tennis, you well, I don't know how you're playing, but you have more chances to improve than me, so it's easier. So if my serve is worse I have more chances for improve.
But I always try to improve everything. My serve is important part of my game to improve, and I was very focus all the time with my serve and with my volleys with my slice, because I am slicing much better than two years before now, too. I use my slice on hard surfaces important shot, and two years before I didn't use.
12:30 P.M. SUNDAY, APRIL 6
RAFAEL NADAL
WILL PLAY
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO
IN THE SONY ERICSSON OPEN
FINAL