WIMBLEDON
Date: 2007-06-28

WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2007

Rafael Nadal
LONDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Rafael Nadal. Questions.

Question How well do you think you played today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, not much. Not much today, no. Was very difficult conditions. I start worst possible. I start very bad.
But, well, it was not easy match, no? Conditions was terrible. Lot of wind. Now without the roof is worse for the wind. The wind is not going to one place, is always like this (swirling). Was very, very difficult to feel the ball good, no?
Well, after that I play little bit better. The important thing is I was serving very good in the first two sets. In the third I lost everything in the serve. I serve bad in the third set, very bad. But I was playing better from the baseline later, no?
Well, important thing today is the victory and I have one more day tomorrow I hope with better conditions for have better feeling. But, well, I am not worried about the feeling because I was playing very well last days, but today was tough.

Question If you compare the speed of the court with last year, do you think it's similar, faster, slower?
RAFAEL NADAL: I saw, I don't know where, that the court was so much slower than last years. The true is not. For me the court is the same. I was here the last maybe four years. I lost one time for injury. But for the last four, five years I was here. Every day I feel the same feeling. Every time I feel the same feeling in the court. The court is not coming slower than last years.

Question I understand you baked a cake for your friend on Monday. Are you a good cook?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not much. Normal cook.

Question Do you have any other talents apart from tennis?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I play football - not very well. Sometimes now I play, not much, but when I am younger I play not bad. Yeah, golf, depends of the day. Cooking, I cook two weeks in a year, no, when I am here. I don't have a lot of practice.

Question What do you know about your next opponent?
RAFAEL NADAL: Difficult player. Very difficult player. Big server. He play very aggressive to the baseline. He play very tough. The ball is going very, very fast. Well, is difficult. For sure is going to be difficult to have a break, break him. Yeah, need be very, very concentrate with my serve and have to wait the return, no?

Question You have only met him on clay?
RAFAEL NADAL: Against him? Against him I just play against him on clay, first round of Roland Garros last year.

Question Safin has to play Federer in the next round. How do you think he's going to do?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, gonna be an interesting match. Federer is the best right now. Safin was one of the tops. Going to be interesting match. Favorite for sure Federer. And Safin, he play one time maybe quarterfinals here, but he don't have very, very good results. But always in every surface I think is very, very good player. Well, he has unbelievable potential.

Question Is there any other player here you think can beat Federer on grass, apart from yourself?
RAFAEL NADAL: We will see tomorrow. I think gonna be tough.

Question López did very good today. Do you discuss tennis together before a match as friends?
RAFAEL NADAL: Tactics, not much tactics. Just try the best in every match, no? When I go to the court, especially on grass is difficult have a tactic, no? The tactics is try to return the ball the first time, and after try to play more aggressive as you can, no?
So, yes, I saw the match of Feliciano today. He played very good two first sets. After, my opinion, he play bad the third set because he has break. In the fourth he don't play very good, too. But after in the fifth, he come back. Henman have some mistakes. But he play very good. Is very important victory, good victory for him.

Question How is your mind working when you play an opponent who you beat on clay and now you meet him here on grass?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think nothing about that because for me the clay and grass is tennis but long difference. In the sport, clay is here, grass is here (far away).

Question So you have no advantage here with your wins on clay?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I prefer have one victory before. But when you go to the match, if I lose, for example, against Blake three times, I lose three times on hard, and if I play against him on clay, I don't gonna go to the match thinking, Well, I lost three times against Blake, no? I think is so much different, no? Maybe I can't think that.