SONY ERICSSON OPEN
Date: 2007-03-28

SONY ERICSSON OPEN

March 28, 2007

Rafael Nadal
KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA
The Moderator Questions, please.

Question A match like that, what can you say about it? I mean, you beat him just two weeks ago at the final at Indian Wells. Today what was the difference?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the big difference is I wasn't playing the same like the final at Indian Wells. But he has less mistakes. So well, I had my chance in the first set when I come back and I don't make the break, but then he break me, so that's for me very, very important moment, no? Because if I continue improving that in the match in this set, in the first set, I'm going to have a good chance, no? Because mentally it's important when you come back a break the next game. So it was a very important moment.

Question Do you think your level was as good as the final of Indian Wells?
RAFAEL NADAL: What?

Question Do you think your playing level, your standards was as high as when you played in the final of Indian Wells?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I said to you before. Yeah, but sure, no? But he played very good. He is a very good player, so congratulate him. That's it, no? Trying to continue to improve into one of the top players.

Question How does your foot feel?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I am fine, no? Not the day for say something about the foot, no? When you lose always you can say well, now I have pain. I say it before last days I have some pain in the foot, but I won Indian Wells with the same pain, no? So that's not an excuse for the lose of today.

Question What are your plans now?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, go back to Mallorca. It is a good plan. (Laughing)

Question You have dominated the play circuit in Europe, you know, tremendously, and at this point going back for really like a third year of playing so well, is it -- what is left for you to do there? Is it your attitude that gee, I just have to do this again or is it brand-new all over?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, if I think I have to do the same again another year, so it's going to be very, very hard for me similar to that, no? So just try to arrive in Monte Carlo, the same like every year. Try to have a good result and to play my best tennis and that's it. If I find my best tennis, I'm going to have a chance for have a good clay season; if not, I don't have a good clay season.
But that's the thing. I just try to play my best while in this two tournaments. I was changing a lot of things because I play a lot of -- so much better. So I'm very happy for that. That's important for come to Europe with difference confidence, no?
So you don't know what's going to happen right now, but is different, arrive to places like this with one little title, Master Series title, and one quarterfinals here, and no one title. So that's important.
I'm going to try my best and try to have a good result. I know it's very, very difficult. I don't know that it's impossible, but very, very difficult. The same like last year, and the last two years, but just try to have good places.

Question The improvement that you made in your hard court game in the last few weeks, can you take it with you, even though you won't be playing on hard court for several months now? Can you pick up with this improved play where you left off in July?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it will be late improved, because right now we're going to clay, so.... I don't know if I improved, but for sure, I am trying always to play good every week, trying my best every week.
The truth is I wasn't win for eight months before this, before last week. But I was all the time in quarterfinals, semifinals, and sometimes just trying to find my best game. For the last month I can't play my best tennis, so that's bad because when you are going on court, you go with not the same confidence, but I always try my best and that's important because I feel bad that I arrived to quarterfinals a lot of times. So that's good, no?

Question He served a lot on your backhand tonight. Do you think it was the biggest problem for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, no, no, no. Not the biggest problem. Biggest problem is my backhand was not working very well. The problem is not his serve, but my backhand. The problem is my backhand is not working very, very well.
But now for sure I'll think about the match, not right now, but tomorrow you'll think about that. You know that for tennis match you need to play little bit longer the ball with the backhand. Try to have less mistakes, move a little bit more legs in the backhand, so that's important. If you don't feel very well with the backhand, you have more mistakes with the forehand, too.

Question This time last year you and Roger were so dominant, winning all the Masters Series tournaments. This year it's a little bit different. Do you feel the pressure from people like Djokovic and Murray and some of the others coming up?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it's the second Master Series of the season. First one I won. So the second one, I don't know if I'm going to win, but the world is not just Federer and me. So for sure there's a lot of good players.
The young players are coming very well. Right now Djokovic and Murray are going to be 3 and 4 in the race. But that's it, no? So this year's going to be very difficult for everyone, because I think a lot of new players are coming very well. That's it. Thank you.