SONY ERICSSON OPEN
Date: 2007-03-27

SONY ERICSSON OPEN

March 27, 2007

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

Question I would like to know if you are happy with your game from the beginning of the tournament.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I was arriving here with very good confidence, playing my best tennis from Indian Wells, and today the first match was difficult.
I won the second match. Today, I played very, very good today, especially in the first set. So I am very happy for the victory and for play good tennis today.

Question What do you think about the performance of Cañas? Will you be able to beat him two times in a row like you did last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, big surprise for everybody, I think. But he was playing very well, all the time believing in the victory, so that's very important.
I don't see the match all the time, but Federer had a big chance in the third with break up and two or three balls for second break. So after that the match change a little bit, was close, so anything can happen after, no?

Question About the Davis Cup, you didn't seem to have an injury today, so why did you choose to withdraw from the Davis Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, for me is the -- it's better if I answer that question in Espanol. I'm very disappointed about not being able to play Davis Cup. Obviously I feel like I'm playing really well, especially in this last month I'm playing my best tennis.
I have been playing with some pain in my foot. Although I've been playing very well, I'm playing with some pain in my foot. I practiced in Mallorca a week before Dubai. I had a small injury in my foot and I've been playing with some pain since then.
Two years ago I was injured in Madrid for four months, and like this I am feeling a little bit of pain all the time from one month ago. So while I am trying to finish these two tournaments in Miami and come back to Spain and have some rest for my foot.
I have to rest right now because I feel pain. I was disappointed for can't play Davis Cup, but I was speaking with the captain, and if I don't feel 100 percent he and me prefer to not be in the team because they must have a lot of good players. And if they feel better than me, so they can win without me, no?
So it's not the same playing for your country than for myself. For sure play Davis Cup is very special feelings. I can't have the same feelings like Davis Cup in no one tournament, no one singles tournament. So it's not easy to not play the Davis Cup.
But I was always with the team in every confrontation, every year, every match. So this time is the first time when I can't go to Davis Cup so I will support my team from Mallorca, no? So I hope they win and try to go to the semifinals.

Question Can you talk about Juan Martin? What did you think about him? Do you know his game?
RAFAEL NADAL: I know him from a very long time ago. He is a very young player. He has very good two wins against Baghdatis and Youzhny so he is playing very well. He has a very good future for sure.
He's very tall. He can serve a little bit better. That's it, he going to be one of the best.

Question And one word about the set point in the first?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it was nice pass and short, a little bit difficult for me.