TMS - MADRID
Date: 2005-10-22

TMS - MADRID

October 22, 2005

Rafael Nadal
MADRID, SPAIN
The Moderator My fault we were late.
RAFAEL NADAL: I was at the masseuse.

Question How do you feel?
RAFAEL NADAL: Fine. I'm feeling well. The beginning of the match, I was feeling a bit tired. Now that it has ended, my knee is hurting a bit. I hope it's nothing.

Question I wasn't here yesterday in the press conference, but I'm surprised you mentioned your knee is hurting. Are you worried?
RAFAEL NADAL: I'm not worried. I've only got one match left.

Question First day you said your knee was 70%. What do you think about tomorrow?
RAFAEL NADAL: We'll see tomorrow. I cannot evaluate it now. I feel fine, although it hurts a little bit. Especially when it ended, with the stretching and at all, it wasn't warming enough. Let's hope for tomorrow I'm fine. It stopped hurting afterwards.

Question Was it possibly the moment where your opponent was forcing you a bit?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, that was not the problem. I played well.

Question You hadn't played against Ginepri before. How did you feel he was playing? Pretty irregular, maybe?
RAFAEL NADAL: I saw it fine. First of all, I was comfortable, but then he was starting to play better. I was attacking. I was losing the court. I was playing close to the net. That made things difficult. Things became tough. I fought back. When I saw the chance, I didn't take it the first time, but the second I did.

Question What does it mean for you to be here in the final in Madrid?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me it's something special, to be in a Masters Series final, indoors especially - especially if it's Madrid, which was one of my goals for this year, Madrid and Shanghai. For the moment, I'm here. This is the final. I said it yesterday. No matter what could happen today, this was a good tournament. Now it's better. I hope I can win. That would be my 11th title, my fourth Masters Series this year. That would be great, incredible for me. It is already incredible right now (smiling).

Question Talking about this incredible year, you're adding more victories than Federer. If Federer is an alien, what are you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, maybe an exception. But Shanghai, I talked to him the other day, to Federer, he told me he was going to visit Shanghai. I hope him to be. It's better for us if he's there. 78 victories, but a few defeats, too.

Question (In English.) You were saying you spoke to Federer the other day. Was that on the telephone?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In Spanish.) Yeah, I spoke to him on the phone. I asked him how he was feeling with his ankle, he had a problem. He was wearing crutches still, but he hopes to be in Shanghai. He wishes to be there.

Question (In English.) Do you speak to him often or is that unusual?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In Spanish.) No, not often. Sometime as few times to congratulate him, for Wimbledon, for instance, the US Open, and right now I spoke to him during this Masters Series.

Question (In English.) This is a telephone conversation, not email?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Yeah, telephone, telephone.

Question (In English.) This is interesting. It shows that although you're big rivals, you can have respect and consideration for each other?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In Spanish.) Yeah, besides, we have a good relationship. Federer, he's not only No. 1 and a great person; he's a man that's calm and quiet, good person. He's nice. That's the most important thing.
The Moderator Back to questions in Spanish, please.

Question What do you expect, Nalbandian, Ljubicic?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. They're starting the third set.

Question Which one do you prefer?
RAFAEL NADAL: The one that plays worse tomorrow, that's the one I prefer.

Question (In English.) Can you describe the match? You got one break ahead, and he broke back. That happened twice. Then you were more consistent in the tiebreak.
RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Yes, today is a difficult match. I feel a little tired in the beginning. Ginepri is playing with a lot of confidence for the last results, he has very good results in the last months. So in the two sets, I have break in the 3-3, 4-3, and he return me the break in the next game, so... He play very aggressive. Is not easy for me play against him. But I am very happy because I win. Very, very important match, against a very good player, no?

Question (In English.) You made very few unforced errors, maybe only eight or nine in the whole match. Are you pleased with that?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Yes, that's very important. I think that's the deciding factor for the victory.

Question How do you make so few errors? How are you so consistent? Because you're so fast or because you use topspin?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) I don't know. I think I play with topspin. That's more easy for them to have a lot of mistakes. I feel good physical, no? If I am in a good performance, so I feel fast on court every time in the year. A lot of times I feel like this, so that's very important in my game, the physical, no?

Question When you wake up in the morning, are the knees okay?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Yeah, it's okay. Now I feel a little bit pain, a little bit tired, but I think for tomorrow will be okay.

Question (In English.) Can you say something about if it's Nalbandian or Ljubicic?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Ljubicic is playing unbelievable. He won the last two tournaments, so he have a lot of confidence. He's very good player. And Nalbandian, he's one of the player with mortality in the tour, no? If he's playing well, he's very difficult playing him. But I hope tomorrow play very, very good match for try the victory.

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