THE ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 2008-06-14

THE ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 14, 2008

Rafael Nadal
LONDON, ENGLAND
R. NADAL/A. Roddick
7-5, 6-4

The Moderator Questions for Rafa.

Question By your own high standards, that was good today, wasn't it?
Rafael Nadal: Yeah, sure. Was, well, an important match for me. Being one final in Queen's here is always unbelievable, especially without days for adapt to grass.
This week are amazing for me. Just very happy how I'm playing on grass. Especially very happy for play the final here in Queen's.

Question Do you feel tired yet?
Rafael Nadal: Well, for sure I am a little bit tired, no? I need some day off, but I feel better today than some days ago, no? Sure I'm a little bit tired because I played two tough matches, third-set (sic) matches in second and third round. Today was tough match, too. But I feel good. No problems.

Question How many days will you have at home? Four days? Five days?
Rafael Nadal: Five days not. I don't know yet. I don't know. Maximum three.

Question You're looking more comfortable on the grass. Is there a danger you're becoming a grass addict, not like marijuana, but?
Rafael Nadal: I always say I love play on grass. Not right now I start to enjoy to play on grass; I always enjoy to play on grass. Is a very good surface. Is nice play on this surface. Sometimes is difficult when you play against good servers, but I feel good here.

Question If you were at home tomorrow in Manacor, could you talk us through your day, what you would do?
Rafael Nadal: If tomorrow I didn't have to play the final?

Question If you were at home. You would get up, play golf, have lunch? Talk us through it.
Rafael Nadal: I don't know. I probably wake up early, 6:30 in the morning, 7, go to fishing morning. In the afternoon, going to play golf maybe. Later be with the family. Sunday.
Saturday, if it's today, probably the same, going to fishing, playing golf in the afternoon, and later party.

Question It looks like yourself, Federer and Djokovic are the three contenders for Wimbledon. Do you think Andy Murray can upset the three of you at all?
Rafael Nadal: Why not, no? Is a very good player. He can win every tournament. He has a very good level, no? He start playing very well in Doha, after winning Marseille, too. The clay season always is a little bit tougher for him. But he can improve for sure, too, on clay. And in grass court he's one of the favorites.

Question Are you slightly disappointed you didn't have a chance to play him today?
Rafael Nadal: Against Murray?

Question Had you played him today, it would have been a fun day, would it not, with the crowd on his side, big contest for you?
Rafael Nadal: For me is perfect because I won like this, so... I would like to always play against the player who I gonna win. So today I won. I don't know if Andy was on the other side of the court today if I gonna win. So happy for the victory.

Question Do you think he would have given you a tougher game?
Rafael Nadal: Why tougher? Roddick is a very good player on grass. Murray is a very good player on grass, too. I can lose, I can win against both.

Question Do you ever think back to last year's Wimbledon final, back in London, on the grass courts, how well you played against Roger, how close you were? Do you give that any thought?
Rafael Nadal: No, no, no. Better don't think too much, no? Right now only focus on Queen's, no. For me, perfect preparation for me. Having five match here is perfect. For sure tomorrow going to be very tough final against Novak. I gonna try my best for win. If I lose, I gonna go home very happy about my tournament here at Queen's.

Question Can you compare your level of confidence on grass, not so much after Wimbledon last year, but when you were playing here last year, to what you feel now, your level of confidence on grass?
Rafael Nadal: You never know, no? I think I improve my tennis, so I have more options to do when I am playing. So I can slice some more balls. I can go to the net more times. The forehand I am playing good, too.
The confidence not much different, no? Is similar. But I think I have more options to do.

Question Do you feel more popular with the supporters this year?
Rafael Nadal: The crowd always here in London was very, very nice for me. I can say thank you very much everybody because I played very tough matches here and Wimbledon. Always the crowd was supporting me. Just always was very nice.

Question Playing Karlovic yesterday, the big server, did that help today to get your timing playing against Roddick?
Rafael Nadal: Maybe, maybe.

Question Silly question. How much part of you being very happy at this tournament is your favorite Spanish restaurant you go to every night?
Rafael Nadal: Well, yeah, I love this restaurant. We have very good relation with the boss of the restaurant. He loves the tennis.

Question He was over in your box today.
Rafael Nadal: Yeah. Here every day he's there, in my box.
Yeah, we know him since six years ago when we arrive here for the first time playing Wimbledon. We always go to this restaurant, El Cambio de Tercio. Maybe the best restaurant in London.

Question What is your favorite dish?
Rafael Nadal: Everything is good.

Question Give us one.
Rafael Nadal: I think the octopus I like a lot.

Question In one sense, are you a little bit surprised with yourself, with the way you played over here, coming straight off the clay after so many titles on the clay?
Rafael Nadal: Well, if I have to say before playing one tournament, in this tournament is impossible to play the final, I gonna choose this one, especially after winning Roland Garros. After this tournament, I never thought I could play this final tomorrow. For sure, that's a big surprise for me, being in this final, yes. For sure, it's surprise, have a very good adaptation like I have this week, no?
The true, I feeling comfortable on grass, no? Important thing that's helping me a lot, I am serving very well. I didn't lose the serve -- I only lose the serve one time during all the tournament, no, and was strange time with slipping behind the net.

Question Second set you only dropped four points on your serve.
Rafael Nadal: I am serving well. After with the forehand doing well, too.

Question When you're fishing, what do you fish for?
Rafael Nadal: Fishes (laughter).

Question Are you successful? Are you very good?
Rafael Nadal: Not very good. Normally I go with specialists.

Question Never catch the octopus?
Rafael Nadal: Octopus, yes.