SONY ERICSSON OPEN
Date: 2008-04-02

SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 2, 2008

Rafael Nadal
MIAMI, FLORIDA
The Moderator Questions, please.

Question A few weeks ago before Indian Wells, people were saying, and looking at his record, thinking he's maybe a little bit in your head. What turned around? And are you in his head a little bit now maybe?
Rafael Nadal: I don't think, so. I think we play very tough matches, both, Indian Wells and here. Very good matches I think.
Well, he start playing so aggressive. I don't have many chances in the beginning. I can't touch the ball. I can't get the rhythm in the beginning, nothing. But I was all the time very focused, no? Serving well? The first set, I don't know, but I was playing well, winning my serves easy.
So later in the 4-3, 30-Love, you play against James and he has three winners, returns, something like this. So you don't know why, but you are 6-3 down.
So later I won a very important point. One 15-30 with one long volley after long point with the backhand. This change a little bit the match, no? And later I have the break in the 4-3. That's turn of the match.

Question You've found a way to get on James' backhand side and make that work for you. How have you done that?
Rafael Nadal: I think I play better this two times than the last times against him, no? I change a little bit tactically. I play more aggressive than before.
I think just before I was running a lot, two meters behind the line. I think right now I playing a little bit more aggressive. I can lose, but I think it's the only way for try to win.

Question Does it help to hit the service returns high to James on the backhand side?
Rafael Nadal: Well, I need change the serve because I don't have 230 kilometer serve. Well, so I have to change. I serve with more topspin sometimes. Sometimes a little bit more flat. But I have to change. If not, it's impossible because he returns so fast.

Question Has Djokovic's early loss here taken a bit of pressure off you in terms of ranking? Obviously after this tournament you've got a lot of points to defend. Do you feel a little less pressure now?
Rafael Nadal: Djokovic is very good player. He can be No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 right now. Doesn't matter, no?
But I just try my best in every tournament. If he pass me and he's the No. 2 or No. 1, we have to accept that and congratulate him. But the only thing is try to put the -- I just try my best. And, well, with this tournament, a little bit with more calm.
But anyway, I have to defend a lot of points. He's going to have his good chances on clay for pass me. But I just -- my goal is try to continuing playing like here and play like this, I going to have my chances for being in the top positions.

Question Do you feel as though you're game is coming together now? I know it's the end of hard court season, but do you get the sense that things are beginning to come into place for you at an important time?
Rafael Nadal: I think for me it's very good, both tournaments, no? Semifinals in Indian Wells and being in semifinals here, it's very good tournament for me. Best players of the world are here, playing at hard surface.
So three most important tournaments this year on hard, I was in the semifinals in all three, no? So I think I'm playing well, for sure, and my opinion is that I am playing much better here than Australia.
Right now I am feeling like I am playing at my best level, so that's important for come to the clay season with more confidence, too. But at the same time, disappointing, because right now finish the hard season and then I'm playing better than before.
I think the last week help me a little bit with the big wins against Tsonga and Blake. After, I play very bad match in semifinals against Djokovic. Anyway, I play very good matches, and I come in this week with more confidence, no?

Question In both these matches the past few weeks, at the end James' level seemed to go down. He looked like he wasn't feeling so confident anymore. Is that something that you notice on your side of net? When was the last time you felt so discouraged against a player at that stage of the match?
Rafael Nadal: Well, sometimes happen, no? Well, the thing is it's strange. I don't know what he says before. I don't know what he says. But I think he was playing fine today. I think he was playing very good tennis.
After the third game or fourth game of third set he comes a little bit down. I have lucky with the break point net on the inside. But I think he goes a little bit down, no?
I have the same last week against Djokovic. I played, but it's a little bit different because I start playing bad and I finish playing worse. He start playing well, and he finish a little bit worse. But it was a tight match, not similar.

Question Maybe the most important point of the match: Breakpoint, fourth game, third set. He hits an overhead right at you. Did you feint one way first to try to get behind you? Is that how you were able to retrieve the over head?
Rafael Nadal: Yeah, it was in the third game. Yeah. I don't know. I just -- I have bad lob, I think, not very well. Anyway, I have lucky because I touch the ball here and the ball can goes anyplace.

Question Can you talk a little bit about the fact that you missed so many breakpoints today?
Rafael Nadal: Yeah. Sometimes happen, no?

Question But were you getting a bit crazy about it?
Rafael Nadal: The true is I didn't know. I know when I sit in the changeover of the first set. So that's the first time what I know that, no?
But I think he play well. He play good serves. I tried to play aggressive when I have the chance. This is the only way to win: Play aggressive, no? But, well, he serve very good points and I have some mistakes with the forehand in the return, but anyway, he played very well, the important points.

Question Will you watch Berdych tonight?
Rafael Nadal: I don't know. I don't know. It's at 9:00, no? I don't think so. I think we know each other, Berdych and Andreev, and he's not an unknown player. It's dinnertime.

Question Should you reach the final, would you prefer to play Roger Federer and maybe get the chance to reverse the result of 2005 when you had a lead of two sets to Love and 4-1 and you lost the match? Would you prefer to play Federer because of that?
Rafael Nadal: I prefer to play the final.

Question Yeah. But would you prefer Federer in the final if you get there?
Rafael Nadal: Ask me when I am in the final, when I come here after semifinals and if I am there, no?