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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 20, 2018

Rafael Nadal

Rome, Italy

R. NADAL/A. Zverev

6-1, 1-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Let's start.

Q. I'd like to know if you think that it is also mental to be able to win after two rain interruption. If experience helps and it's easier for maybe you, who are 31 years old, to deal with this situation that probably you've met already before?
RAFAEL NADAL: Thank you.

I don't know. For everyone, it's different.

And when it happened, delay, the rain delay, I didn't feel in that moment that it would help me. That's my feelings.

It's true that, if we analyze now, of course, we can say that the rain delay helps, helped me.

But really, in my opinion, what helped me is that I came back with a clear idea in terms of tactical issues and in terms of decisions that I take after that break. And after that, yeah, the break for the rain.

And, of course, a little bit of luck that I had the break back immediately. That was a big help. And I think I played with the right determination and strategy later.

Q. This was a strange match, from outside. Because he takes your serve in the first game, and then you make six game in a row. Take the first set. But in the second set, you seemed not so much confident. It's not easy for us to understand what's happening. Can you explain what's happened?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, what happened is I played one of the best sets that I played on clay this year. First set was fantastic, in my opinion, in terms of everything. Feeling, good shots, tactically -- everything was, in my opinion great in the first set, no. Returning great. All the things that I wanted to do happened. So, it was a great set.

Then in the second, couple of things happened. First thing I was, I believe, not like in the first game of the second set. I had a chance to have a break. Because I brought -- in the 30-all, I brought a great return. He made a drop shot from nowhere, being honest. A drop shot that probably doesn't exist. But, he make it. And he make it great.

And then he break me, and then the things went quick. I had the chance to be -- I had balls to be 3-1, but I didn't convert it. Then I had love-30 to be 5-2 but didn't convert it.

So, the court was slower later. The beginning was hot, fast conditions, bounces higher. So, that helps a little bit more my game. And I was feeling great.

And then the beginning of the second, it started to be much more cloudy, the game became slowly, and probably he started feeling better the ball. And I stopped doing the things that I needed to do.

And lucky that I started to do it again. Not too late.

Q. We've seen Sascha play incredible tennis in Madrid and here, in parts of this final; but he hasn't had much success yet at the Grand Slam level. Why do you think this is? Do you think that he's ready to translate all this to a level of success to the biggest stages?
RAFAEL NADAL: Tennis is tennis in Grand Slams or Masters 1000s or in any event. When you are able to win Masters 1000s, when you're able to compete well in all the events like he did already, still he didn't have the great result in Grand Slam yet because didn't happen. It was all a coincidence.

It's impossible to don't have a great result in Grand Slam when you have the level that he has.

So, I am answering the question but, at the same time, I tell you it's not the story about that. You know, it's just time.

Q. Do you feel you made the tactical adjustments in the third set? Because it felt like you started going for his forehand more after you came back out again and pushed him further outside the court. How did you turn it around?
RAFAEL NADAL: I had to change something because, in my opinion, he was taking advantage from inside.

In the first set, I was able to open the court against him, to change the rhythm of the point with the slice, hitting high balls, going to -- going for the winners. I did great.

Then the match become -- the court become slower, so I started to hit, trying to hit with a lot of topspin. But the ball stays heavier, so the bounces were lower.

And I take a while to understand again what's going on.

And then I make a little bit the tactical error at the end of the match that I make at the beginning. But, hitting the ball a little bit different way, no? Hitting probably without accelerating the match, because the ball didn't get that many topspin later when the conditions became slower.

And I didn't play no one day with that conditions here. I play all the days -- all day during the day. So, when it started to be cloudy and when it started to be slower, for me it was new feelings. Different to all the things that I felt during the week.

So, take a while to understand how I needed to hit the ball to keep creating damage on the point.

And especially on the return. I felt at the beginning I was hitting long enough and I was taking advantage of that. Then, I felt even with his second serve, for a while, I was not creating no one advantage. Completely the opposite.

The second serve, he was able to hit the first ball with perfect position. And I was just running to save the points.

And when I came back, I believe I started to return again much higher and longer. And then everything changed then.

Q. Do you feel you needed that win to arrive in Paris in the best possible way? Or what happened today, are you ready to go?
RAFAEL NADAL: Being honest, today is a day to enjoy this title. For me, it means a lot to win in Rome here again.

We speak about Paris I think enough in Monte-Carlo. And we'll have time to speak about Paris before the tournament.

But answering your question, ball is different in Paris, court is different. Conditions are completely different. I don't believe that what happened, even if I lost/even with the victory, creates a big impact about what can happen in Paris.

But, winning always is winning. And, of course, the victories helps more than the losses.

Q. I'd like to know -- You just said that must be a coincidence the fact Zverev didn't do well on the Slams. But I'd like to know from you if it's different, a match best of five from a match best of three, if there is some things more that you have to add in terms of maybe mental, concentration, endurance, or no?
RAFAEL NADAL: One thing, if he's not playing well in Grand Slams during the next two years, you will -- you can come back to me and tell me you know anything about tennis.

But, I believe that gonna be a different story. So, that's my feeling. It's not --

Tennis is tennis. It doesn't matter best of three, best of five. And the best of -- playing best of five is a big advantage for the best players, and Sascha is one of the best players. So it's always a big advantage to him, that's my feeling.

If happened that Sascha is not doing great results in the next year in Grand Slams, you can come back to me and say, You were wrong.

But, I believe I will not.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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