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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 11, 2019

Rafael Nadal

Madrid, Spain

R. NADAL/S. Wawrinka

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. Wawrinka seemed tough, but you have been incredible. Talking about the start, we have seen that your second serve is powerful today, perhaps 80 percent of your points with your first serve were won.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, true, thank you. Wawrinka has won three matches pretty well. He's been playing really well on clay in the last few weeks and he also beat Nishikori which is also a very tough player. So he was playing really good. I was expecting a tough match today.

I knew that I had to play a little better and fortunately it is has been a good day for me. I have been lucky. It was an important day for me that I think I have been able to work through to the next stage.

I have done really good things today. Perhaps one of the days that everything worked out and I have done it really well.

And from there onwards I have been able to generate opportunities. I think he's been playing uncomfortable. He was trying to with his shot to find my backhand, but I was returning good on the backhand so maybe he didn't find his place on the court and overall, I have been solid.

And in defense, I felt that I have had a lot of power in my legs because I wanted to defend properly and my opponent needed better shots in the next shot to make, to harm me a bit more.

And I have a bit more on confidence on the winning shot. That is the only thing that I can say today. Those winning shots, when you are normally in the middle, without thinking, you know the ball is going to go where you want it to go. And when I'm going up to the net, if I can say something, I was just doing those shots without thinking and maybe that is the next step, to do those shots without thinking, just make them.

Q. Is it the week that you were expecting?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, you know at the beginning I had that issue with my stomach and that was not expected, so overall I didn't have the control of the security what could happen this week. I said at the first day when I did the first press because I had to delay because of the stomach issue. I did it on Tuesday finally because of this virus that I had and I tell you, I had already trained. This was the week that I had trained the best one out of the previous one and without that, my feelings were much better than the previous weeks.

And afterwards we had to see it on the court, see what happened, because sometimes things don't click or don't change from one day to the other, even though you can have better feelings on your training. But sometimes things don't click. That is the first step to be training well, to feel good. But when you have good feelings during your trainings, then it's easier that things yes, click on the court and you are in the matches.

It's not a guarantee, of course. Luckily, today, against a very high-quality opponent, things have worked out, the match has fallen my way. I was expecting this kind of match and besides what he has managed to do or not, I think from my side, I have managed to go a step forward.

And it's very important. And this gives me the possibility to be in a semifinal, which is the third consecutive in the last few weeks. And I know for a few of you guys it might seem very little, this, due to everything I have been able to achieve during this last year on this surface, but I come from a complicated month with a lot of physical struggles. And the fact to be able to compete every single week I have been competing is a step forward for me. From then onwards, I think I have been able to consolidate a good base and try to give a little bit of base and energy. If you don't have that base that I'm talking about, or the energy, having your tennis game and playing well, you cannot do nothing.

Tomorrow it's a complicated day against a complicated opponent, who is doing well, and it's a very important test. And it is another match I have to be there trying to give my best, maybe the same as today or a bit better.

And just try to be competitive and continue on the same path because, as I said before, besides winning or losing, right now I'm in the correct path and in a positive path. And that is the important thing besides all the rest.

Q. When you were cheering the victory, when you were experiencing that victory, what came through your mind? You were really happy at the end? How does the victory feel after this last weeks that you have been recovering from all of your problems?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's just another victory. For me it is really nice. I play at night, at home, full of people, it was really crowded, and that is a feeling of playing well against an opponent that has a lot of quality and for me what is an important day.

I had the personal feeling I could give something extra and that is a big satisfaction. It gives me a lot of confidence, it builds up my confidence.

And also days like today gives you that extra that you might need sometimes to be able to go forward and, for me, as I told you, that was an important night. I have enjoyed it.

At the end, it worked out really well, so it's normal to experience the satisfaction I experience at the end of the match.

Q. Tomorrow you are facing Tsitsipas, another young player. Today he has beaten quite well Zverev, so how are you going to face tomorrow's match? How are you going to fight him?
RAFAEL NADAL: He's also a young player. He has a lot of potential, a lot of energy. He come from a really good month. He's playing well. He has won a lot of matches in a row. So, it's going to be one of these matches that is an opportunity.

It is a good test for me. I'm facing some of the best players. He has a lot of confidence. He's been playing well recently and it is an opportunity to test my level of game and to confirm those good feelings that I have had today on the court.

You need tough matches to be able to measure yourself, to be able to test yourself, to compete and to fight for every single point and to keep on finding the things that I might need.

Weeks like this really help me a lot in order to build my game and to improve and tomorrow is another extra opportunity and, hopefully, I will be ready to play against an opponent like the one I have to face tomorrow.

Q. Are you not at the level you are expecting to be this week?
RAFAEL NADAL: Today, I've been at the level I wanted to give and tomorrow it's another opportunity to play even better against a really young player. And today is a day to be satisfied, to be happy at things, how things have worked out today, and how I have been able to play against Wawrinka.

I managed to play with what I needed and maybe I was able to give that extra bit and from now on, just to focus after today and to win matches like today are very good, to build-up my confidence, to do what I need. And I'm just happy to be able to play tomorrow.

Hopefully, tomorrow, we will be able to confirm what I have done today.

THE MODERATOR: In English.

Q. How much does it help for tomorrow's match playing against a guy with a one-handed backhand today as well?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's a different match. It's a different day. So, (smiling) it's not a thing that I am thinking about. It's a chance to play against another great player. And it is always the same with these matches. I play very well. If I play very well, I'll have my chances. If not, it will be almost impossible.

Q. Do you consider this match today as your best match on clay this year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Close to it, yeah. Maybe, yes.

Q. The result against Thiem?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Different conditions, but maybe, yes.

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