TMS - MADRID

October 22, 2005

Rafael Nadal

THE MODERATOR: My fault we were late.

RAFAEL NADAL: I was at the masseuse.

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.

RAFAEL NADAL: I'm not worried. I've only got one match left.

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.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, that was not the problem. I played well.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Yeah, telephone, telephone.

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.

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. They're starting the third set.

RAFAEL NADAL: The one that plays worse tomorrow, that's the one I prefer.

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?

RAFAEL NADAL: (In English.) Yes, that's very important. I think that's the deciding factor for the victory.

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?

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.

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.