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US OPENSeptember 3, 2005Rafael NadalNEW YORK CITY THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. What are your emotions right now? RAFAEL NADAL: I just lost one of the best tournaments in the world, so I am not very happy now. Q. You knew he was fast. Did his speed surprise you today, his ability to get to just about everything you hit? RAFAEL NADAL: Who, Blake? Q. Yes. RAFAEL NADAL: No, he's playing well. I know that. I was playing very bad the first two days. I think today I improve a little bit, but not the best. Q. What do you think is the difference between you and Blake today? What was the difference? RAFAEL NADAL: I think he play better the important moments. Q. Are you feeling okay? Was there any trouble, you know, ankles, knees, anything? RAFAEL NADAL: I feel bad because I play bad. The other thing is he play better, and my physical is (still good?). Q. How did the impact of the crowd, what effect did that have on you, if any, today? RAFAEL NADAL: No, the public, good. Normal here. Support his player. The public is good. Just little bit sector in the right little bit is strong, because when I have a double-fault, when I have a mistake, so... But the public in general is good. Q. You broke serve to win the second set. You had momentum going into the third set, but you couldn't touch his serve in the third set. Why? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I had confidence. Because I lost the first set, I don't think I have good luck in the first set. I think I have a little bit bad luck. In the second set I can break in the 4-3, Love-40. I lost an unbelievable point there in the 30-40. After, in the 5-4, I play good game, I think I play aggressive. That's important. I get little bit confidence for the third. And in the third I begin well, but I play very, very bad one game with my serve, and after he improving a lot in his game and I come little bit down, no? Q. In the third set when you didn't return serve very well, do you have any explanation? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't remember. Sorry. Q. Did any part of his game surprise you? RAFAEL NADAL: No. Of course, he has a very good forehand. He's fast. So he have -- he has confidence. He played a final in Washington. He won last week in New Haven. He won two good matches in the two first rounds here. He's play with confidence, and I play -- I was playing bad the first two rounds. I improve a little bit this round, but not... Q. If you had to compare today's crowd here at the US Open versus the crowd in Seville when you played Andy at the Davis Cup final, how would you compare those two crowds? RAFAEL NADAL: We can't compare. These different moments, different surfaces, different situations. We can't do any compare-ation (sic) about this. Q. He seemed to play a lot of balls to your backhand. What was his plan of attack against you? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think. I don't think. He play normal. He play with his forehand with my forehand, too. He play good this shot. He serve well. He play aggressive, no? I think he play good match, and I don't play very good match. That's the really situation about the game. Q. Can you reflect at all on your year? I know it's a difficult moment. But nine titles, three Masters Series. Can you talk about sort of how you feel the year has gone so far. RAFAEL NADAL: Of course, I am happy for the year, but I can't say -- I can't speak now about the year because I am a little bit disappointed. I lost in one Grand Slam in third round. So is not easy for me now speak about the last tournament. Of course, when I finish the -- this season, the year, I will be very happy about the year. But, of course, now I don't feel good, no. Q. You had no chance at all in the final set. It went very quickly. Were you tired, or did you -- were you just -- RAFAEL NADAL: I lost little bit confidence about me, and after he play very well. Q. Did you lose your focus on how you wanted to perhaps try to come back against him in the third set? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I didn't, no. But I say I am not playing good this week. Today I begin the match with confidence, with ambition. But when I -- when the match come down in the third set, of course I return a little bit back confidence, the confidence of the last days. I'm little bit happy because I improve my game in the first two sets, so that's important for the next tournament. Q. What was it about James Blake's game today that gave you such difficulty? RAFAEL NADAL: He's playing with confidence. He has a very good forehand. He's serving well. He don't have a lot of mistakes. For that he won me, no? He beat me. Q. Did his athletic skill surprise you at all, the jumping, being able to get to the ball? RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, I watch him a lot of matches so I know that. Q. Do you think James can win this tournament this year? RAFAEL NADAL: Every player can have chance, but for me the best favorite is Federer. Now Hewitt have chance, of course. But still in the same side of Federer. And Agassi is most favorite than Blake. He has chance, of course, because he's playing well, but is the one for me. TRANSLATOR: He doesn't feel like he's the most favorite. He's not one of the players who is one of the favorite. Q. James has never beaten a top 10 player at a Grand Slam before. Were you surprised by his presence and will, that he just rose to the moment? RAFAEL NADAL: (Speaking in Spanish.) TRANSLATOR: He doesn't really think so. You have your ups and downs in the season. There are some moments where you have more confidence, and this is one of his great moments. End of FastScripts…. |
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