NASDAQ-100 OPEN

April 3, 2005

Rafael Nadal

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I am happy for my tennis. I am improving. I am playing good. But today I won two sets to Love, 4-1 in the third, 4-3, Love-30, and the ball, the forehand of Federer, is out, should. The referee say good. But 5-3 in the tiebreak, he play one forehand on the line. But he is the No. 1, no? He won this matches and I am happy with my tennis and not too happy for the result final, no?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I lost little bit power in the fourth and five, I think. But in the third I have a good sensation, no, good feelings. I was playing good tennis and I am with confidence for win the match, no? But he play good the important moments, and I feel good. I think I play good match all time. But in the fifth set when he break me, the serve, I lost.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) He said at 4-3, he was still fighting.

RAFAEL NADAL: He broke the racquet I think in the 5-4, no, in the 5-4 in the third. So I... (Through translation). He says that there was a ball that they called in and that he was told it was, even on TV, that they saw it called out. It became 0-40, and he had to serve.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) He's played with a lot of players that throw their racquets. Of course it's surprising to see Federer throw his racquet, but it makes you think you're closer to victory because he's frustrated and throwing his racquet.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) Federer is a player who makes mistakes, and that's not his strength. His strength is the way he can surprise you, and that usually in those important moments he doesn't make mistakes.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't think I can won for the spin, no, I think I can won because I won two sets to Love and I am playing good, I have good feelings. I only think about the next points, no. I hope break the next game and think about the next set, no. (Through translation) He says that he played a very close game and he could have had it, and it wasn't because of the topspin that he could have won the game. It was because he was playing at his level and Federer had more pressure than he did.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) In the fifth set, once you get to that point, it's not really about experience. Federer hasn't lost in a very long time, and at that point he doesn't think...

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) Yeah, after the break.

RAFAEL NADAL: I gonna play Valencia now. I play against Ferrero first round (smiling). Good draw (laughing)? I play Valencia, is the first tournament for prepare Monte-Carlo. Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, I stop one week, and I play the next two Masters Series in Rome, Hamburg. I stop one week for play the French Open if I don't have injury for the first time.

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. (Through translation) Any time he plays well and then he plays matches like these, he has fun. But as soon as you lose the last point, the fun stops.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) He said he had been playing on clay before coming here and he had just gotten here. Of course at that point you're not thinking about the final unless, you know, you're playing against a Federer or Safin. In the first round, and he played Schuettler.

RAFAEL NADAL: Is my first final of Masters Series, no? I am little bit surprised. But I am playing good and I only hope not the last, no.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) He says it was a little bit of both. When you get to that point and you're playing against the best player in the world, he thinks he was prepared mentally, but at that point when you're playing against the best player in the world it's tough mentally as well.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) He says he's never played the French Open. He has a lot of other tournaments before then that he's concentrating on, three Masters Series tournaments that are just as important in his points for his ranking that he needs to concentrate on and is very intent on doing well in.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) He says he thinks he did a lot well. One of the biggest improvements was his serve. He says that if he can improve his serve and get points off his serve, that's one of the things he needs to improve on. And the control of his shots, control more the direction of his shots as well is something he needs to improve on, the placement of his shots.

RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation) In the fifth set, when I was losing 4-1, that's when I lost hope, in the second break.