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WIMBLEDONJuly 1, 2006Rafael NadalWIMBLEDON, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Rafael Nadal. Q. You played well today? You are happy? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, yeah. Q. How did you feel? You got into your rhythm very quickly. RAFAEL NADAL: What? Q. You seemed to be moving very well, good rhythm very early. Were you happy with that as opposed to yesterday when it was, you know, a bit tougher? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, no, is okay. I think in the beginning I play good, no? On the warm-up, the five minutes, I was thinking I gonna lose easy. Agassi was touching the ball unbelievable, very low, very tough. I can't return the ball. But in the match, always is different, no? Maybe I serve my best day in my career, sure. Q. We also saw at the French Open you were behind the baseline, couple of feet behind the baseline. But today you were right on the baseline. You stepped up into the match. Are you changing your play for grass? RAFAEL NADAL: Not always I go inside, no? But I need go a little bit more aggressive here, I need play little bit more aggressive. So, yeah, I'm trying, no? I'm trying to improve every day. The last match was very important, no? Q. What does this match mean to you and what does it show you about how far you might go here at Wimbledon? RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, I need go day to day, no? I need think about Labadze now, this match. Gonna be a difficult match, sure. He's playing well and he's a dangerous player. He play tough. He has a good serve. So gonna be difficult, no? I know today I play a very good match. That's important for my confidence for the next match and for belief I can play good here. So I am happy for that, and tomorrow I gonna think about Monday, no? Q. How memorable do you think those last few moments were, beating Andre Agassi and also having the time on the court where he spoke and you spoke and you both got the crowd's attention and adulation? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, was very emotional, no? I am very happy for Andre because he (speaking Spanish) deserve. So he deserve that because he's one of the best players in the history. He's a legend player. He has unbelievable career, no? Q. It seemed like your celebrations, both after important points and at the end of the match, were a little less emotional. RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure, is not my day, no? Today I play my best match, but is not my day for have a good celebration, no? Is his day. Q. You spoke before about this being good for your belief, playing on grass. Do you have that belief now, do you believe you can beat the best players in the world on this surface? RAFAEL NADAL: I believe I need improve. I believe that, sure, no? I believe that I can play good matches, but I need improve for play with regularity. Q. Consistency? RAFAEL NADAL: Consistense (sic) with myself, serve like today. I don't serve like today every day. But I need improve my serve for any day, serve every day like this, no? That's very important in this surface. And the rest, if you are serving well, the rest is more easy, no, because you play with more calm, you can return with more calm, and that's decisive, no? Q. If you can do it once, you must feel that it can be done? You showed today you can do all those things. RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I know, I know. I know if I am playing well, I can win a good matches, no? So that's important for -- I say before, no? That's very important for my confidence for this tournament, but for the future, no? Is important for continuing practicing with illusion, with motivation. Because any day, one day in the next years, I want to have a chance for play the final here. Q. Andre spoke about how well you moved today on the court. Can you talk about the challenge for you of running and moving on grass? RAFAEL NADAL: Is little bit more difficult for me, no? But is important understand the surface, no, understand the court, learn to run in this court, no? You need go little bit more like this, not like this all the time. You understand me? Q. I think so. It's feeling more natural? RAFAEL NADAL: I can how you more... (smiling). Q. It's becoming easier for you to understand the surface? RAFAEL NADAL: Easy? Sure is not easy, no? So two days ago I was two sets to down, no, with one more point and I am now in the beach at home, no? Today I was (putting his arms behind his head.) You know the tennis and the sport is like this. I play one shot on the line, on the 40 -- the deuce, no? Q. What did you say to each other at the end with Andre Agassi? RAFAEL NADAL: No, he say me congratulations for all, for the last months, and the best of luck for the future, no? And I say he is the best, he is unbelievable, and congratulations for his career, no? Q. You've now got a day free to relax in London. What will you do to relax and to prepare for Monday? RAFAEL NADAL: The same like every day, day off, no? So this afternoon I gonna buy some things because in the home I don't have no more things for dinner. I finish. Maybe a little bit massage. After, I gonna show the football. Brazil against France tonight. Tomorrow maybe I gonna practice 45 minutes, the same like every day off, and stay with calm, no? I don't think I gonna -- I don't gonna have a lot of things. Q. Since Spain is not playing in the World Cup anymore, who is winning the World Cup in your opinion? RAFAEL NADAL: My opinion, I don't know, because is just one match. And is not easy have a prediction, no? So we gonna see. Brazil wasn't playing very well, but, you know, no? They have unbelievable players, no? We will see tonight. I think Brazil gonna have a difficult match tonight, no?
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