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WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2006

Rafael Nadal

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Rafael, please.

Q. How does it feel to be in the Wimbledon quarterfinals?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, very happy, sure, no? Is very important for me be in the quarterfinals. If you look at the statistic, that is very difficult for any Spanish.
I am very happy. Today I play serious the match. I am very, very happy because is not -- I wasn't think that before the tournament, no?

Q. Are you surprised to be in the quarterfinals?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure, no? I know I am playing very, very good tournament so I (speaking Spanish).
INTERPRETER: My goal, I achieved my goal.
RAFAEL NADAL: Because I am not playing bad on this surface, no?

Q. How difficult was it to keep your concentration today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, was tough, no? He was joking a lot, (speaking Spanish).
INTERPRETER: Fooling around.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, so is not easy, but is okay, no? I was very concentrate all time. I wasn't see the other guy. It's always -- it's okay, no? I just was thinking about the match and the victory, no more.

Q. Did you expect that from him today?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't expect nothing. I just think about the match, no, about the game. Not think about the other things before the match, no? And in the match, too. For me, is the same. He can do anything.

Q. Was a strange match.
RAFAEL NADAL: Was strange because he is playing very tough, no? He play all balls tough, so I have my chance in the second set. I have breakpoints in the 4-4 maybe. I can't. He has one ace, two good serves. So was tough.
But after, in the tiebreak, I am -- I (speaking Spanish.)
INTERPRETER: Got.
RAFAEL NADAL: -- I got my concentration all the time.

Q. Difficult to find a rhythm maybe today as well?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, was very important I play a very, very good match. I touch very good the ball, so play with a lot of confidence. Is impossible because he is playing without rhythm, no?

Q. Next is Nieminen. You had a very tough match in Barcelona.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I play against Nieminen, one match before this tournament one grass here, no?

Q. You played on clay, but was tough.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, but is different, no? We can't compare the clay against the grass. I remember in clay I have very tough match, I was losing 4-1, no? Here is all different. Maybe is more difficult. So we gonna see, no?

Q. There was coverage in a French newspaper yesterday according that your name is on a list of Dr. Francis who is suspected of doing blood doping for sportsmen.
RAFAEL NADAL: I gonna speak in Spanish and he gonna translate.
INTERPRETER: I don't want to speak about untrue statements, nonsense. I've never taken anything in my life, and I never will. I'm well enough educated in the sporting world and out of sporting world to not cheat. People who write lies about other people are bad people.
There's nothing more to say about this. It's lies and it's just people who write lies are bad people. He's a coward. He should sign what he writes at the bottom. My manager is speaking to my lawyers.

Q. Your tennis has improved on grass tremendously over the last year. I heard somewhere that you had built a grass court in Spain and were practicing on it. Is that true?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was practicing...? In golf, I was looking.
INTERPRETER: Visualizing.

Q. It's very hot here at the moment, obviously. Is it helping maybe you because the courts are a bit firmer and a bit harder perhaps than before?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure is better for us, for the Spanish, if is good weather, no? Is better that, no?

Q. What do you do for fun in Wimbledon to relax after your match?
RAFAEL NADAL: Relax a lot, fun, no, match. Have a house here, one minute here walking. So I am cooking. That's my best. I enjoy my best. The day after the match, after watching the television, watching films. No more. Not a lot of things. Not much.

Q. We heard your statement about this. What is your opinion about cycling in general and what has happened with cycling and this top sport?
INTERPRETER: He doesn't know. He doesn't want to speak about something he doesn't know about. It's something that harms other sports as well. The fact that it happens in cycling damages other sports.

Q. You had a time warning, and I think Agassi was joking that you took a little time between your points. Are you making more effort to take less time between points, or you're just playing your time as normal?
RAFAEL NADAL: Agassi is playing very fast, no? He's faster. Always he is prepared. So I am playing with the normal time.

Q. Your normal time. You're not paying any attention; you're being yourself?
RAFAEL NADAL: No (indiscernible) attention today. The first day lot of matches, no? So that's good. I am improving in my time. I don't have problems before in February, so now is not possible have problems now, no, because I am doing the same.

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