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WIMBLEDONJuly 7, 2006Rafael NadalWIMBLEDON, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Good evening. Rafael Nadal. Questions, please. Q. Since the beginning of the tournament you've said you just wanted to improve on grass. Now you're in the finals. How do you feel? Are you surprised? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure, I am surprised, no? Maybe I improve it a little bit, no? So, sure, no, is -- I'm very happy now for me. Is unbelievable results here, no? Is very difficult. For me, is the most difficult thing in the year for sure, no, and the best tournament for me when I playing, no? Q. What do you feel you now need to do for Sunday? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I just finish my match. But, sure, I gonna have a very, very, very difficult match I gonna play against one of the best of the history, especially in this surface - in all surface, but in this one more. So I need play my best match in my life, no, for win. So I gonna try that. Q. Two weeks ago you said you thought you had no chance of winning Wimbledon. Here you are. How have you learned so much so quickly? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I put my best in every practice, in every match, every point. I am playing with a lot of concentration, with big motivation. I enjoying, no? I am playing, enjoying the tournament. I put all on the court always, no? So maybe for that I am in the final, no? Q. Can I ask you to comment why you won't go to Swedish Open? Can you also give a message to your Swedish fans, especially female fans. RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, for me is impossible to go to Swedish, no? Is one of my favorite tournaments of the year. I was there the last three years. So for me is very nice, this place. I am disappointed for don't go to Bastad. But is impossible after -- after I don't know. I have the last months. I just stop three days, no? Is not -- is impossible, no? But I want to say sorry to the Swedish fans and see you in Stockholm, no? Q. At one point, Baghdatis hit a serve that was wide and it was called good and you were very upset for a moment. Can you talk about how you kept your focus after that happened and didn't continue to be upset. RAFAEL NADAL: The ball was out or good? Q. It was out. RAFAEL NADAL: I say to the referee, After, go to the TV. No, no, I am sure. I am sure is in the line. After, go to the TV. No, sure is a tough moment because I saw the ball out, and is a set point, set point for the second set. And was very important for me, no? But is not good for me, this moment. But after I -- Marcos -- the next point I remember, the next point, no? I have a return. He go first (indiscernible), I return slice. He put one ball, I arrive very difficult, I put another one very easy for me, and he repeat me, no? I put the passing here and he miss the backhand volley, no? So this point, this point was decisive in the match, no? Q. In the last five matches, your serving has been way up here. RAFAEL NADAL: The last six. Because in the second, in the second match I lost the first two sets, but in the -- I win third. I win the next three. But, yeah, today I have a lot of problem, a lot of breakpoints. Q. But you held serve every time. RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, but I have one Love-40. Q. But the whole point is you concentrated and held serve. Have you ever concentrated as much as you have on your serve in this tournament? RAFAEL NADAL: Sure, I am serving well, I am playing with very good concentration in my serve. Because if you don't lose a serve for five match, is impossible without a good concentration don't lose the serve, no, especially with my serve, no? So I am serving well. I am serving with confidence. Today maybe is the day of -- the day when I have more breakpoints down. But I don't know, no? I have little bit lucky in the 4-3, Love-40. 4-3, 4-2? In the third? Q. 4-2. RAFAEL NADAL: 4-2. Yes, 4-2, Love-40. I play very good point. But after, I all the time stay with very good concentration, so that's very important, no? Q. Do you take any inspiration from knowing that Bjorn Borg, who was fundamentally a clay court player, played with a clay court grip, etc., was such a great champion here? RAFAEL NADAL: I can't give a lot this relation to Borg because I never saw him, I just saw him some points when is raining. In the locker is putting the last finals, no? But sure, if he -- yeah, Borg, he was unbelievable, no? He won six times in Roland Garros, five times here. So that's unbelievable, no? Q. Because you have such a good record already against Roger, does it mean that even though it's on grass you can play him with no fear? RAFAEL NADAL: (Speaking Spanish). Oh, sorry. I have fear to Roger any surface, no? So on this surface more because he is the best, no? He is the best on all surfaces, but here more, no? More different. If you look his matches, he is winning very easy. He is playing very good and he won the last three times here and this year is in the final. So gonna be very, very difficult, no? Q. Are you having to play differently on grass to how you play on clay? RAFAEL NADAL: Hmm? Q. Do you play different tennis on grass to how you play on clay? RAFAEL NADAL: I play more aggressive for sure, no? With putting more concentration in the serve. When I touch the ball with my forehand, I am trying every shot doing -- do anything, no? I going to the net more times. I am using a little bit more the slice sometimes. So that's the change, no? And I am running good now, no? I am running. I adapt very good the run here. I am running very well, no? Q. You said you were happy with the preparation that you made after the French Open for grass. Can you talk a little bit about how you prepared and how you adjusted your game for the grass? RAFAEL NADAL: I am happy with the preparation because I put my best mentality after French. Is not easy, won a Grand Slam, Monte-Carlo, Rome, Barcelona, and after that continuing with the best concentration, no? So after the final of French Open, the next day I come to Queen's and I am practicing in Queen's the next day, no, and the next afternoon. The next day, I played double -- no, it was raining. The next day I am trying to practice more. I am trying. My idea was practice four hours the next day, but I can't because was raining. I played the first match against Mardy Fish with very good concentration, with very good motivation. I know -- before the match I know is gonna be very difficult match, but is important. If I win this match, if I can play some matches here, that's very important for Wimbledon, no? So I am trying my best there. I finish because I have my problem in the shoulder. And after, I come back to Mallorca just two days, no, because I have one TV spot. And I come back here, no, on Tuesday morning for practicing Tuesday afternoon. I am practicing every day. So that's my preparation, no? Q. Would you swap your two French Open titles for one Wimbledon title? RAFAEL NADAL: What? Q. Would you prefer to win one Wimbledon title ahead of your two French Open titles? RAFAEL NADAL: I prefer two (smiling). I prefer two: two French and one Wimbledon. Q. Why does Wimbledon mean so much to you, because some Spanish players have not given Wimbledon so much importance over the years? RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe the Spanish put importance, no? But sometimes the Spanish playing, is playing the lot of matches on clay and come back here a little bit tired. But is important put a good motivation, good concentration and in the preparation for this tournament. But we play good, no? We play Verdasco here, fourth round, with two sets one, 3-0 for be in the quarterfinals. Ferrer lost against Hewitt in fourth round, too. Ferrero lost last year in fourth round, too. Feliciano last year is in quarterfinals. We are not playing very bad. We are very improving maybe. Q. Today it was raining early on and your match was delayed. Do you have a problem at all when it rains? Do you ever get worried by the rain? RAFAEL NADAL: Can you repeat, please? Q. When it rains, does that ever worry you? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure, no? Is boring, no? I am in the locker room, waiting. I come to the here outside in the grass. Yeah, outside, here. So, no, not a lot of things I can do, no, because today I can't go to the home because I am not practicing before. So I am waiting. Very good patience, no?
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