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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 16, 2006

Rafael Nadal

CINCINNATI, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your shirt says "hard court specialist."
RAFAEL NADAL: What?

Q. Your shirt says "hard court specialist." I think that's what it says. Is this the surface you're becoming comfortable on now? Do you think you'll ever be as comfortable on hard court as on clay?
RAFAEL NADAL: The thing is if I am playing good, is if I am playing bad. Because I play very good tournaments on hard court, no? The thing is not if I feel comfortable on hard court or not, the thing is I play good, I play bad. If I play good, I can play good. If I play bad, I play bad here, on clay, and every place.

Q. I noticed you used the volley a few times today when it was needed. How much do you practice on that? How much do you want to incorporate that, utilize that in your game?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, is important, volley better, no? I improve a little bit the volley maybe. I practice a lot before Wimbledon. So if you are playing better on the baseline, so you have more chances for volley better, no, because the volley is more easy.
But today is not that, no? Today I volley some difficult volleys, and I (speaking Spanish)...
THE MODERATOR: He played them well, like he got them.
RAFAEL NADAL: Si, I play well the volleys.

Q. Is hard court more a challenge for you than clay? Your record on clay is so dominant it would seem that maybe hard courts aren't as good for you as clay.
RAFAEL NADAL: My challenge is improve in every surface. I can improve more on clay, too. I can improve on grass. I can improve in every place. I am young, I just have 20, just 20 and a few months, no?
So my goal is improve in every surface. My goal is improve the game - not in hard court, but in every surface. But for improve in every surface, I need improve my game. So that's the challenge, no?

Q. What do you want to achieve? You've already won so much in this sport. When Andy Roddick was No. 2, his thing was he wanted to beat Roger Federer. Well, you've already done that several times.
RAFAEL NADAL: I want to be happy playing tennis, that's the most important thing for me. And I want to be happy in my life, without the tennis, no? The more satisfaction for one person is the work for me, no? If you are working well, you gonna finish your career with a good satisfaction, and that's my goal, no? I would love that, no?

Q. Were you happier with how you played today compared to your last match?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. Maybe I play -- I don't play bad today, no? I was playing a good match, especially after the -- after some games, no? Because I was returning bad in the beginning, very short, very slow. And after, I change that, no? Is attitude much hard and more (indiscernible), so that's important on my game, no?

Q. Is that because you are getting used to the conditions now, the different conditions, becoming accustomed to them?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I feel better. When I was practicing warm-up today before the match, I feel better on court, I feel more comfortable, with more confidence when I am touching the ball. So that's important, very important.

Q. Is it also quicker but it bounces up higher here? Is that what happens?
RAFAEL NADAL: Here is a little bit quicker. Maybe that's good, too, for me, no? Because with my serve, I won more points. And in the baseline I can play good, too, no? So tomorrow I will have a very difficult match against Haas. That's a good test.

Q. You said before Wimbledon people were asking you what your expectations were for Wimbledon, and you were saying, Hey, listen, three or four years, put myself in position to succeed on grass, because it's a goal of yours. You go this year, you make the final. Does that change your expectations for a US Open or Australian Open because you already succeeded, got to a final on a surface that is least suitable for your game?
RAFAEL NADAL: You never know. Because you are playing well in Wimbledon, I was playing well in Wimbledon, I was serving well. You can play the final because you are the No. 2 in the world, so you have experience. When you are winning three, four matches in one surface, you have chances. Because for anything, you are the No. 2, no? You have more experience than the other guys in the important moments, so that's important in the final rounds.
So for that reason, I can play good. I was play good on Wimbledon, but maybe I play my best tournament in the year in Wimbledon, no? Wimbledon and Rome for me was the best tournaments in the year. I was playing my best tennis. Monte-Carlo semifinal and final, too.
But I say always that. I want to continue improve. I play final now in Wimbledon, but I say the same before Wimbledon now, and it improve for in the next three, four years I have -- for gonna be have a good chance, no, for win. That's important.

Q. Which improvements have you made on the mental part of the game?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Maybe I always have a good mentality, very a lot of motivation always when I go on court (speaking Spanish)...
THE MODERATOR: He always has a lot of fun playing.
RAFAEL NADAL: I love the competition, so that's good, no, for the game. Maybe now I have little bit more experience because I am playing a little bit more big matches, no, with pression. So that's important, too.

Q. One of your points in the second set they replayed. Do you like replay? How do you think that's working out?
RAFAEL NADAL: The challenge, the HawkEye?

Q. Yeah, yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: Is okay. Is okay. Is part of the show, no? If like this tennis gonna be better, for me it's okay.

Q. Next season what will give you more satisfaction: to win your third French Open or first Wimbledon?
RAFAEL NADAL: So we gonna think now in the US Open, no? That's the most important thing now. Next year we will see.
But, sure, always you prefer win some different thing, no? I always say my dream is win any day on Wimbledon, no? I know that's very difficult for any Spanish, but with a good mentality and with big motivation and with working a lot, you have always a little bit chance, no - small chance.

Q. The WTA is going to allow coaching during matches. How much do coaches matter, and should the ATP allow that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe that's stupid. Stupid because for why? For what you have a coach? For being in the chair like this (sitting with arms crossed). He's coming to Australia for anything, no? You can go just you.
So for me is important, the coaching. Is part of the show, too. You have one coach for anything, not for don't say nothing. So for me, the coaching is (speaking Spanish)...
THE MODERATOR: It's a change that is needed.
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, the WTA, that's the new rule, that's perfect. That's a good rule. I hope in the next month in the ATP gonna be change that, no, too?

Q. How famous are you in the United States compared to Europe? Do fans recognize you here in the United States as much as they do in Europe?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, maybe the same, no? Is okay. In every place, so that's good. I feel good here in the United States every time. Very good atmosphere here when I was playing doubles two days ago, unbelievable. Yesterday in the match was good. Today is, too early, at eleven. But always is good. In Toronto was very, very nice. I feel good here in America, no?

End of FastScripts...

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