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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 17, 2006

Rafael Nadal

CINCINNATI, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When you played your first full season in about 2003, did you expect to get to No. 2 so quickly?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, sure, I wasn't thinking about be No. 2, no? That's very nice for me. I work a lot for be in the top players of the world. But I was -- my goal was be in the top -- first of all in the top 50, after in the top 20, after in the top 10. And when I was the top 10, top 5. And after, No. 2, no?

Q. What has that been like for you, just kind of being so successful so soon in your career?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't know, no? I am happy for that. I have a very good career now. I am young. I can improve a lot of things. But now, if I stopped playing now, sure, I have a very good career, no? The important thing is improve this career, no? So I have time.

Q. Earlier today Ferrero said that the courts are pretty fast here, which might help him against you because it would make the points go by a little quicker.
RAFAEL NADAL: Ferrero say that?

Q. Yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: So that's true.

Q. You think that's true?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? If he say that, it's okay. I don't know, no? Gonna be a tough match, so I just think gonna be a tough match. He's a very good player. We will see tomorrow.
Gonna be a tough match. I need play my best tennis.

Q. Do faster courts make things more difficult for you, though?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sometimes, yes; sometimes, not. I was playing the final of Wimbledon, that's (significant?), no? Last year I play Montreal, I won in Montreal, and Montreal is faster than here, for sure. I won in Madrid, and Madrid is faster than here, too.
That's not the reason for play good, for play bad, for lose tomorrow, for win tomorrow. If I play good tomorrow, I have chances to win. If I play bad, I gonna lose. So that's the thing.

Q. Does it seem strange to have Roger out of the tournament so early? Normally, you are heading towards a final together when you were together.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, is the second time this year I am in the tournament, he is out, no? First one in Barcelona, and now the second time. But is the first time when we are playing the two, he and me, he's out and I am in the tournament, no?
But is nothing special, no? Is not -- I am not thinking about the final. I thinking about the quarterfinals tomorrow. That's the thing.

Q. Can you talk about your match today, what you thought about Tommy and how you played.
RAFAEL NADAL: I play a good match. I feel comfortable on court. I am happy because I was beginning the match very well. I was playing my best tennis in the first games. After, I had some mistakes, easy mistakes, for the break. So the match after gonna be tough, no, after the -- when he come back and break me after my break, no?
So but I play good match. I feel comfortable on court, so that's the most important thing, no?

Q. Other than Carlos Moya, were there any other Spanish players you grew up watching, admiring? Did you follow Juan Carlos at all when you were growing up?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, my favorite was Moya. Sure, Ferrero was a (indiscernible). He was, when I was younger, he was the number top 10. I saw him when he won the Davis Cup for Spain in 2000 maybe. So after, when I was playing my first tournaments in the tour he was the No. 1.

Q. Do you usually get such a big crowd to watch your doubles match? That court was packed over there today.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, sometimes. Sometimes that's nice, no? Is a good atmosphere for the doubles, so that's good for the doubles, too, no?

Q. Can you go anywhere at home and not be recognized? Do you just get mobbed, people asking for your autograph or taking pictures everywhere you go when you're at home? Can you go to the supermarket or anywhere?
RAFAEL NADAL: At my home?

Q. Yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I can do everything at my home. I live in a small village and the people, everybody knows me, but not for famous, no? Everybody know me because they know me, because the village is small. So everybody now is know me because I am famous, but I go to the supermarket and I go to the party, I go to the cinema without sign - not one autograph. That's nice sometimes, too, no?

Q. I was going to ask you, is that nice, when you can be yourself?
RAFAEL NADAL: Everything is nice. So sometimes I want to feel the same like other guy, normal guy of 20 years, no, because I am normal guy.
So after, well, here, when I am here and everybody is coming to me asking me autograph, so that's very impressive, too, no?

Q. About how many people live in your village, would you say? Do you know?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, we are between 1,000 and 30,000 (laughing).
No, no, no. We was 30,000. Thirty, 32,000.

Q. You are a young guy at 20. Can you comment on some of the other young guys in the top 30 like Berdych.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, maybe gonna be the future top 10s, no - Berdych, Murray, Gasquet, Djokovic. Monfils, we will see. But maybe for me is Djokovic, Gasquet. Djokovic, Gasquet, Murray and Berdych gonna be in the top 10 for sure. I don't know if this year, I don't know next year. But for me, gonna be the top 10.
But in the top 10, just ten, huh? I always say he's gonna be in the top 10, but is just ten. If he could go to the top 10, I go out, so, I don't know (laughing).

Q. What did you learn from Moya growing up?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, he is my friend, so I have a good relationship with him. I know him. I was practicing with him since when I was 14, so I know him a lot, no?

Q. You haven't done so well in the past here in Cincinnati. This year you've won your first matches here. How does that feel? Do you feel a bit more comfortable playing here now or not?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the first year I lost here. I lost two unbelievable matches, no - first year against Chela 5-2 in the third, and last year against Berdych, three matchpoints down -- up. I lost the matchpoint.
So the first year I wasn't play my best tennis in the moments. I come back after one injury, important injury, for four months, and I am not feeling comfortable.
Last year I was playing very good in Montreal, and I arrive here and is a big change, no?

Q. So if you're able to do well here, what kind of confidence will you have going to the US Open this year as opposed to last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Last year I was playing good. I was winning Montreal, so I was arriving to the US Open with good confidence. But maybe I had one mistake - I come back here, I play here, and after I come back to home, to Mallorca. So that's tough because is jetlag and jetlag another one time when I come back after seven, eight days.
So this year I change. I say, Well, I gonna be here for one month. So I don't come back to home, because when I come back to home sometimes is tough because I can't play at good level with some players. So if I am still here, I can play every day with a good player, so that's important for the arrive, no?

End of FastScripts...

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