|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
MEDIBANK INTERNATIONALJanuary 9, 2007Rafael NadalSYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES Q. What's the problem? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I have a problem here. I don't know the name exactly, the place in English, but here (indicating inner thigh). I don't know why exactly. I really don't know when. The pain started yesterday on the plane. When I was on the plane I started to feel some pain here. And when I go out I feel it a little bit more. I am trying my best last year with my physio trying to do massage or everything. This morning the same, I go warm up this morning, I don't feel very well. But I am trying on court, but I feel not 100 percent. I asked to the official, the trainer is coming to the court, I asked him, and he said to me if I am continuing that I can get worse, so I stopped. Q. What are your thoughts about your Australian Open campaign? Are you still playing at this stage? RAFAEL NADAL: When? Q. Are you still playing Australian Open at this stage? RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I'm going to play for sure. There's nothing broke, no -- maybe contracture, that's correct? Q. Tight? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, it's tired (sic), too much tired. I hope in two more days I will be 100 percent because I want to play the Australian Open for sure. It's very important for me, and last year I can't play, and this year I want to play there; it's important, so I will try my best. Q. If it was the Australian Open today, could you have played on with your injury? Could you have continued? RAFAEL NADAL: You never know, you never know. But I asked the physio, and the physio said if you continue, that's going to be worse. I don't know, I need to feel the feelings. Here I try my best, really my best. I want to play because it's a good preparation for the Australian Open to play here. So for me it was disappointing going out. I never want to go out of the court. Q. Does the injury make you feel nervous going into the Australian Open? RAFAEL NADAL: I hope. I speak with the officials of the ATP, I speak with my physio, and they tell me it's very tired, and they feel with treatment, in two more days, going to be 100 percent. Q. What sort of treatment are you getting, massage, ice? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, massage for sure. I am taking some anti-inflammatories, and I don't know yet. I was in the locker room, in the training room doing some stretching and massage. I come here after that. I don't have any occasion for do something. Q. Will you do the treatment in Sydney or go to Melbourne for your treatment? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I will go to Melbourne. Q. Tomorrow? RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe I go tomorrow. Q. Have you had this problem before? RAFAEL NADAL: No. Q. You had no inkling in Chennai? RAFAEL NADAL: No. I have one problem in Chennai in my back, and I played the semifinals of doubles, but nothing else. Q. This injury aside, how are you feeling mentally for the Australian Open? Are you feeling strong mentally? RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I am feeling 100 percent fine. I was practising very hard in Mallorca, Spain, trying to come here with my best, and I've got to continue like this because I want to play a very good season this year. Last year at the start of the season, and this year I want to start it good. Q. The Australian Open is always a very physically demanding tournament. How much more difficult is it going to be for you now with this injury hanging over you? RAFAEL NADAL: I said to you before, I hope in two days it's going to be 100 percent fine, so I hope it don't affect. Q. Do you enjoy playing at Melbourne Park? RAFAEL NADAL: I enjoy a lot. It's one of my favourite places, maybe one of my favourite tournaments of the year. I play very good every time there. I play one fourth round and one third round two times against Lleyton, very nice matches, especially the second, the fifth set, so I want to play there because it's very special and it's my favourite center court. Q. Do you think the rebound ace is going to bring you closer to Roger? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't think about Roger because Roger is No. 1 now and I am very young, and on the Tour there's a lot of good players out of Roger. Roger is the best. It's very difficult to be like Roger because for me he's a special guy. For me he's the best of the history. It's very difficult to try to go to Roger. But now my goal is continuing to be one of the top players in the world and continuing improving my game. I am happy this year I start the season with a better serve. I am serving so much better, so that's important to my game. Now I need more matches, I need to get the rhythm and play matches and play with my best tennis. Q. What did you think of Chris? RAFAEL NADAL: Unbelievable serve. Terrible (laughter). For me one or two of the best serves in the world with Karlovic maybe. Unbelievable. I can't touch (laughter). End of FastScripts… |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|