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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2007

Rafael Nadal

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is your emotion having won that match?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, was very important today for me, no? Very nice match. Very tough, too. Well, Andy is play an unbelievable level. He's very smart on court for sure, no? He change all the time the game, so that's very difficult for everyone.
But, well, I am very happy today. Was very, very, very important match for me, no? I was fighting all time. I need one victory like this, no?

Q. Are you relieved that you won?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, no, because is not that. I know was going to be a very difficult match against Andy and not relieved. I am happy for the victory because before the match I know I going to play a very difficult match against one of the best of the world. So that's it, no?
I just trying to play my best tennis for the victory, no?

Q. Did you expect him to be as good and to last five sets as he did?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, well, I know Andy is a very good player. He start very good the season. He play especially the second half of the season last year well, improving a lot his game. Maybe he's playing regular now all the time. He improve a lot.

Q. What did he do well tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he serve well in the important moments. The first set point, the first set, with his serve, he serve 218 outside. That's unbelievable, no? Well, he serve very well. He combine the balls large, short all the time, no? Change the game. That's very difficult for feel comfortable playing against him, no?

Q. Did he surprise you with the amount of times he came to the net?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. He play very good on grass, too. I know him. He sometimes go to the net. He start in the beginning serving and volley a lot of times against my forehand. Well, it was a little bit surprise for me, but this is smart, no?

Q. Did you feel you would have an advantage when it goes five sets because you are so fit?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I am not thinking if I have advantage when I am in the fifth, no? I just think about every point, fight every point, try to win every point. Because when you are in the fifth you can win, you can lose, anything.
Some points, no, I have in the first game of the fifth, breakpoints down. After I win the game, I have a break, playing well. In the next game, I was having maybe 15-40, no? So he has a lot of chances. In the fourth set, he has one 0-40, too.
All the time I was thinking about come back, about the victory. Maybe I was very strong today mentality, no?

Q. You've won Grand Slams. Do you think Andy can do the same?
RAFAEL NADAL: For sure.

Q. How good do you think he can be?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't know the future, no? But for sure he has big chances for be. Right now he's one of the top players in the world. He going to have the chances, sure, for win Wimbledon, Australia, Roland Garros, too, and US Open, because he play good in all surfaces, no?
And the important thing is he serve good, too. That's important for being in the top level.

Q. What do you think was the difference today? What made the difference between you winning and him not winning?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Really, I don't know. If you think for say something, I play more times in these matches. I play this time two years ago, two years ago here against Lleyton. Same match. I play in Roland Garros two times the final. One final of Davis Cup. I play quarterfinals of US Open last year, too. Final of Wimbledon.
That's help little bit because you know I can do it. So Andy, maybe his best results is this one in the Grand Slam. So is important have an experience for when you are on court think, Yeah, I was doing sometimes that; I can do it another time.
But he's young, too. This match is important for him, too. I don't know the next one when he going to be in the fourth round. He going to think, I can win, for sure.

Q. Was it cold out there?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I was going on toilet two times. That's true, no? I was drinking a lot. I was not sweat a lot. Maybe for that reason I was in the toilet. Maybe was not warm, no?

Q. You finished strong in the last two sets. That seemed to coincide with your first serves picking up. Did that give you more confidence?
RAFAEL NADAL: One moment I was thinking I don't know how I can serve because Andy was returning unbelievable the second serve. I was serving sometimes not bad the second serve. 152, 151 kilometers for hour, and his return was winner.
I just think Andy change something. I going to try to play more hard the first. I serve better maybe in the last two sets, no?

Q. I was asking whether that gave you the extra confidence to push hard in the last two sets.
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe I play more aggressive, my game in general, the last two sets. Especially the last one, too, I trying to have the game with my forehand, to play little bit more aggressive in the return with my forehand. I have some returns down the line. That's important. In the two breakpoints in the first, RI return the all like this.

Q. Can I ask about your next opponent, Fernando González.
RAFAEL NADAL: He play very good. He beat Blake. Blake was winning in Sydney and was playing very good here. He has very good victories against Del Potro last match. We will see. I need play my best for sure for try the victory.

Q. What about the way he plays compared to the way Andy Murray played you tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: His style? For sure is different than Andy, no? He serve well. He's serving well. I saw him today on TV. He was serving very well with big confidence. Maybe he improve the last months because he play -- sometimes last year I saw him and he play all time at full, pushing the hard very hard all the time with the forehand. Now he's playing with more calm all the time, sometimes slice the backhand. He improve a lot.

End of FastScripts

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