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ROGERS MASTERS

August 9, 2007

Rafael Nadal

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Take a little longer than you should it should?
RAFAEL NADAL: The match?

Q. Yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, was tough match. Mathieu is a great player. I know he's coming with good confidence after his comeback against Cañas, beating maybe not easy yesterday against Mario.
So, but today is I wasn't play very well. I play especially in the last games of the first set and the beginning of the second, I play terrible with my forehand, no? Later, I have one nice point with one passing shot after I won the point there. After that, I changed little bit. I started feeling a little bit better the ball - not especially good, but better (smiling).
Well, I can have the break. That's help me win the second set. Was very important. In the third, I have breakout in the first game. The second game was important moment, too. Disappointing for me lose this second game. In the end, I can break him another time. That was the match, no?
So, just I have to improve for tomorrow, it's true. But I finish the match with better feelings than when I start, so that's always important.

Q. Did you feel early in the second set, he had six break points in your first three service games, do you feel like that really turned the match in your favor?
RAFAEL NADAL: Truly was important moment, very important moment. He had some mistakes with the forehand. I have some good serves there, too, one good forehand there.
So, yeah, was very important moment because if he break me in beginning of the second, well, you never know. The match is long. You going to continue in fight. But the confidence for him gonna be very, very important. If he break me, the match was not impossible, but be very tough.

Q. Was it good for you to have a three-set match to get used to playing on hard courts, to get into the hard court season?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is good, no, have more hours on court, is good for get the rhythm, more rhythm for tomorrow.
The important thing is win because if you win, you have more chances for play good next day, no?
So I know I am not playing my best, but I know I can change tomorrow, for example, no? If I win, I have the practice of tomorrow morning and the match of tomorrow for play better. I think I gonna do.

Q. Are these courts very fast?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the ball is not getting too much topspin here. The bounce is low. Well, yeah, it's one of the fastest of the tour. In hard courts, it's one of the fastest of the tour.
Anyway, I like. I like fast. I prefer a little bit faster than very slow. And, well, I prefer the ball, the bounce, a little bit more higher. I prefer the ball getting more topspin. The ball here is tough.

Q. How does it compare to the courts at the US Open?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not much different, no? I think the difference is the ball. US Open, you play with Wilson. There, the ball is not getting too much topspin, too. Yeah, you have to adapt to the ball, no?
In the tour, maybe is important change that, no? Is not very good have one tournament with one ball, and the next one with another ball because that's tough for the muscles, for the shoulder, and for the feeling, too, for the tennis, no?
But, well, for me, especially the difference is the ball.

Q. Do you find there's a big difference in the two balls?
RAFAEL NADAL: Always is a difference. Well, you know, I don't know if "big difference," but if you play with another one, someone ones is small, heavier. (Speaking in Spanish).
THE INTERPRETER: Faster. I prefer the ones that take the topspin, they're more alive.
RAFAEL NADAL: Depends of the weather, too. If humid, is cold. That's very important, too, no?

Q. What part of your games are you happy in the way you played today and what parts of your game do you feel you need to improve to get a win?
RAFAEL NADAL: I serve a little bit better today than yesterday. I have to continuing well. But I serve a little bit better. The backhand is working, is what my level is doing well. The forehand, I have to improve the forehand a lot for tomorrow.
I have little bit better feeling in the finish, the end of the match, because I can move a little bit more the ball, with more directions. So it's important for the confidence for tomorrow.
But, anyway, that's the point to improve. For the rest, a little bit the movement because before here I have one week off, and after I start to practice but slow, I had problem in the knee. I start to practice slow just with my uncle. So it was slow, because my uncle is not very good player (smiling). But, no, that's it. I need a little bit more days.
But win a match like this help me a lot, for sure.

Q. You were talking about your knee. Is it a hundred percent?
RAFAEL NADAL: Right now, it's hundred percent, but you never know.

Q. You are happy also with the way you served? You had a lot of breakpoints, but you defended them. Are you happy you can get more easy points?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am not totally happy about my serve today. I know a lot of days I serve better than today.
But if you compare yesterday and today, I improve. Always you have to look the positive way. The positive way is I serve better today than yesterday, and I start playing, touching very bad the ball with the forehand, I finished touching better the ball with the forehand.
That's important always, no, because if you start very well and you go down, is terrible.

Q. You must know Verdasco very well.
RAFAEL NADAL: Verdasco is doing well. The last month is playing so much better than the beginning of the season. So he's very tough player. Is one of the most dangerous players on the tour. Serving well, returning very well, unbelievable forehand. Going to be tough - very tough match.

Q. Do you know Dancevic at all in case he comes through?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't saw him too much play. But I know he has a very good serve, good volley, too. He's aggressive player, very aggressive player. So dangerous.

End of FastScripts

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