	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 15, 2008

Rafael Nadal

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. NADAL/N. Djokovic
7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. If someone had said to you after Paris that you'd be sitting there with that trophy, what would you have said?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, almost impossible. Impossible not, but very difficult, no? The tournament here was very, very tough. Best players of the world. I mean, Halle, some ones are there, too. But here, too, the draw was very, very tough. Well, I can't imagine I be here won the title before the tournament, no?
Finally, I played very good week. The organization was very, very nice with me always. Lot of facilities. You know, when you are tired coming here, sometimes it's tough mentally be a hundred percent. But the people was always very, very nice with me. That's help me a lot.

Q. You looked very comfortable on grass. Do you feel comfortable? Moving well? Hitting the ball well?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, sure, I am playing very well, no, for beat against Karlovic, Roddick, especially Djokovic today. If I'm not playing very well, is impossible, no?
But the feeling on grass is strange. Sometimes is coming, is going sometimes. You have to be very focused all the time because if you lost one game with your serve, it's very difficult later.

Q. Going into Wimbledon, how different do you feel about the prospect of Wimbledon this year as opposed to this time last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: I mean, not much difference, no? The same. I try. For sure, important thing is the title here. Later probably that's give me more confidence. But I have the confidence. I give my confidence, full confidence, in Roland Garros, too.
So for confidence, doesn't matter. Maybe that's give me little bit more. But last few years I played quarterfinals here, and I went to Wimbledon and I played very well. And this year I won. And you never know what's going on in Wimbledon.
I think I am playing well. And if I am continuing play like this, I am going to have chances for have a good result there.

Q. Is your serve the biggest improvement from a year ago?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, for grass surface, I improve some things, no? The serve is important. That's very important. But I play more slices, changing the way of the point with some slice sometimes. That's important because you can play with different rhythms. So for the opponent, that's more difficult. I know especially -- for when you play against, for example, Roger, and Roger gives you one slice, and later he put the forehand with topspin, is big changes during the point. Especially on grass is very difficult, no?
So with the volley, I feeling well, too. When I going to the net, I have some good volleys. So I worked very hard during all the years for improve these things. And right now I feel I improve a little bit, no?
But if I want to continue be in this positions, I have to continuing improve always.

Q. You seem by the majority of people in tennis as clay court king. Now your name is on the trophy with some of the greatest grass court players of all time. What does that actually mean to you?
RAFAEL NADAL: For sure for me, win here is all the surface win, I never win before. I have titles in all the surfaces right now, so I am more complete player right now than one week before (smiling).
No, I am joking. I am not agree with this.
Anyway, if I don't have a title here, I was play well the last years, too, no? Win here, win prestigious tournament like this, very traditional tournament here in London, in Queen's, best players of the world are here in the past. So be here, near close to the other players, are very nice for me -- is very nice.

Q. What do you plan to do for the next few days?
RAFAEL NADAL: Golf tomorrow morning. I don't know in the afternoon yet. Some days at home.

Q. Just relax?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. I don't want to practice at home. It's enough. What do you think (smiling)?

Q. When will you come back?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't decide. Not yet. Wednesday, Thursday. Depends. But the true, I didn't decide.

Q. What do you think your uncle will be thinking sitting at home knowing you won a grass court tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, is special person. He can think a lot. I don't know. But for sure he's very happy, winning against Roddick, winning against Djokovic, big opponents, big players. He was very happy yesterday about my win. He said me after the match I played really, really well.
I didn't speak with him, not yet. I don't know what's his opinion. But I am sure he is very happy because today I think I play my best match on Queen's.

Q. After all this tennis you've played leading to this point, are you mentally or physically tired? Do you think that might come in the next couple days?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am. I am a little bit. But I think with few days gonna be ready. And if not, doesn't matter, because Wimbledon is very, very important tournament, and the motivation is hundred percent. Doesn't matter if I am tired mentally. Physically is a little bit more important. But I think physically I'm fine.

Q. How is your hand?
RAFAEL NADAL: Hand? Nothing, no, no. I had the problem there in Roland Garros a little bit with the blisters. Right now I much better, but I put the tape. All the time do the same.

Q. Djokovic is a big rival of yours at Wimbledon. What was the difference today?
RAFAEL NADAL: The rival in Wimbledon going to be the opponent in first round, not now. I only can play against Djokovic in finals or semifinals. I don't know, the difference are very small, no? Only two, three points. When you are playing against the best players of the world, two, three points decide the match.

Q. Do you think somebody in Halle might have noticed your result today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, for sure, no? We have very good relationship. For sure I think he's happy for me, and I am happy for him.

Q. Does this confirm to you in your own mind you can win Wimbledon?
RAFAEL NADAL: Everybody can. I can for sure. I played to finals. Why I can't? I can. But long and a lot of work right now for win Wimbledon, no? Only be with calm, with humble to Wimbledon, and relax. Right now is very easy. Everybody say, One of the favorites. The favorite going to be next week on Wimbledon. The second Sunday of Wimbledon, we know who is gonna be the favorite, no?

Q. Did you grow up watching Wimbledon and did you dream at that time you'd be a winner one day?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, when I was young, my goal was play Wimbledon, no? Only play there, no? For sure I watch Wimbledon. And Wimbledon always was very, very special for me. For me, have two finals there is a dream. For sure my dream always gonna be have a title there, no?

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297