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ROGERS CUP

July 26, 2008

Rafael Nadal

TORONTO, ONTARIO

R. NADAL/A. Murray
7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You didn't have a chance to play Djokovic or Federer this week, but you looked very good against Gasquet and Murray with two really good hard court players. Talk about your comments going into tomorrow and the rest of the hard court season.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, first of all, my only expectation is to try and play a good match tomorrow, and if possible win the title. I said when I arrive here I don't think about No. 1 and I don't think about the hard court season or US Open or Olympics, I think about Toronto.
So Toronto is very important tournament. It's the first big tournament on hard after the clay and grass court season, so my goal is try to play a good tournament here, no? I did a very good tournament. I played a very good tournament already, but tomorrow makes a lot of difference win or lose one final, no?

Q. How will you compare your victory tonight with the other opponents?
RAFAEL NADAL: Today compared with other matches?

Q. Yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: It's impossible compare the matches, no? Every match is completely different. I play against very good Andy today because he -- my opinion he played one of his best matches against me.
So I did very good, no? I played a very good tennis for that reason, and finally I have the victory.

Q. You're on a 30-match winning streak over clay, grass, and now hard court. How do you feel your hard court game is compared to last year or the year before where you struggled just a little bit on hard court?
RAFAEL NADAL: The true, I never want to compare years, no, because every year is different. The moment, the situation, the confidence. I said I feel better player than last year, no? I feel I improve some things, but probably I am coming here with good confidence, no?

Q. You said that you could not compare each match because every match is different. Do you not feel that your standard went up much higher tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I played a very good first set against Andreev. Yesterday I played a very good match. I was very focused mentally all the time because Gasquet was playing very good winners.
Sure, he has more mistakes after the first set, no, but he has more mistakes for any reason.
So I think I move a little more him than before and I play more to the lines, so more close to the lines. For that reason he start to have more mistakes.
Today I know how tough is play against Andy. He plays very aggressive. Today all the time returning, serving. I was very focused all the time, no? Only one mistake in the second set with my first serve with the 3-1 for 4-1. For the rest I play a very good match.

Q. I imagine it's difficult to get back into it after Wimbledon. Do you feel you've done that now that you're back into the swing and playing as you would like to play?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am playing well, no? Nothing to say about how I am playing. I am very happy about how I am playing first tournament on hard.
I am doing well, so I am very happy for be in the final. It's very important for start the hard season like this for me, no?

Q. Sometimes you get code violations for taking too much time, but usually you don't react. Today it seemed to bother you.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I agree. If I lose more time than what I can, I agree, they have to put me the time violation. So I never says nothing, no?
But, well, a lot of times in the last months I feeling -- I feel they put me warnings, time violation, in very important points, no?
Today, for example, in the first breakpoint against, or one of the first breakpoints against, he puts me the time violation, no, when I was ready to serve.
Sometimes, a lot of times, they put me the warning at 4-4, 5-4, 30-All. So I didn't -- normally I didn't say nothing, no? But today, well, that's bother me, because it's another time the same, in important moment, no?
No, I agree they have to put me the warning, but they can put the warning in the 3-All. Because if I am losing the time I am losing the same time in the 3-All than in 3-1, 15-40, no?

Q. How confident are you that you can win the US Open this year and make it three Slams in a row?
RAFAEL NADAL: Right now I'm confident to play the final of tomorrow. Try my best tomorrow. Most important thing for me right now is not the US Open, it's Toronto.
When I will be in the US Open the most important thing will be the US Open, no? But there are many important tournaments before.

Q. You mentioned in a TV interview after, when you were smiling, that you enjoy playing here in Canada and the reaction that you get from the crowd. Talk a little bit about that.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, the crowd was unbelievable with me all the days, no? When I arrive here, all the days they support me a lot when I am playing. And when I am not playing, too, when I am going to practice.
So I feel a lot the support of the crowd here. Well, I just can say thanks. It's very nice experience for me play in Canada and be in another final in Canada after three years, so just thanks to the crowd of Canada in Toronto here.

Q. You still talk a lot about wanting to improve your game. What are some of the specific things you're still trying to get better at?
RAFAEL NADAL: I want to continuing serving better, no? I improve my serve, it's true, but if I want to win a little bit more matches a little bit easier without having problems with my serve, I have to continuing improve serving a little bit more close to the lines, a little bit with more power.
So that's what I am working on, no? And always you can improve a little bit more the winner, the backhand, forehand, too. No, but happy with my forehand. I improved a lot the slice, so...
But always you can continuing improvement.

Q. You played Kiefer three times this year. Talk a little bit about the type of player he is.
RAFAEL NADAL: He's a very aggressive player, no? Very good serve. He's going good to the volley. Well, he has a powerful forehand, no, when he play aggressive, no?
He has not bad control, very good control with the backhand. So I just try to -- I gonna try to play aggressive match, no? I gonna to try to play inside the court and try to move him, because he didn't play as comfortable as he want, no?

End of FastScripts

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