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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 20, 2009

Rafael Nadal

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

R. NADAL/J. Del Potro
6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You win 6-2, 6-4, and then you go back out and practice hard. Are you not happy with your game?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not practice hard. (Laughter).
No, yeah, I happy about the beginning, the first set and 2-0, Love-40. But later I stop a little bit.
No, I just went to serve a little bit, practice a little bit more the serve, because I served well in the beginning, but later I had some mistakes and a little bit more the backhand. I wanted to play a little bit longer the backhand. But that's it.
I'm happy. I won against No. 6 in the world. 6-2, 6-4 is a very good result.

Q. Do you feel your level today was better than it was against Nalbandian?
RAFAEL NADAL: The beginning, sure, yeah. I played bad against David. But the beginning of the match and -- I have lucky in that match, sure. I'm more happy. I go on court with more clear ideas.

Q. How satisfying was it to win in two sets today after your battle against Nalbandian in the previous round?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the match before is past right now, no? Yeah, doesn't matter if that match happened two days ago.
I'm happy about the 6-2, 6-4 against big player like Del Potro. So that's the thing.

Q. You look like you lowered your toss to further out in front and your serve looks a lot better. Have you improved it a lot?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, that's what I don't want.

Q. You don't want it?
RAFAEL NADAL: I want it to be more inside. That's why I was practicing a little bit more.
No, in the beginning, yeah, I was putting the ball okay, but in the second set I start to put the ball lower and lower.
Yeah, I think a little bit more higher is better for my serve, I think for everyone.

Q. In tennis history, the sport seems to have been more popular when there have been great rivalries such as McEnroe and BÃ¸rg, McEnroe and Connors, Sampras and Agassi. Do you feel that you're bringing the game back to that kind of level and does it excite you?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't understand that. I understand everything, but you didn't finish the question.

Q. I'm asking if you're excited by it and does it...
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. Well, I'm not one to say if I improve the game and if the game more popular right now because I am here. I don't think so.
But anyway, if it's like this, I am not the right person to say.

Q. Can you talk about the match tomorrow against Andy, and have you had a chance to watch him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, he's playing really well, no? He started the season very well. Semifinals in Australia. He played the final in Doha, too, and he won in Memphis, yeah. So he's doing very well.
Going to be a really tough match. I have to play very well. I have to -- I must serve well if I want to win and be focus all the time, play aggressive on the return and play right.

Q. Can you also take us back to your match against Andy in 2007?
RAFAEL NADAL: That's a long time ago. I was playing really well in that moment. I am playing well, too, right now, no? But that's a long time ago. A lot of things change.
He's playing well. Yeah, it's difficult. I don't like to compare the matches, no?

Q. When you go in to play Andy, you've won four out of the six that you've played against him. Do the past matches mean anything when you play him this time?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, it's important to have matches against one player like Andy, because, well, he can surprise you. You go on court, and you know he's serving big power and he gonna have big forehands. He go aggressive to the net. It's good to know these things, no?
But in the end, every match is completely different. The matches start from 50% for everybody tomorrow.

Q. What are you happy about in your game right now, and what do you feel like you really need to improve during the next match and maybe for the final?
RAFAEL NADAL: Improve always depends on the moment, no? You were doing one things better than other things, and in another moments could change -- things change, no?
But I have to continuing improve my serve, that's sure. I have to play a little bit more aggressive. I am doing, I think, but I have to continue improving, and I am doing a lot of things much better than the past.
I think the good thing, I always was improving, and I hope I still. Well, I have big illusion and motivation every time I go on court to continuing improve my game, no?
I feel if it's not like this, I don't want to be No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No.4. I gonna go back, no?

Q. I'm surprised to see you eating cookies. Are they chocolate chip cookies?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. I was wondering if you have things like that quite a bit? I always think athletes have a very regimented diet and don't indulge.
RAFAEL NADAL: Not me. (Laughter.)
My opinion, you can eat everything. Well, before the match maybe don't have five cookies or one stick, but my opinion, you can eat everything in the right time and with -- well, if I eat right now, twenty cookies, maybe I gonna have indigestion tonight.
If I eat two, three cookies, maybe it's okay. Maybe not for the stomach, no, but for the head it's better. (Laughter.) In the end, the important thing is be mentally okay.

Q. Better mental preparation?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

End of FastScripts

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