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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 17, 2009

Rafael Nadal

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

R. NADAL/N. Lapentti
6-3, 6-0

Q. A tough day. Can you talk about both the matches from your perspective.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, tough day but two good wins without lose a set. That is good news. Best news I am in semifinals. So very happy for that.

Q. How do you turn around when you have to play twice in a day? Is it tough to concentrate? Are you physically tired?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think I play less than three hours, so that's always important. No, mentally nothing. Just go on court, try to play my best. Important thing I didn't have a very long match the first one, so I was totally hundred percent to play the second. That's important, yeah. If I had to play three hours the first match, gonna be tougher the second.

Q. Does it help your rhythm for the second match that you have already played one match in the day?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, the first match I started bad, but I finish the match better than I start. And the second match, maybe even had a lot of mistakes. So, yeah, I was there without do too much. But the feeling was better.
Is important thing, I finished the day better than I start.

Q. Do you feel like your feelings on clay are back yet, on this surface?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? My feeling is I didn't play my level on clay yet. I didn't play my best level on clay yet. So I have to improve if I want to have chances to win the tournament. I am sure on that, no.

Q. What do you have to improve?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, everything. Have to play a little bit more inside, less mistakes, serve a little bit better. I think all aspects of the game I have to improve. But I hope tomorrow gonna be better.

Q. Tomorrow if you have to play against Murray, you played him on clay last year in Hamburg. The way he improved his game, do you think he could be more dangerous than he was in Hamburg last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: Every player is dangerous. We are talking about the No. 4, with chances to be third because he don't have to defend a lot in the next weeks. So, yeah, always is a really tough match. The first thing, no, you can't be in semifinals of one big tournament like Monte-Carlo and have an easy match. That's impossible.

Q. Were you surprised by the win from Wawrinka yesterday?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I didn't surprise. Wawrinka is a very good player. Maybe Roger didn't play his best level. Wawrinka was there and playing good tennis.
Every match is tough. If you are not playing your hundred percent, you can lose against everybody.

Q. Can you talk about Davydenko in case he wins.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, no, Davydenko I know well. I played in semifinals against him here last year. I played against him in 2007, I think semifinals, very long semifinals, in Rome. So always is tough match. Is very good clay court player. I have to play very well if I want to win.

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