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ROGERS CUP

August 13, 2009

Rafael Nadal

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

R. NADAL/P. Petzschner
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Getting better every day?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, a little bit better, yeah. Well, he played very aggressive, having some good shots but a lot of mistakes. And I was there, no?
I think I say before the tournament my goal here is only try to improve every day, and I think I am doing. Anyway, I know tomorrow going to be a -- yeah. I am not the favorite for sure for the match of tomorrow, but the match sure going to -- it going to give me another rhythm. Anyway, the result, gonna be good experience with me to continuing improving in my level.

Q. How's the knee?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, very good, yeah.

Q. Did you feel that your footwork today was better, the footwork?
RAFAEL NADAL: A little bit better, I think, no? The movements was a little bit better. You know, I need more matches to get the rhythm, you know, the physical rhythm and tennis rhythm, because I move a little bit better but at the same time sometimes the position wasn't perfect, no? I need to adjust a little bit more the legs, the foots to play some shots, no?
So I think I am very happy because I am in quarterfinals. It's more than what I expected when I came here. So with one match and a half I have right now, and -- yeah, I expect to be ready for tomorrow, have a competition.

Q. What can you say about your opponent for tomorrow?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, he's playing well, no? Anyway, he's No. 5 in the world?

Q. 4. 6.
RAFAEL NADAL: 6? Del Potro is No. 6?
He's coming well, no? He won in Washington very good final, and he won today a very tough match. So he's coming with big confidence.
Yeah, good serve, good shots from the baseline. So, you know, I know he's a very tough opponent for me right now.

Q. The decision to enter the doubles competition with your coach, Francisco Roig, was that more of a strategic move for him to be able to look at your game closer side by side, or was it because you had nobody else like to play with because it was late entering?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no. The first thing, no.
And the second thing was I decide to play doubles a few days before, few days before the competition, and I tried at the last moment to find a player but everybody was with everybody, no?

Q. Did you enjoy it, that experience?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I think we played really well. Yeah, it was a nice experience. It was fun.
Well, for me, the goal of the doubles was only have one or two matches before the singles, no? So I just can say thank you very much to the organization to give me the wildcard. Wasn't a strategy or nothing. Only was to play a little bit more matches.

Q. What's the main difference between your footwork on the clay and on the hardcourt?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I think when you are in normal conditions it is a little bit different because on the hardcourt you play a little bit more inside court, inside the court. You play a little bit more aggressive.
Anyway, when I play well on clay, I did too. I played aggressive. So in the end, every surface is similar, no? If you have the control of the point, you have more chances to win the point.

Q. Are you trying to slide on hardcourts? You never try that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I slide a lot of times. Not like Monfils, but a lot of times.

Q. (In Spanish.)
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, better. I think the feeling is better that what I thought when I was on the plane coming to Montreal.
Yeah, sure. I am very happy, very happy to be here and to be in quarterfinals, very good for me.

Q. Do you feel confident having a chance to beat
Del Potro?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know if going to be to much right now, but you know, I love the competition and I gonna try my best to be ready to play the match tomorrow, no? Anyway, if I was -- if I don't at 100% I gonna try my best to be competitive.

Q. Do you worry about your ranking at all now?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I worry about be well physically and later, when I am sure in that, my next goal is try to find my best performance in tennis, no? The ranking in the end I was for the last five years No. 1, No. 2 a lot of times; No. 2 especially. (Laughter.)
Then the ranking is very important, but be No. 1 doesn't make me more happy than when I am No. 2, no? Sure, this was a goal. I did. And would I love to come back to No. 1, but --

Q. You wouldn't be upset if you dropped down to No. 3?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, doesn't matter, no, I think. In the end, the important thing is play well. The thing what makes me happy is be competitive to win important tournaments, no?

Q. The white shorts today, were they the ones you were supposed to wear at Wimbledon?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. No, it was different.

Q. Completely different?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. (In Spanish.)
RAFAEL NADAL: No.

Q. Did Toni watch your match on TV?
RAFAEL NADAL: I hope so, yeah.

Q. Did you talk to him?
RAFAEL NADAL: No.

Q. Your father didn't play tennis very much, I don't think. But how much of your fight, your trying so hard, your competition part, how much comes from your father?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. It's impossible to say that, no?
My father didn't -- is the only member of the family who never practice the sport, no? I think he did important things in different -- well, he's businessman and he did well, so I think he start from zero, and now he's a good businessman. I admire him for that.

Q. But when he watches you, he's very intense.
RAFAEL NADAL: He love to work. Yeah, he likes to win. But I think I prefer -- I like more than him.

Q. Besides playing tennis, what did you do in Montreal the last few days?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was having dinner in very good restaurants every day.

End of FastScripts

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