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U.S. OPEN

September 12, 2009

Rafael Nadal

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

R. NADAL/F. Gonzalez
7-6, 7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Does the prospect of playing two more days in a row given your physical condition give you any pause?
RAFAEL NADAL: Everybody plays today, no? For me, the match of today wasn't important physically, no? That doesn't matter to play two days in a row.
Well, the condition for me will be the same for the four.

Q. You're very used to having to play very long matches over considerable number of days. How difficult was this one to cope with all the stops and starts?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, important thing is be calm, be ready to come back. And, you know, when you come back in one situation like today, anything can happen, no, because it's a little bit lottery depends of the first two points.
And this is not play well or play bad. You feel good in these two points or not. Important thing is to be ready to accept everything, and try to arrive there knowing what to do, no?
Later you can put the ball outside or inside, but...

Q. Last year when you lost, you seemed very weary, very tired here. Are you better rested now?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, sure, I'm more fresh than last year, 100% sure. We will see how I am physically tomorrow. But mentally, the last year was totally destroyed mentally. Mentally this year I am perfect, no?

Q. How different are you now than when you played Del Potro last time? Were you very rusty last time? Are you a better player, fresher now?
RAFAEL NADAL: I played in Montreal, no? The same fresh. Was first week, and right now it's the third tournament. So fresh is the same.
We will see. We will see what's happen tomorrow, no? I have to play very well if I want to have chances to win. We will see what happen. I don't know.

Q. Last night, did you want to wait longer to play, or were you happy that they canceled it at 6:00?
RAFAEL NADAL: I'm very happy to cancel it at 6:00, yeah. That's good for the players. Just can say thanks to the organization, because you know how tough is be here from 9:00 in the morning to 8:00 of the afternoon.
The tournament was very, very good yesterday with the players, no, very good consideration.

Q. You were only out there about 34 minutes today. Was that enough of a workout for you? Will you even practice more today?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am done. I am done today, yeah.

Q. What would you say is the best thing that Del Potro does? What is the biggest challenge he presents to you?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, everything. I think he's very complete player, no? In the past, he didn't serve like he is doing right now. He has an unbelievable serve right now. From the baseline, he is very solid. He don't have mistakes.
He is very big, so, anyway, if the movements is not 100% perfect, he very long and he arrive to every play.
So for his altitude, his movements is okay, no? He's good. I think he's a complete player, and is always the same thing, no? Try to be ready to put one more ball than the rest.

Q. Did you practice yesterday at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I didn't practice.

Q. As a very prominent player in the game, do you ever have conversations with the authorities here about the scheduling? Are you able to talk to them about the schedule and whether you think it's fair or not fair?
RAFAEL NADAL: For when?

Q. For everybody. Are you able to talk to them and ask them...
RAFAEL NADAL: You can talk. (laughter.) Sure, you can talk. But I think if they listen to you, they listen, yes, sure. In the end, the television is decisive in these cases. So I don't know, no?
I think the players prefer don't play Saturday and Sunday in a row, because -- for example, that's my feeling, no? If I have for example the match, one player have the same match like I had in semifinals of Australia this year, you lose the final. It's impossible win the final, believe me.
So depends how is the match in semifinals, you lose a lot of chances to play the final, no? But it's everything the same, so that's fair.

Q. How would you describe your physical condition right now compared to when you began the tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I am okay, no? I have only a little bit problem in the abdominal. That's it.

Q. Would you prefer the early match tomorrow or the later match?
RAFAEL NADAL: I prefer early.

Q. Have you told them that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I told. (laughter.) I asked.

Q. At 4-5, breakpoint, you were sort in control of the point and then a bag went flying across the court and called a let. Were you cursing that bag? The other night, you were in control of the point and a bag came across. You slapped your racquet. You were mad. Were you cursing that bag that night?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I know how important was that point, no? Two sets -- two sets up is not the match, but almost, because I feeled I was playing better than him in that moment in that second set. I had more chances than him.
He was serving very good in the important moments where I had chance, Love-30 on breakpoint, and in that point I had a very good return. I have the match in a good position, the point in a good position, so that's a reaction.

Q. You were hitting a lot of short balls. Does this have anything to do with your stomach muscle?
RAFAEL NADAL: What?

Q. Hitting short balls, does the stomach affect that?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. Guys, well, sorry, but I prefer not to speak the stomach. I don't know if I lose tomorrow, but if I lose, I can speak about the stomach, no?
But today, having a match tomorrow, I prefer only talk about the game, no? If I am playing short, it's because -- I don't want to play short. I prefer to play long.
But, you know, I'm not perfect, and so I put -- I play how far, how long how I can. I really would love to play two meters longer sometimes.

Q. How would you describe what the career Grand Slam means to you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Career Grand Slam? Ah, okay.
Well, sure, it is important goal for me, no? But I am 23 years old, so I expect to have a lot of years to be here fighting to win this tournament, no?
I going to try all my life. This is special, that, but that's very difficult. Right now I focus on the match of tomorrow. That's it.

Q. Was your worst rain experience two years ago in Wimbledon?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure.

End of FastScripts

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