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U.S. OPEN

September 12, 2009

Fernando Gonzalez

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

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

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us what happened?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: I don't know. Today or the other day?

Q. No, today, because, I mean, you were almost...
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: I can't tell you, because I don't have the answer.

Q. You were injured? You were feeling bad? You had some problem with concentration?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: No, I didn't feel the ball like I really wanted, you know. I feel that my shot doesn't make the same damage than any other day. I get like afraid maybe in the tiebreakers. I went for it. I think I did a good play, miss one. The next play I mis another one, then I miss another one.
What else can I do? I try my best.

Q. Did you decide after the second set that there was no worth to fight for the third, because you couldn't recover or you were depressed?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: I mean, in the beginning of the third set he did a break, and then another one, you know. After that, I mean, it's tough, because he was hitting many balls to my backhand really high.
I feel that I cannot do damage after that, after the first break, you know. I didn't know what to do.

Q. Can you talk about what it was like leaving here the other night in the middle of a tiebreak after the match was finally called, and what you did yesterday?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: Yesterday I hit the ball for 15 minutes maybe, half hour at the gym, and seven hours waiting, I think. But it's not the reason, you know. It's really boring, because you get prepared for one day and then the next one.
But nothing. It was really a boring day yesterday.

Q. Nadal said he was happy that they sent you home at 6:00 last night. Did you feel the same, or would you have wanted to stay longer last night?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: No, I was happy as well, because we had been many hours. It was like seven hours. But that's not the reason. I come here to talk about the match, and it was in two parts. I mean, I don't want to talk about the day off.

Q. Did you feel in your head like you had to win that second set tiebreak to be in the match?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: Yeah. But it was so quick, you know. And after that, I mean, I have three sets ahead, but it was like a new match. It wasn't that bad, because normally if you lose the first two sets, I mean, you already have past like one hour, two hours on court.
Today it was like three minutes, so...

Q. We saw that you withdraw from Davis Cup. That has nothing to do with an injury? There was no reason? Why did you decide not to play Davis Cup?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: I answered that question maybe after my first match here, and like journalists have to know about it, you know. That's your work. I mean, there is a lot of information about that.

Q. What are your thoughts on Nadal's chances to win this tournament for the first time and complete the career Grand Slam?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: Well, he have a lot of experience. He's a great player, good competitor, and of course he have chances. I mean, he play Del Potro now, and then the other side is Djokovic and Federer.
But, I mean, today I feel his ball maybe faster. Maybe I was slower than the first day, but I think he -- I mean, he have the good mentality, so he always going to have a chance.

Q. Do you expect him to win this tournament?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: I don't know. You always expect that Federer plays the finals against Nadal because good for the game, it's good for the fans, I think.

Q. Do you feel he's injured? He talk a lot about his stomach injury.
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: If he say that, he must have a pain. I don't think it's going to be a really huge injury, because, I mean, if you have a really huge injury you're not able to play on the court.
With the abdominals, normally you have trouble to serve, and he was putting many first serves in. That give me a little trouble. He was serving really far away from my backhand.

Q. You said that Federer against Nadal is good for the sport, and you always kind of expect it. If that is the final, who do you think will win here?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: Seriously? I don't know, because I haven't watched many matches. But today, I mean, Federer is playing better than Nadal. Today, I mean, if you look at the stats.
But you never know, I mean, because I don't think Federer likes to play Nadal. He's a lefty, and with one-hand backhand, it's really tough to play against him.

Q. How do you think the tournament handled the situation with your match the other night, yesterday, et cetera?
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: There is nothing that you can do. I mean, maybe it's not really good for the players that they scheduled to play Saturday semifinals and Sunday finals. I mean, that's why -- I mean, we have one day less, you know.
Sometimes you play first round on Wednesday, second round on Friday. Normally, I mean, you play Monday or Tuesday, and you never know. You get here six days in advance, and you're thinking like maybe too much in the first round if you play Wednesday.

Q. Did you notice that he returned some of his balls shorter than usual? That can indicate that his abdominal muscles may be injured.
FERNANDO GONZÃLEZ: I don't know. The court is big, and I only tried to put the ball in. I don't know what's his case. I don't really know.

End of FastScripts

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