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U.S. OPEN

September 13, 2009

Rafael Nadal

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

J. DEL POTRO/R. Nadal
6-2, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you just describe the difficulties of the match today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, very difficult. Yeah, he played really well. Yeah, very difficult, the match today, no? He played really well today, much better than me.
The first two sets was 6-2, but I have a lot of chances, I think. A lot of chance to keep the score more tight. If it's like this, you never know what happened. But nothing to do today.
He played -- he was much better than me today, and I congratulate him.

Q. To what degree did your stomach injury affect you today and in this tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: I going to repeat: He played much better than me, and for that reason he beat me. Later, it sounds like an excuse, no?
Second thing, well, this year not very lucky year for me. A lot of bad things happen. First injury on the knees, tough injury.
And when I came back, I came back perfect the knees, but maybe because I was few time outside of this competition and I must started played two Masters Series at the top level maybe was a little bit too much to come back, no?
Is much better if you can start a little bit slowly with a little bit small tournaments not with the Masters Series. But I don't have any option, because the calendar says that, and I did.
I am very happy how I came back, but, now I had the first problem of the abdominal in Montreal after the match of Petzschner second round. I must gonna explain because I say during the week I prefer to didn't speak about the injury during the week because I am in tournament right now.
I can say after Montreal I was doing a test. I did a test in Montreal, and the doctor didn't see a lot, but the pain is still there. Cincinnati, the pain increase a little bit more. After the semifinals against Djokovic, I went to do an MRI, and I had some edema, strained muscle, and I think during these two weeks the strain is converted into a little bit of rupture, no? A little bit break.
Yeah, was tough to play few matches like this. But at the same time, was important for maybe play this tournament, try my best. It's one of the most important tournaments of the year, and I had to try, no?
I did a good result, very positive result for me after coming back. Semifinals. Today he played better than me. He beat me, and right now I just try to recover. Is not very important injury, so that's really important for me, too.

Q. On what shots did your abdominal hurt you the most?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think he played with a lot of confidence, no? I didn't have the match -- I start to playing well, but when I played against the wind, I can't serve a little bit faster, no, and I can't change a lot of directions.
But when I was serving to the middle in the advantage, and I can say I really can't serve outside in the deuce, no? I only can serve in the middle, because if I serve it outside, the abdominal kill me, no?
So when I play against the wind was very difficult, no? I didn't had any advantage in no one point with my serve, and with this kind of players, and especially when he's playing like this today, is impossible.
So just, yeah, congratulate him. That's it. I think he's doing really well, and today he was playing much better than me.

Q. As disappointing as you have to feel today, you must have a real proud moment, as well, knowing you've reached this far after this tough road. There are some positives to take out of this, right?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation.) I always spoken positive through the week, and today, too, no? I say for maybe later semifinals here was very important result for me. Is confirm I came back in the right way.
Right now it remains the end of the season. I know if I really want to compete to win important titles, I need be in perfect conditions physically and playing a little bit better.
So today I had I don't know how many breakpoints, but I had a few ones, and I didn't play well that points, no? I have a few Love-30, too. I didn't play well that points, too.
So that's the only chance to play that points well against these player, top players. He's playing more matches, no, having more confidence. And if you have more confidence, you're going to have decision in that moment, no?
So in general I am very happy how I came back. Today, well, sure, I can't be very happy today, but at the same time, I feel that I really can't do a lot more, no?

Q. How would you assess Del Potro's chances tomorrow, especially if he played Roger? I think he's 0-6 in his career against Roger. If he plays like this, does he have a chance?
RAFAEL NADAL: He's playing well, no? Yeah, he's playing well. I think, you know, he have his chance. We'll see what's happening, his first Grand Slam final.
But he, for all the year he was in No. 6, No. 5, No. 7, so he must have enough experience to play the final of tomorrow. Win or not is another thing. We will see. I think he's playing really well, but, you know, we will see what's happen when one guy is playing longer with serving better and pushing him a little bit more than what I did today, no?
Because I think he played very comfortable today against me, no?

Q. He's beaten you three straight times now. What's changed or what makes his game so difficult for you, especially recently?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. He's playing really well. That's the true, no?
You know, doesn't matter that, no? Because I feel I played three times against him, and not one I played my tennis, no? So that's the true, no?
Because of him maybe, but in this case I think is more because of me. So anyway, if I am in perfect conditions, the match against him is very difficult because he is serving unbelievable, and from the baseline he has a very good control, no?
But I really didn't play my best tennis in that three matches, no? Miami, if you remember, I was two breaks up in the first set, and -- yeah, was a disaster. (laughter.)
In Montreal was the first tournament after coming back on injury. And here is the more real one, but, you know, is more difficult.

Q. Do you leave here frustrated?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, nothing, no.

Q. When it comes to the big points, and maybe the match like today does not really go that well, how do you approach the big points?
RAFAEL NADAL: In not the right way today. (laughter.)
So I can't say how I did, because I did everything bad in the important points.

Q. How long do you have to rest now because of the injury? How long do you have to rest?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have to see everything, no? I have to see the doctor in Spain. I have to do another test, because I didn't -- I didn't want to do a test during the tournament because anyway I gonna play.
So I don't know how is the injury right now, but I expect not a lot.

Q. Is there any point at which you considered not playing? How much pain would there have to be? Would you play no matter what? Was there any point when maybe you thought you would not play or you were going to play even with the pain?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, I gonna play. I really gonna play this tournament, and I say before the tournament anyway. With the pain I gonna -- well, if I break a leg, impossible to play, no?
But sure, this tournament is enough important to do all in my hands, no? And I did.

End of FastScripts

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