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BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

November 23, 2009

Robin Soderling

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. SODERLING/R. Nadal
6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you like particularly about playing Nadal?
ROBIN SODERLING: Well, it's always fun to play against a good player. I always enjoy playing against the top guys. Nadal is for sure one of them, so...
We played, I don't know, five or six times now, and we always had good matches, nice matches.

Q. Do you know the Denmark team of soccer that won the European Championship? They arrived expecting holiday, because they wasn't supposed to play. They substitute Yugoslavia, and then they won the European Championship.
ROBIN SODERLING: '92?

Q. Yes. Do you think it will be the same history for you: instead of holidays, win the Masters?
ROBIN SODERLING: Well, I never really thought of vacation because I know I was first alternate. So I was going to go here anyway. I tried to prepare as if I was going to play.
So after Paris, you know, they told me Roddick had to pull out, so I knew it pretty early, so it was good.

Q. How did you feel you served? What can you say about Nadal's game today?
ROBIN SODERLING: Well, I felt pretty good. For me it's always tough. Every first-round match in every tournament for me is the toughest one. So I was a little bit nervous in the beginning. But I got off to a very good start with an early break, so that helped me a lot.
I served very good in the beginning. I kind of served a little bit worse in the middle of the match. But again at the end, I started to pick up my game. Overall, for me, it was a good match.
And for him, well, I'm not sure. I think you have to ask him. You know, I thought he played well.

Q. What did you think when Rafa came back at 3-All in the first set?
ROBIN SODERLING: Yeah, of course it's always nice to be up a break. But he played well. I think after the first three games, he started to play better. But, you know, I still knew that I was serving well, and I will get my chances in his service game. I tried to keep on fighting, keep telling myself that, you know, I will get one more chance this set, and I took it straightaway.

Q. There were a lot of very close, tense games at the end of both sets. You held your nerve. Is that something you've improved this year?
ROBIN SODERLING: Yes, I think it's one of the things. Especially today, I think I managed to play really well in the important points, which is something I think you have to do if you want to beat the top guys.
I played a lot of big matches this year, and I played well. I beat a lot of good players. So I'm sure I improved that part of my game.

Q. Do you expect a gift from Roger Federer? You almost saved his first place at the end of the year.
ROBIN SODERLING: No, I don't.

Q. When you consider what happened in Paris, with the victory for yourself, the history between the two of you, when you get to play Rafa, do you get even more up than for any other player?
ROBIN SODERLING: Well, both yes and no. Not because it's Rafa. Only because it's a great player, you know. It feels better to beat world No. 2 than world No. 200. So I always enjoy beating good players than lower-ranked player.
But me personally, I have nothing against Rafa. As I said, we played a lot of times and we always had good matches. I always enjoy playing against him.

Q. To hit so many clean winners against a great retriever like Rafa, that must give you great confidence going into the rest of the tournament?
ROBIN SODERLING: Yes. I think I was hitting the ball well today. And I think that's kind of a little bit how I have to play against Rafa to have a chance to beat him. It's tough to keep on playing these long rallies every time, because he's a great fighter, and he's moving really well. So I tried to keep the points short, and it worked today.

Q. Were you surprised at the errors he made on the set point and then the match point? Did you think you'd have to hit winners to take those?
ROBIN SODERLING: Well, I wasn't maybe surprised. But, again, you know, if you look at the top guys, they play well in the important points. As you said, he made two, I wouldn't say unforced errors, but he missed two makable points.
So I thought maybe I had to play a little bit better and go for it. But I'm happy. Every win is a win.

End of FastScripts

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