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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 10, 2010

Rafael Nadal

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. NADAL/D. Istomin
7-6, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Has there been any reaction to your injury and the treatment you had? Has there been any reaction to your injury when you went down to see the physio? How is that now?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I called the physio to check how was the leg, and, well, I still doing some test. They gonna do it to me more when I finish the press conference to know how I am.
I feel something after he handled it, so I have to be sure that there's nothing dangerous, because, you know, the situation is if something happen this week, it's difficult to be ready in one week.

Q. How did you do it? Were you running and stretching?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't feel nothing. I didn't feel nothing. But the pain was there, and it starts slow and I started to feel a little bit more.

Q. When you say behind the leg, is it behind the knee or further up in the hamstring?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, it's up.

Q. Further up?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, a little bit.

Q. Tight? Little tight?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, but I don't know exactly. (Pointing to upper area on back of leg.)

Q. Hamstring. And the conditions out there, so cold, so windy?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, that doesn't help a lot.

Q. When was the last time you played in conditions quite as horrible as that today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, was difficult to play, no? Stop for the rain, lot of cold, wind. That's not the best conditions for the body because it big change for me, and big change to play for two months on clay and now on grass.
With these days makes everything little bit more difficult. But, you know, positive thing, I was there mentally in the third. I finished the match playing better and winning the match.
I had big mistake with the volley 40-30, 5-3, but I played all the point perfect. Just that mistake. Nothing to say.

Q. How do you stay focused in the rain delay, not knowing how long you're going to be off the court for?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was talking there with Andy little bit about the World Cup and that's it, relaxing on the sofa.

Q. When you have to maybe make a decision tonight about whether to go on or whether to say maybe it's better I don't play, do you ring Uncle Toni at home or do you make a decision?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. Gonna make the decision here, but I am not thinking right now about go out of the tournament, no? I think I play tomorrow, sure, no?
Sure, I have to be careful and I have to check a little bit more. We will see, but I hope to be -- I would love to be okay for tomorrow. I gonna try my best.

Q. Do you talk to your uncle much when he's not here for a week? Do you ring him on the telephone to tell him how the matches went?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have my coach here, Francis. He's traveling with me when Toni is not traveling, so I have a lot of confidence with Francis, too. I feel perfect with him.
Sure, I talk with Toni, but sometimes I call him about have he watch the match, but, no, I talk with Francis here.

Q. What do you think of your opponent? He played pretty well, didn't he?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I -- I think he has a good game for grass because his shots are flat, he go inside, very good cross backhand, I think.
The serve was good. So I think he can have good result in Wimbledon if he keep playing like this, no?
My serve today was worse than the last few days, and I lost the serve three times, so that's too much, I think, to play well on this surface in three sets.

Q. Are you going to play doubles? Have you decided not to play doubles now in this tournament?
RAFAEL NADAL: The doubles is canceled for today.

Q. But you still hope tomorrow to play singles?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, we see what's happen. I didn't decide. I am there in doubles, and if I don't have nothing, I just -- you know, the time is not a lot to adapt to the grass court, no?
So as much I can compete and as much I can be playing on court, as much time as I can, that's better for transition. For that reason I play doubles here.

Q. Thinking of Wimbledon, what's your first memory of when you first went there?
RAFAEL NADAL: What?

Q. Your first memory of going to Wimbledon. What do you remember about it?
RAFAEL NADAL: I play juniors. I played juniors 15 years old? 15, I think, or 16. 15 or 16. I don't remember, yeah. Maybe 16; 16, I think.
So, yeah, was amazing for me arrive there. Play on grass, play on grass was amazing feeling.
It different, different surface. Really special to play on grass. First time that I played there, I enjoy it a lot. I love it there, sure. I watch all my life the tournament on the TV, so for me just be there was a dream.
The first memory is my first practice in Aorangi Park with Francis. Practice with him. He was the coach of Felciano LÃ³pez in that moment. I arrived there the second week. Feli had to play the fourth round. I was practicing with him for one hour.

Q. You have to play LÃ³pez next. What are your thoughts on that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Always difficult. He's a very good player on grass, big serve, very good volley. Always is very difficult opponent, but for me every moment on court is a good moment to keep improving. And have a difficult test like tomorrow is good, too.

Q. You had the Queen's granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, cheering for you today. And you'll be playing in front of the Queen at Wimbledon if the schedule goes as planned. How much interest do you have in the British Royal Family, and does that excite you?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation.)
Well, no, for me and I think for the sport is good to have important people around the sport, like the Queen of Spain came to the final of Roland Garros and for me was an honor.
Is always honor have the royalty watching me and just can say thanks a lot to the royalty of England to come and support me.

End of FastScripts

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