	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2010

Rafael Nadal

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. NADAL/R. Soderling
3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Rafael Nadal.

Q. That was some kind of slow start. How do you explain the slow start and the sudden turnaround?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think in the beginning he start playing great, I think. I had 40-15 in the first game with my serve. I lost that serve. Was a hard start for me, because playing against a big server like Robin is very difficult to come back in the set.
And I think he started playing very well, very long, with no mistakes, lot of winners, serving great. I didn't have a lot of chances in the beginning.
But after the first game of the second set, everything change.

Q. You were upset about the overrule call there. What did the chair umpire say to you? How did he explain that? You seemed to start playing very well after that. You had a run of points. What happened there?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, you know, for the umpire sometimes is not easy to make the right decision. For me today was too important point, because was 30-All to make this drastic decision. For sure if you asking me if that ball affect me, I said yes. When the line say 'out,' I play the shot like this without.
I mean, was a mistake, but everybody can have a mistake. Yes, after that I played very good point on the breakpoint against. I was little bit lucky to do the break in the first game on his serve in the second set. After, I think I played a great match.

Q. You seemed very fired up or angry immediately after that point. Do you think it helped you, the call?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, no. Was an important moment for me, because if he did the break in the first game of the second, gonna be hard to accept for me.
But anyway, I gonna fight all the match. But I saved that point, and after that change everything. I think I started to play much better. He started to do a few mistakes, because in the beginning he didn't have no one.
I'm very happy. Very difficult and very important win for me.

Q. Serving for the set, he took a medical timeout. Were you surprised by his decision to do that at that moment? What's your feelings?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, the rule says you can do it, so...

Q. Would you say it's appropriate to do it at that time?
RAFAEL NADAL: It's proper? What is this? Is in his hands; he can do it. The rules are the rules. And if he can do it and he didn't have nothing wrong...
For me, the wrong thing is we wait for the physio five minutes. So that's the bad thing. Because in the end, if you stop three minutes, it's okay. But if you stop 10 minutes, it's not okay. That's was the problem for me.
You know, that's all.

Q. How excited are you to be in the semifinals here again and the prospect of playing Andy Murray?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is a dream another time be in the semifinals here. Today was a very important victory for me, I think. Very difficult and very important. I'm very happy how I'm playing, how I arrive to the semifinals.
So I know I gonna have difficult match against Andy in semifinals, but I am ready to try my best and for try for sure to be in this final. Is gonna be difficult, but I am playing well.

Q. When did you find out that Berdych had beaten Roger and what was your reaction?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, for sure was a difficult match before, before the match start. You know when you play against these kind of players, like Soderling, like Berdych, they have a very good serve and very powerful shots from the baseline. It's very difficult sometimes to stop these player, no?
Roger did amazing the last seven years here, so someday must happen this. Happen today. Well, sorry for him, and wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season.

Q. Most top players say, I'm just going to play my game. I have my game, and that's what I worry about. But there's a big difference between Soderling and Murray in styles. When you go to play the semifinals, do you have to change a few things in your game?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am happy how I'm playing, so I gonna try to do my game. My game is try to play aggressive. I gonna try to do little bit. Important thing is serve well. So, like every day, every day is the same.
No, I'm sure that this style of Murray and Soderling is completely different. But at the same time, I have to still playing at my best level if I want to have chances to win.
So we will see what's happen. I don't want to change a lot of things. I happy how I'm doing.

Q. I saw your mother and the ladies of your family here today. Have you more family coming now for Friday?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't have the chance. I didn't have the chance to speak with my family yet, no? Maybe. I don't know. Maybe my father, but I don't know yet.

Q. How are the courts playing? There's been no rain at all. How are the courts playing?
RAFAEL NADAL: Perfect.

Q. Perfect?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is dry.

Q. Just your conditions?
RAFAEL NADAL: Lot of clay behind the baseline (smiling.) You can move well, so... Perfect conditions.

Q. When you changed ends at 5-Love in the first set, the scoreboard showed that Roger Federer was facing match point at the same time. Did that register with you, or do you not pay any attention to that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. And if you did notice it, what did you think at that point, because he could have been out and you were facing a very nasty start?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure, I saw that in the scoreboard. Well, doesn't affect on my game, for sure, no? But, yeah, when I am in the changeovers I always watch the rest of the courts, the results. Yeah, I like to do it.

Q. Did you feel like the improvements in the score line from the second set onwards was a result of Soderling making more mistakes or you changing your game and improving different aspects of it or a combination of the two?
RAFAEL NADAL: Always is the same. When one player plays very well, the other goes down.

Q. Did you try to do something different?
RAFAEL NADAL: I tried to play a little better than I did before. Sure the important thing in the beginning, I didn't have no one free point with my serve. But after that I started to win a little bit more points with my serve.
I starting to playing little bit longer points, feeling little bit better with the forehand, having the control of point more times than in the first set. And that's the key.
If Robin have to play only two shots every point, gonna be easy. But if he must play three, four, five, or six shots to beat me, gonna be little bit more difficult. So that's what I gonna try. Try to be focused on myself and do what I can on the return.

Q. How are you feeling physically? How is your physical condition?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am fine. After the second and the third round, especially the third round, the match of fourth round and quarterfinals, I didn't have any problem. So that's (knocking on wood.)

Q. Do you think with Roger losing at the quarters at the French Open and here will get him more motivated for the US Open, make it harder for you guys to beat him there?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think is not the right question. That's my opinion, because always you have the same motivation for every Grand Slam, even if you lose or you win the last Grand Slam. And Roger always gonna be difficult opponent in every one, but not because he lose in French and in Wimbledon. That's my opinion.

Q. Can you talk about the first couple sets at the Australian Open against Murray, which were at a very high level, and maybe how he was attacking you and how you tried to respond.
RAFAEL NADAL: I was very happy about my level in that two sets. I lost both, but I was ready to win both, too. I was a break up in both sets, I think. So, no.
Maybe the only thing I had a mistake in that moment was stay a little bit more calm. And that confidence I have now because I won a lot of matches in the last few months. In that moments remains the title for me, but the level was probably similar than now.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297