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WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2010

Rafael Nadal

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. NADAL/A. Murray
6-4, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Rafael Nadal.

Q. Looked a little like 2008 again.
RAFAEL NADAL: I never like the comparations. No, every year is completely different. For me was amazing day, very important victory for me, one of the more difficult victories of my career because the opponent was playing well and I need really to play my best tennis to try to win.
I think, yeah, I am very happy. Today is very important day for me.

Q. Because of all of what you had to go through last year with the injuries, is it even more satisfying now that you're back here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, that's past. But, sure, I said in Monte-Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Roland Garros, sure, when you had tough moments and wasn't an easy year last year - especially the second half of the year - when you came back and when you still playing another time at your best, for sure I feel I playing at my best since the start of this season, since 2010 when I start.
But I didn't win a tournament since 11 months, and after I started to win in Monte-Carlo. So for sure that's makes more special, because I worked a lot to be back playing my best tennis. I did, so that's very important personal satisfaction, no? Probably is when you have tough moments and you are another time are in the top, yeah, is more special.

Q. Does 2008 seem like a long time ago when you were here raising the trophy as the champion, or does it seem like yesterday to you?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Two years. Well, the life is go fast. Since these two year a lot of things happen to my life. Is not very far, but at the same time I have two years with different things.

Q. You were behind 4-2 in the last set and you weren't playing very well then. Suddenly you win the rest of the games as you became Rafael Nadal again. Did you have to wake up?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. I felt a little bit tired after the second, after the second tiebreak. Was a lot of tension in that tiebreak in the last games of the second set.
When I started the third I lost a little bit my concentration and I felt little bit down. But that's happen at only one game. After that game, after the first game. But, you know, in grass, one break is almost the set.
After that game I felt another time well. But Andy served well and I didn't have lots of chances on the return. But when I had the chance, I did. So that was the most important thing of the match. I think of all important moments, just one double-fault in the 5-All in the tiebreak. But for the rest of the important moments, I played very well today.

Q. It will go down as a straight-sets victory today, but how well did Andy Murray play?
RAFAEL NADAL: Andy's amazing player, so I don't know how well he played. You can answer him.
But when I play against him I always see the match very, very difficult, because he makes the very difficult things very easy. So he has a good serve, and the movements are unbelievable from the baseline, no?
He looks like he's always at the way that you're gonna play, so he's very difficult. For that reason I think it's one of the biggest victories in my career today.

Q. Was it fun meeting Beckham?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. Did you talk a little soccer?
RAFAEL NADAL: I met him now just five minutes. Well, I know him from Madrid few years ago. And, sure, always is special meet with great sportsman like David.
At the same time, he's a big star outside of the stadium. But for me, what I admire a lot of him is when he's on the stadium, he fight like the best of them, more than the rest.

Q. Can you compare meeting the Queen of England and the King of British football?
RAFAEL NADAL: C'mon, guys. Sorry. I answer that few days ago. I explain what happened in that day. For me was disappointing didn't meet the Queen, for sure. But I have lot of respect for this tournament, and I have my routines on that day. Probably if I change the routines, I am not here today.

Q. Was it hard to recover from the double-fault mentally?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, because I played a great point next point. But if Andy makes the serve and give me a set point was the set, so was important mistake. But I was lucky Andy missed the first serve, and later I had a chance to play the point from the baseline and I did well.

Q. What about Andy, you said to him after the match that he could win a major.
RAFAEL NADAL: I wished him best of luck for the rest of the season, and sorry for today. I know it was an important match for him I think because he play at home, and this is a chance for him to win probably the most important title for him win here at home in Wimbledon.
Just I felt sorry for him because he's a very nice person, very good person. I am sure he gonna win a Grand Slam very soon, because when you have final in US Open, final in Australia, semifinals here this year and the last year, you are there all the time. So one day you win. I am sure he gonna win. He deserve to win.

Q. How well aware are you that he's such a big fan of yours? He kept talking about you're his favorite player to watch.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, just can say thanks. He don't need to admire a lot of things of me because he's too good to admire me.

Q. Do you remember where you were the first Sunday of July last year? Did you watch the final?
RAFAEL NADAL: I watched at home, yeah, on the sofa.

Q. What are the recollections you have from that day? What else do you remember about the final last year, not being there?
RAFAEL NADAL: Just enjoying beautiful match. Was a very emotional match. I liked the tennis, so I enjoyed the match. I wasn't ready to be here, so my mind wasn't here.

Q. In view of Andy's skill, were you surprised that you were able to close this out in just three sets?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. When I came to the match I was with the focus. I know how tough gonna be the match. I never thought win in three sets.
But at the same time, I never thought win in three sets, win in four, win in five, or lose in three or lose in four. I just go on court and try to play my best tennis point by point. That's my style. I know I just need try play my best tennis. Only like this I going to have chances.

Q. Looking back now, does it surprise you you were able to complete this match so quickly?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. But he had few chances. This match is decides -- anyway, if was in three sets, this match is decide in very small things. If Andy makes this point and win the second set, maybe we are there. So everything can change in just one point.

Q. During the tournament we have found out from other players that they have been injured going into games. We found out after the game. Do you go into Sunday's final a hundred percent fit? Your knees are ready to go?
RAFAEL NADAL: I hope so. I don't know. I think I didn't have any problem for the last three matches. But the pain in the second and especially in the third match is not forgot. Can be there and can't be there in one moment, and I don't have the control of this.
But I am still working every day to try to be healthy like I was the last three matches. But this pain sometimes appears there, and is there. I don't know when it start and when it stop.

Q. Did you have a chance to watch your opponent in the finals?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I watched almost all the semifinal.

Q. What do you think about Tomas Berdych?
RAFAEL NADAL: Amazing. He did amazing tournament. I think he played very good match against Federer; very good match today against Djokovic. He save difficult match against Brands. Yeah, he's the best of his draw, so for that reason he's in the final. No one opponent can be more difficult than Tomas to play this final.

Q. Your feelings about the matchup against Berdych in this particular match on grass, is there a style that you're expecting to see from him or what?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, Tomas is a very aggressive player, very good serve, very good flat shots from the baseline. So gonna be very, very difficult. Very difficult match. Is very difficult to stop him when he's playing well, and he's playing really well. So gonna be very difficult to play against him.

Q. If you have to give a technical explanation why you won today, do you think it's your forehand that was the big difference? Your forehand kills the point while Murray is a very good counterattacker, but it doesn't have the same power when you slow down the ball and you slice your backhand.
RAFAEL NADAL: When you win these matches, is always the same thing: is play well and the mental thing. Mental part is decisive, no? If we talk about the technique, I served well some moments. Most of the time my serve works well.
And, sure, my feeling with the forehand was very good during all the tournament, yeah. Forehand makes the difference.

Q. We've had three classic finals in a row here. Do you expect to give us a fourth one Sunday?
RAFAEL NADAL: Ah, three five sets? Yeah, we had 2007. I don't know. Sure, will be very difficult match. Will be very difficult match for me, and hopefully for him, too (smiling). I don't know.

End of FastScripts

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