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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 19, 2011

Rafael Nadal

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

R. NADAL/J. Del Potro
6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What happened at 4-1 in the first set did? You consciously make any adjustments, or it just kind of fell in?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I think that the match started a little bit strange for me because I -- well, strange and not strange, no, because I had few mistakes with the forehand. I think the first game of the return I played well.
But when I served for the first time in the match, I think I had two or three unforced errors with my forehand, so that's not usual.
That's maybe because I didn't play very good matches this week before. I played a good match against Karlovic, I think, but it's different, no, because you don't have the rhythm of the game. You return and after you take care but don't have mistakes, is different kind of match, no?
He started without mistakes, and he was 3-0 or 4-1 with not many problems, no?
After that I think I started to put more balls inside, play higher to his backhand, and trying to get the right rhythm, no? I think I did well. I played a few good games. I think he had a few mistakes than usual. That's help me a little bit.
But in general, I think I played my best match in Indian Wells this year by far, sure.

Q. Did you have a few problems your serve?
RAFAEL NADAL: With my serve?

Q. Yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't think so. No, I think that the serve didn't work bad. I know Juan Martin is a great returner, so, you know, for me it was difficult. You play under pressure all the time, no?
Because if you have a mistake with the first serve, with the second serve he will have a good chance to play aggressive, to go inside the court. You start every point defending, no? So you don't have any chance later.

Q. Before today, he had beaten the last three times you played. Can you talk about where his level of play is now compared to 2009 the last time you played him?
RAFAEL NADAL: The players? Him?

Q. Yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: 2009 he won the US Open, and probably he played the best level of his career by far. It's difficult to play at this level all the time. That's true, no? The normal thing is not when you played your best.
For me, my normal level is not when I played the final of the US Open, or I don't know. That's my highest level. For Del Potro, the final of US Open and semifinals for me was his highest level. So that's not the normal thing. You can arrive to this level, but not every day, no?
And the normal level of everybody is a little bit lower always, no? Is impossible play all the time full power shots, all the balls inside, having serve all the time, first and second serve very fast.
So I think he's doing well. He won a tournament four weeks ago. Right now he arrive at the semifinals having very good victories. I am happy to see him back on the tour.
He is one of the best players of the world, to be sure. I sure he's going to be at the top positions very soon.

Q. How much do you think you've improved since the 2009 US Open, maybe the serve, the volley?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is not -- I had the three centimeters abdominal broke in that moment, no? I improved my game in general, but that year, the second half of the year, I had too many problems.
I broke my abdominal in Montreal or Toronto, I remember, a little bit. After, seems I was a little bit better in Cincinnati, but after a few matches, another time I felt the abdominal.
In US Open I was bad since the second round, but I keep playing, playing. Finally I had to stop one month without play. So we can't see -- we can't compare matches when you are not healthy.

Q. How is your health right now?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, I am sure with my level of 2009 in that moment, without injury, I wasn't able to beat him, but not 6-2, 6-2 I gonna lose. That's my feeling, no?

Q. But even outside of that match, your game overall from 2009 to now, you don't think there is any improvement?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure I serve much better than that moment. My backhand is better, and the forehand is similar, I think.
But the better thing is I am playing closer to the baseline. I am able to play more inside the court, go more times to the net. So that's very important factor, no?
Is much easier you play three meters behind the baseline than if you play one meter behind the baseline. That's 100%. The biggest improve I think in my game is the position on court.

Q. As far as your health level in this tournament, how do you feel coming off the Australian Open where you had some problems?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think I not playing like before the season. I was playing fantastic before the season, and when I started in Abu Dhabi. I had a few problems there in the leg, in Australia, and have a virus in Doha.
Coming back after one month and a few more days outside of competition, to come back and play a final another time is fantastic news for me.
It's a lot of points, and, you know, for me is really, really important this coming back. Winning matches like today is how you can come back to your highest level.

Q. You said earlier about normal being when you don't play your best. Is that the mark of the truly great player, that you can adjust, sort of adjust on the fly to what your game is that particular day or what the opponent is throwing at you? Your physical position?
RAFAEL NADAL: Biggest difference between, I think -- the best players of the world or a little bit lower on the ranking is when you play well, you can beat and you can win everybody, and you win because you are playing really good.
But when you are not playing that well, the important thing is keep winning. That's the highest difference, no? Because that's give you a lot of confidence, and that's give you a line of regular results.
When you are playing bad, if you lose in first round or second round, is a really bad tournament. But when you are playing bad you are in quarterfinals, semifinals, it works.
So because that's a lot of points, that's confidence, because even you play bad, you win. Next week gonna be better. If next week you play better, you gonna have better chance to win the tournament.
The important thing is arrive at your limit every week. If your limit that week is quarterfinals, arrive to quarterfinals. Don't lose in second round. That's what I think.

Q. When your level drops, when you're feeling your level drop, what do you do? Do you try to focus on a particular shot?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, you never know what is my level, because I know what is my level when I am winning Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Rome. I know my level is high in that moment. Or when I won in hard, I don't know, in 2009 in the beginning of the season in Australia, and then I came here and I know my level was very high.
Right now, you know, last year I had a fantastic season. I know if I am playing well, I have good chances to have good results. I don't know if tomorrow I gonna play my best level or not.
I'm sure I'm gonna have better chances to play much better than yesterday and much better than today, because the match of today give me confidence. I felt the ball much better in the end of the match than in the beginning.
So all these things are important, not only for my final tomorrow, because next week is Miami and in two weeks start the clay season, and that's very important for me, and the confidence to start probably the four more important ones of the season for me. Start of the final is fantastic news.

Q. I mean, we know you played Roger and Novak a hundred times. But when you go out to play them, either one of them, what sort of a sense do you have? And also, how will the conditions over here affect if you're playing Roger or playing Novak?
RAFAEL NADAL: We know each other 100%, no? These kind of matches always is the same. These kind of matches gonna win the player who's playing better in that moment. Because the level is very, very difficult to say, You play better than the other one, because it depends on the week. That's my feeling, no?
And the player who have better inspiration that day is the player who gonna have better chances to win.

Q. Before Roger walked on the court today, he said he felt motivated watching you win for an opportunity to play you. Do you have that same kind of feeling? If Roger wins, that kind of excitement?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, my feeling is be in the final. Be in the final, that's personal satisfaction very big, and that's give me a lot of motivation. And play final of Indian Wells, for me the motivation is not the opponent; for me the motivation is the tournament, you know.
Is too important final of Indian Wells to think about which opponent you gonna play against, because more important thing is the victory of the tournament.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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