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ROGERS CUP MEN

August 10, 2011

Rafael Nadal

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

I. DODIG/R. Nadal
1-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Rafa.

Q. You were up a break in the second set. You were up a break two times in the third set. In the end you lose the match. What happened?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, seriously I didn't felt that I played bad. But that's true. In the decisive moments, I didn't play well. That's the true.
He played well. Little bit of everything. Little bit of long time without competition. Little bit of I started one week and a half ago playing tennis.
He played very well, very aggressive. He didn't feel the pressure in the important moments. And at the end of the match, probably I was a little bit unlucky today, no?
I felt I played enough well to win that match. But that's tennis. The only thing I can do is congratulate the opponent and keep working for Cincinnati.

Q. Was your foot a problem today?
RAFAEL NADAL: No.

Q. Not at all?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Shaking head negatively.)

Q. Do you think it was one of his best matches?
RAFAEL NADAL: You can ask him later. I don't know. I didn't saw all his matches, so...

Q. So it wasn't him; it was you played your best, and you thought everything was right with you?
RAFAEL NADAL: I thought he played well. He played well important moments. He played without pressure. He played aggressive. His serve worked well.
I had to close the match with the 5-3 in the third set. I had to close that match probably in the second when I was playing very well, 6-1, 3-1, playing very high level of tennis.
After that, the tennis is like this. You are winning without many problems, you have one mistake, and after the opponent start to serve very well, play very aggressive.
I was serving very well at the beginning of the match, and after my serve was worst.

Q. Sometimes you've won when you haven't been at 100%. You said you were happy with how you played.
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't say I am happy the way that I played because when you are winning 5-3 in the third, you lose the match, when you are winning 3-0 in the third and you lose the match, I can't say I played well because when you have all of these advantage, you have to win the match.
I said, if we talking about level of tennis, especially in the beginning, the beginning of the second set and the first set, I played well. Play well is when you have to win. I didn't today.

Q. Have you ever been in a match like this when you can't explain what happened? It was an incredible match.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, for me wasn't that incredible (smiling).
Was an emotional match and bad for me. Is not the first lose in my career when I had an advantage. That's happens. Not going to be last time for me. I have to accept these loses exactly the same like the victories and keep working.
So I didn't have a lot of time to work before here, for the foot in Wimbledon, and I have few more days now for Cincinnati. Is not a good new for sure.
Thinking positive, I will try my best to arrive in perfect conditions to Cincinnati.

Q. Does it change anything in your preparation for the US Open? Certainly you were hoping to get more matches. Are you going to do something different?
RAFAEL NADAL: What can I do?

Q. I don't know.
RAFAEL NADAL: You know any recommendation?
I don't know. Play Cincinnati and play the US Open. That's the only calendar for me. Any change not going to affect to my level of tennis before US Open.

Q. After a night like this, what is your psychological recovery process like? What do you do to get something like this out of your mind?
RAFAEL NADAL: You know, the worst part on a lose like this is all the work that you did, that I did the last week. I arrived Thursday to prepare well the tournament. I arrived probably today being competitive. Lose a match like this when I didn't felt that I was playing bad. We talk about tennis. That's tough because you have to start another time right now.
In the beginning, everything is hard because you think remain one week to play another time. Everything is hard. You cannot come back home, so you gonna be here.
The beginning, everything is tough. But, you know, tomorrow day off. I didn't stop playing tennis for two weeks. I will have one day off tomorrow. Friday I will be in Cincinnati practicing.
When I gonna start practicing there, I gonna try my best. I gonna try to thinking positive. I gonna try to think what worked well here, what didn't work well, and work on that. I'll work on be ready to play well in Cincinnati.

Q. Do you feel the pressure to play well in Cincinnati?
RAFAEL NADAL: I would love to do it. I don't have to. That's the sport. You don't have to play well every week. You don't have to be all the time at your best. It's not an obligation win or be in the final every week. That's what I want to do all the time. That's what I try all the time. But is not possible, no?
This year is been fantastic year for me with tough moments. Today probably is a tough one. But worst when you lose five finals. I lost five finals this year. I'm playing well. You know, after long time without strange lose, I lose today. Let's work hard to try don't to repeat that in Cincinnati.

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