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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2011

Rafael Nadal

CINCINNATI, OHIO

R. NADAL/J. Benneteau
6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. He's played you pretty close the last couple years. What is it about him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sorry?

Q. He's played you pretty close at this event the last couple years.
RAFAEL NADAL: Last year, yes.

Q. What kind of problems does he pose you when he's on?
RAFAEL NADAL: Last year he played really close. He had match point, and these things -- I didn't have that feeling today.
I had the match all the time - almost all the time - under control. I played a really bad game with the 5-4 to close the match, but for the rest of the match I think I had the control of the match and I played well.
Last year was a very different history.

Q. Were you satisfied with your performance today? What did you like about your game?
RAFAEL NADAL: My serve worked well today; my forehand for almost all the time I hit very good shots. I think I did almost everything well, but, you know, less time that I would love to do it.
I did a lot of things well, but not in every point. I played three points well; after I played two points bad. So I am in the right way, but I need to keep having matches. For sure that's important for me now.
Just like this, having matches, I will find my rhythm all the time, no? I have to play consistent every point. I have to play with the highest intensity in every moment. The game with 5-4 on my serve cannot happen. You can lose a serve, but you cannot play that bad.
So that probably affected me a little bit. The moments that I spend one week ago in MontrÃ©al when I lost the match, serving for the match, no, always the confidence goes down a little bit after one match like that.
So that probably affected me a little bit today with 5-4 and the serve. For the rest I am happy. I have to keep going, and that's what I will try.

Q. The yellow Aston Martin is not the parking lot anymore. Did you get to meet them?
RAFAEL NADAL: I bought. (Smiling.)

Q. Did you?
RAFAEL NADAL: (Laughter.) No.

Q. Did you scare them away?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? I met them. Honor meet a great fan like this, because to have an Aston Martin like this you must be a really big fan. It was really an honor, and just can say thanks to them for the big support.
THE MODERATOR: The car is still there.

Q. A Spanish speaker in the audience heard you scream, Cheese and crackers at one of the big moments. Is that the strongest language you've got?
RAFAEL NADAL: (In Spanish.)
THE MODERATOR: That is not translating how you're thinking.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. When?

Q. Some time today they thought you said that.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, for sure not. Nothing strange I say during the match.

Q. Will your family be in New York with you this year? Don't your mom and sister like to go as well?
RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe. I don't know. If they want to come, for me always is a pleasure. So I don't know if they have the plan to come. I don't know I don't know when my dad, my mom, and my sister have the plans to be there. I don't know.
I think they want to come, but I don't know if for the beginning of the tournament, I don't know the week before the tournament, I don't know if after the first week of the tournament.
If they want to come in the second week, always is a risk that I will be in Mallorca before they came to New York. So you never know.

Q. How are things physically? Apart from the hands there, have you got any...
RAFAEL NADAL: I got burned. I had a little bit of accident in a restaurant a few days ago. No, just that.

Q. Is it causing discomfort when you play?
RAFAEL NADAL: A little bit. If you see the blister, you can imagine. I don't going to show you now.

Q. What happened in the restaurant?
RAFAEL NADAL: It was an accident. The plate was very, very hot and I get burned, so...

Q. Was that here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. You had a good doubles match yesterday. Does that help with singles, give you confidence, good practice?
RAFAEL NADAL: Always a victory is a victory. I enjoy playing doubles with Marc Lopez. He's a good friend of mine. For me always a pleasure to play with him.
I had fun, and for me it's always important to practice before my match, too. Was a good practice yesterday. We won; we are happy for that. We have another chance tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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