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BNP PARIBAS MASTERSNovember 1, 2013Rafael NadalPARIS, FRANCE R. NADAL/R. Gasquet THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please. Q. Congratulations. The start of the match was close, and then you really found your best game. Tactically you were really on pointe. How did you feel on the court? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, happy, no? Sorry for Richard tonight, but I think I played my best match here this year. Happy the way that I played for a lot of moments. I feel that for most of the time I had control of the point from the baseline, and that's a lot of confidence. During the match I felt that I was able to, you know, play with a little bit more calm, being patient, and at the end, I was able to hit a few good forehands down the line. That shot give my a lot of points during the whole season, and that's the way. I need to play that shot very often to play well on these kind of surfaces. It's something that I did well tonight, especially at the end. Something that I needed for the rest of the tournament. Q. You're having a tremendous season on hard court. Are you, yourself, surprised by how good you've been this year, and how do you explain your improvement on hard court compared to the other years? RAFAEL NADAL: I am thinking, because seems like the other years I never play well on hard. It's always the same. I have to say I am surprised. Sure, I am surprised after long injury be back on tour and have all the success I had. Sure I am surprised. But you know that in the past I won a lot of tournaments on hard. (Smiling.) It's try that this year I played especially well winning, I don't know, three Masters 1000s on hard and one Grand Slam. But in the past I did similar things. I think in 2008 I won in Toronto; I won in Olympics; I won in Wimbledon. It's not hard, but it's even more difficult for me. In 2010, too. So it's something that is not new, play well on hard. It's always the same. The thing is play well or not playing well. If I am playing well, normally I am competitive, I have the chances, and that's what happened this year, that I played particularly with great rhythm, being more aggressive. Probably the injury that I had makes me the obligation to play more aggressive than before, and that helped me a lot to play better on hard. But nothing really changed a lot, no? Just small things that probably give to me a lot of success. Q. In the past this tournament had a lot of surprising results. In past years players who haven't won other Masters titles are winning here, but so far it's been a lot of the top players doing well. So far you and Novak and Roger are in the semis. What do you think made this year's tournament different than all the past years? RAFAEL NADAL: This tournament deserve because suffered a lot because it's the last tournament of the year. It's great to have this year all the best players playing well and having good results. Having in the quarterfinals the eight players going to be playing in the Masters Cup is great news for the tournament. It's true that Andy cannot be here. Always is important, Andy. But the difference probably there is a lot of things to play. You know, most of the players still have goals. We arrived here with three players, you know, remaining the chance to qualify for the Masters. That's a big motivation for all of them. Well, four, but finally ‑‑ well, three or four have to qualify or three or five or three or six have the chances. But at the end, Wawrinka, Roger, and Richard made it, so that's special motivation. In the top positions, David is playing to be No. 3 at the end of the season. Del Potro, too. Novak and me, we are playing for the end of the season to keep playing well and keep having great results and finish the season with positive feelings. At the end, it's a Masters 1000 and a very important tournament. Q. What are your thoughts on playing David Ferrer or Tomas Berdych in the semifinal? How do you imagine the match? RAFAEL NADAL: I imagine a very, very difficult match against both of them. Both of them are great players. Only thing I am sure is if I don't play my best I don't gonna win. I have to keep playing better and better every day. I did a little bit better every day during the tournament. Tomorrow is the day to keep improving. If I am able to do it, I hope to be competitive and have my chance. Q. I don't want to ask another question about hard courts, but how important was Uncle Toni in the way you're playing n hard courts now? RAFAEL NADAL: I had the same coach for 27 years, 26, 24, so my uncle, I have to say thanks a lot to him in a lot of ways because all the things that he did for me. But we don't going to say now I am playing well today on hard courts because this year Toni find a special thing. That's my feeling, no? We worked hard during all my career with him to be a better player in all the surfaces and to improve my tennis in general. Toni helps me a lot since I was a kid, but it's true that today I have Francis that is working with me well when Toni have not the chance to be with me. Toni has three small kids, and it's normal that he wants to stay with the kids, too. Francis was a very important person for me the last couple of years, too. He helped me a lot to keep playing well on hard, too, and in general to improve my tennis. So I think it's for sure different history. Toni, all the things he did for me since I was a kid is just unbelievable. Just can say thanks to him for everything. But it's true that day of today have Francis in my team is a good help, too, and is a great combination, I think. Q. If you had a pick a winner between Novak and Roger tomorrow, who will it be and why? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, Roger had a good victory today again Del Potro. That's going to be confidence with him. It's true that Novak is winning I don't know how many matches in a row now winning in Beijing and winning in Shanghai; now he is in semifinals; final of US Open. So he is playing great. If I had to say a favorite, for the moment it's Novak. But everybody knows how good is Roger and how well he can play. So we'll see tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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