Transcript conférence de presse/ Shanghai 2009

October 15, 2009

Rafael Nadal

SHANGHAI, CHINA

R. NADAL/T. Robredo
6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In the match today your volleying was very good when you came to the net, but I've watched you practice this week and you don't seem to practice it a lot, so have you been working on your net game, your volleying?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I always work on my volley, no? I know one of the points I have chance to improve more, but I think the volley is not the problem, because I improve it a lot, the volley, but the thing right now is go to the net and know exactly how to volley, no? How to go to the net. The movement in the net sometimes is more important than the volley. So that's the most important thing, no?
In the first set I did few times very well, because I had the control of the point. I was inside the court. And in the second set I did less, no?
So I started the second set bad, so for that reason, later I had to play all the set under pressure, no? So not always play aggressive like I did in the first set.

Q. Because, as you said, Tommy played very well in the start of the second set, so how did you get out of that problem that you had?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, Tommy played better, no? Played some -- he had some good movements with the forehand, playing more aggressive with his forehand, but I really have to improve a little bit more this, yeah, these moments, no?
Because I am playing well, really well, and for a few time I had the match on the court, but I had two terrible games in the start of the second set, so that's what I have to improve if I want to win against the top players.
So that's the way, no? Yesterday I had similar thing, so that's can't happen tomorrow.

Q. Where do you think your game is right now in terms of, you know, generally where your game has been at the top, in comparison, and what needs to be fixed?
RAFAEL NADAL: Impossible to know that, no? I win 6-1, 6-4 against one of the best players of the world.
If I had the result some months ago, what do you want think? Yeah, I'm playing really well. That's the thing. You never know.
I am playing well, but we will see tomorrow. That's day to day, not right now. When you come back after injury, you can't think more than the next day, no? I say it every day, you are playing well, but it's easy to have up and downs than when you are totally on the tour every week, no?
I need more weeks, I think. I need to play very well all the time, not like today, for example, I have this bad games, no?

Q. Is it a lack of playing matches or a lack of confidence or a little bit of both?
RAFAEL NADAL: Both, no? I think when you are playing more matches, you win more matches, you have more confidence. You are repeating the things every day, and that's common, yes? But you lose the concentration a few moments, play good. The important moment -- for example, in my opinion, the beginning of the second was very important, because I was playing really well, 6-1, having the control of the match, playing aggressive, and Tommy didn't have lot of chance. So playing two bad games in the beginning of the second, he has a lot of confidence later, and the set was difficult in the second.

Q. How frustrating was it back in New York when you had your abdominal problem? Because you used to come into press conferences after matches and say, I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to talk about it. It must have been very frustrating. And how have you recovered -- you've recovered quite quickly from it. What sort of treatment did you have? Was it just rest, or did you have special treatment?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I say I don't want to talk about that, because I had to play next day, so first of all, is not very nice for the opponent.
And second thing, for myself, too, because if I want to go on court and try to have chances to win, if I think I can win, it's stupid thing more and show everybody I have a broke in the abdominal, no?
So it's tough when you are playing a Grand Slam after come back on injury and you're feeling okay. Probably I wasn't play at my top, but I was playing okay. And, yeah, I have a problem in abdominal. Might take a lot, the chances, to have the victory, no?
But, no, I recovered normal. I had two centimeters of broke, and now I did a lot of treatment of the sound, I did machine. I did, with my physio, a lot of stretch. I work hard to try to be in Bangkok. Wasn't impossible.
I went to Beijing without practice. I practice two days and I fly to Beijing without serve, and I practice it there.

Q. I know it's difficult for you tennis players to comment on this, but would it be better if the fans in the stands would actually stay quiet during play and serving, on serves?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, for me, it's no problem. For me, is okay. The crowd is doing -- is doing well. The court is so big, and, yeah, the people here in China is more emotional probably than the rest of the places, and that's nice for us, too.

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