Mise à jour : interview !

F. GONZÁLEZ/R. Nadal

6?2, 6?4, 6?3

Q. Fernando was in awesome form out there. What was it like on the other side of the court? Could you do much against him?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he's playing very good level, that's for sure. Maybe was not a good match for me. I don't know if I can say I am playing bad, but for sure I can't play at hundred percent, no?

I have problems in my leg, so I cannot run. I can't run a lot. Was difficult play one match like this, quarterfinals of one Grand Slam, with pain, without the best conditions, no?

Q. When did you hurt your leg?

RAFAEL NADAL: After the match. After the last match of Murray.

Q. Is that what the treatment was for?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.

Q. What exactly is it?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know. I really don't know why. I was thinking before the ?? before the match, I was practicing a little bit in the hotel because I was very tired. Today I going to warm up. I don't feel very bad. I just feel very tired. The leg hurt.

When I am on court, I am trying to run. Hundred percent run, well, I can't. I can't start. Was difficult and disappointing for me, no? I don't know if is a good opportunity because Fernando is very tough match. But for sure when you are in quarterfinals of a Grand Slam and you can't play with your best feelings, your best conditions, is difficult, no?

Q. Did you expect to win?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, before the match, yes. When I am on the match, no.

Q. Did you do something in the match against Murray? When did you feel the pain in that match?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't feel the pain in the match of Murray, no? I feel later. I feel after. Well, I don't know. I was thinking was just tired. Normal. I was playing very tough match, I just feel tired. Maybe is not just tired, because is not normal. Walking right now I have lot of pain. Maybe is a little bit more than tired.

Q. What part of your leg is the pain in?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it's not just the one place. I have pain here, in my famous ass.  After I feel a little bit here, too (pointing to the inside and outside of the thigh). That maybe it's just tired, no? But down this way and in the ass is very, very painful, no?

Q. What do you do now? Do you leave Australia as soon as you can? Where do you play next?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I going to leave on Friday maybe because tomorrow I don't have plane. Well, I want to play the Davis Cup after one week. I hope be hundred percent for Davis Cup. Is one of my goals always, play for your country is always special for me.

But I need go to the doctor and watch what I can I do right now, no?

Q. Will you have a scan?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, not yet. I just have doping right now. Nothing else.

Q. How much better a player is Fernando now? Does he seem more patient?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he improves his game a lot, no? He's playing with more calm all the time. Well, now he's doing a lot of slice, open the backhand. Sometimes is difficult.

Well, today I can't say so much, no, because I am not, I don't know.

INTERPRETER: He really didn't have the chance to see how he plays because he was never at a hundred percent today.

RAFAEL NADAL: But for sure he has very good results. He improves a lot his game.

Q. Do you think he's got the game to beat Roger or Andy in the final?

RAFAEL NADAL: You never know. Roger is always very difficult. Is another level always. But you never know. When you are in one final of Grand Slam, you can win for sure because you are with big confidence. Anything can do.

But we will see the semifinals against Tommy Haas, no?

Q. You will have a scan in Spain?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, for sure, because I have the Davis Cup after one week. I need know if I going to be in the team or not ? for me and for the rest.

Q. How much more disappointing is it when you have to leave a tournament after losing not being a hundred percent fit than when you lose in a tough match just normally?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, disappointing, no, because I was playing fine. I was playing good. I was winning very important match two days ago against Murray. I was with good confidence for try to play this quarterfinals and try to go to the final, no? But, well, that's it. I was trying my best all the time. I was fighting a lot for being in this quarterfinals.

But these things happening sometimes. Well, it's not a problem. If I am playing bad, something, well, you can go to the home and say disappointing. But today I just say, well, I can't do more. I try my best. Well, that's it.

Saturday, 20 January, 2007
R. NADAL/S. Wawrinka
6-2, 6-2, 6-2


THE MODERATOR: Question, please.

Q. Was it a harder match than the scores indicated?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, always. Every match is tough. Every match is different. Every match have difficult moments.

But today maybe I won 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. But always the points are tough. But in every set I have 4-1 with two breaks, so that's important, no?

Q. Are you happy with your form going into the second week? Is this where you would like to be?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, for sure I'm happy today. I play my best match, hundred percent. I play good today - very, very good. I'm happy for that.

Q. It was the first time you played Wawrinka. What do you think about him?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he has a very good shots. He serve well. Very good backhand. On the forehand sometimes irregular. So what? He's young, too. He can improve. He's No. 31 in the world right now, so that's very good number, and improving.

Q. If you play Murray next, how different will he be to Wawrinka, the challenge?

RAFAEL NADAL: A hundred percent different. He's a different player, different style, everything different. You can't compare the matches, no?

We will see. If is Murray, is going to be very difficult match. If it's Chela, too. We will see Murray's improving his game. He's very young. Just one less than me, yeah. Well, he start good the season in Doha playing the final. We will see.

Q. You knew him in Spain?

RAFAEL NADAL: When he was in Spain, I never practice with him. He was in Barcelona and I live in Mallorca all the time. Different places.

Q. How much more confident are you having played like that compared to Thursday night?

RAFAEL NADAL: I am improving, no? I tell last night I finish with very good feelings in the fourth set. I play my best tennis in the season, and today improve the tennis. I play may best today for sure all the time.

I feel very comfortable with my forehand, with my serve, with my backhand, too. Today maybe I played a very complete match. That's it. I am very happy because if I continuing play like this, like today, I have a chance for a win, for a winner's match. I can lose too, but I have chance to win. 

Q. Are you peaking at the right time?

RAFAEL NADAL: From this year?

Q. Yes.

RAFAEL NADAL: For sure, yeah, hundred percent.  

Q. Do you feel physically 100% now?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, for sure. Before the match was a little bit tired, because last match, last night, I have a difficult match, and I don't have too much time. I finish very late. I was sleeping at 5:30, 6:00 in the morning. Just have one day and a little bit more.

But, well, today was not very long match. That's important. For Monday, I going to have hundred percent, for sure.

Q. You don't feel the injury any more?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't feel nothing. Thank you.  

Q. You have won many titles as a young player, have lived with the pressure of being No. 2. You've seen in England on your visits what happens to English players under expectation. The pressure that Murray is under, is it the same as yours, or do you see it as different?

RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, well, the pression, everyone have his pression, no? I am No. 2, but maybe he wants to be the No. 2 or No. 1, no? I am No. 2 right now. But I have my pression because I want to continue being No. 2, and he have the pression for come to No. 2. That's it.

I want to enjoy when I am on court. Now I am -- I feel with a good feeling when playing tennis. When you are playing well and you are in third round, fourth round in Australia, you have to be happy and play. For sure I want to win and I have pression, but everyone have the same.

Q. Is Murray one of the players that you think in years to come will be one of your great rivals?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't know, no? I say he's very good player. He can be one of the best players in the world. He is one of the best players of the world right now, no? But he can continuing like this and win Grand Slams, win very good titles. That's it.

I don't know if in three years, four years I going to be in the top five. But you never know in the future, no? So for sure he has a very good potential. But is coming very good players, too, no?

Young players, new generation, still very good generation: Nalbandian, Hewitt, Roddick, Federer, Davydenko, Blake, Robredo. Every player is there and everyone wants to win because Federer is not old, Roddick is not old, Blake is not old, too. Robredo, Davydenko, every player is maximum 26. So everyone have the chance.

Q. After you won the French Open this year, people were surprised you haven't won since. Coming into 2007, is there any reason why you didn't quite go on in the second half of last season?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I know every player in the tour knows how difficult is win a title, no? I don't know. Ferrero was four years maybe playing the Masters Cup, or three. He has 11 titles. Moya, I don't know, a lot of years playing the tour, five Masters Cup, one of the best players of the world every year. He has maybe 19 titles. You know how difficult is win the title, no?

I play very bad -- me, in my opinion, I play very bad in Toronto, Cincinnati, the first two Masters Series of the second half of the season. After I play a very good US Open. I play a good US Open. I have a very good chance for be in the semifinals. I lost against Youzhny. Youzhny was playing very good. I play very good in Madrid. Lost against Berdych, was playing a very good match. I lost the semifinals of Shanghai against the best, Federer. That's it. I don't play too much tournaments, just play six tournaments. I have my chance in three.

Q. Murray has made a habit of beating Spanish players. He beat Martin, then Verdasco. Have you spoken to either of them since they played the matches?

RAFAEL NADAL: We will see. I have chances -- more chances to lose than to win. I don't know. Every match is different. Every player is different. No one Spanish player is the same. I don't know. For sure he has the chance.

If he win today, he has a chance for beat me and arrive to the final and win the tournament because he's very good player. But I will try my best.

Q. What about Chela?

RAFAEL NADAL: If it Chela, going to be tough match, too. Chela is a veteran player. He has good experience in all surfaces. Going to be tough, too.

R. NADAL/P. Kohlschreiber

7?5, 6?3, 4?6, 6?2

Q. Could you tell us where you got hit with those two balls, how badly it hurt. When Kohlschreiber hit you at the net with those two balls, where did it hit and badly did it hurt?

The first one there in the finger. The other one I touch with the racquet. The first one I understand hundred percent fine. You are in the net, you want to win the point. But the second one is a little bit struggling because he has all court for him, no? But it's fine.

Q. Where did the second one hit you?

No, no. In the racquet.

Q. On the racquet?

Yes. For very good luck on the racquet. For nothing put me in one eye, something, in the face.

Q. It was a good fight. Did you like it?

Yeah, I am happy with this match, no? Was very important for me. Is very good test because I finish the match very good physically. The first set I play very good tennis, too.

Kohlschreiber play a good match. Was playing great tennis. I just play bad maybe the final of third set, no? I serve bad. I play without confidence with my serve and with my forehand and backhand. I miss a lot.

But it's fine, no? After I come back very well with very good attitude. I am very happy for that, no? I feel faster on court than the other days, no? Today I feel the faster day when I start this season, no? I am happy. Maybe I improve my tennis here. I feel better here than Shanghai right now. I have good confidence next round.

Q. Were you surprised by the way he played?

No, I know every match is tough. You could see, Roddick was losing two sets to love against Tsonga. Safin two sets to one. When you are at the hotel and you saw the TV, when you go on court, you think, I going to have a difficult match, too.

Q. Does it give you confidence that you don't play your best and you still win?

Well, that's very important, no? Is very important win when you're not playing the best because that's a good point. That give me very good confidence. But I am happy with my game today. I feel better. Maybe is the first match in the year when I feel better, I feel good in some moments, no? So that's very important. I am trying every day to get my hundred percent. But I am fine. I improving every day, so that's very important for me.

Q. Do you feel like you need to improve in your service games?

He was returning the ball very well. He was returning very well. But I won the first set with one break. I play bad this break, no? I miss some balls. But after he play good. In the third set, he has very good points when I was serving. Sometimes is not easy, no? But, well, I need continuing improve my serve always. And sometimes the problem is not just in the serve. You have one player in front. You have to compete against him. He can return very well. Sometimes you need more luck than the other.

Q. Do you expect a more difficult task in the next round?

Well, every match is very difficult, no? You never know what's happening the next round. He is a very good player. He play very aggressive all the time. He play very fast. We will see. Going to have a difficult match. I need play my best for win, no? But I feel better every day and I will try.

Q. What do you know about him? Never played him?

I think I never play against him. He's a good player. I saw him lot of time on the tournaments. I know he has very good backhand. He play very good all the time, touching the ball very hard.

Q. Fans were very loud. Did the Spanish fans help you or did the German fans bother you at all?

Everything is fine, no? The atmosphere was fine. Always here I play good matches here against Hewitt against one Australian. The people here is very nice, respectful with the game. Was nice. The German, the Spanish, so everything fine.