Interview with Rafael Nadal after
his win over Andy Murray at Wimbledon 2010
Wimbledon 2010
By LadyDragon
WIMBLEDON, United
Kingdom --(LadyDragon.com)
04/07/10--Q. Looked a little like 2008 again.
RAFAEL NADAL: I never like the comparations. No, every
year is completely different. For me was amazing day,
very important victory for me, one of the more difficult
victories of my career because the opponent was playing
well and I need really to play my best tennis to try to
win.
I think, yeah, I am very happy. Today is very important
day for me.
Q. Because of all of what you had to go through last
year with the injuries, is it even more satisfying now
that you're back here?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, that's past. But, sure, I said in
Monte-Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Roland Garros, sure, when you
had tough moments and wasn't an easy year last year -
especially the second half of the year - when you came
back and when you still playing another time at your
best, for sure I feel I playing at my best since the
start of this season, since 2010 when I start.
But I didn't win a tournament since 11 months, and after
I started to win in Monte-Carlo. So for sure that's makes
more special, because I worked a lot to be back playing
my best tennis. I did, so that's very important personal
satisfaction, no? Probably is when you have tough moments
and you are another time are in the top, yeah, is more
special.
Q. Does 2008 seem like a long time ago when you were
here raising the trophy as the champion, or does it seem
like yesterday to you?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Two years. Well, the life is
go fast. Since these two year a lot of things happen to
my life. Is not very far, but at the same time I have two
years with different things.
Q. You were behind 4-2 in the last set and you weren't
playing very well then. Suddenly you win the rest of the
games as you became Rafael Nadal again. Did you have to
wake up?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. I felt a little bit tired after the
second, after the second tiebreak. Was a lot of tension
in that tiebreak in the last games of the second set.
When I started the third I lost a little bit my
concentration and I felt little bit down. But that's
happen at only one game. After that game, after the first
game. But, you know, in grass, one break is almost the
set.
After that game I felt another time well. But Andy served
well and I didn't have lots of chances on the return. But
when I had the chance, I did. So that was the most
important thing of the match. I think of all important
moments, just one double-fault in the 5-All in the
tiebreak. But for the rest of the important moments, I
played very well today.
Q. It will go down as a straight-sets victory today,
but how well did Andy Murray play?
RAFAEL NADAL: Andy's amazing player, so I don't know how
well he played. You can answer him.
But when I play against him I always see the match very,
very difficult, because he makes the very difficult
things very easy. So he has a good serve, and the
movements are unbelievable from the baseline, no?
He looks like he's always at the way that you're gonna
play, so he's very difficult. For that reason I think
it's one of the biggest victories in my career today.
Q. Was it fun meeting Beckham?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah.
Q. Did you talk a little soccer?
RAFAEL NADAL: I met him now just five minutes. Well, I
know him from Madrid few years ago. And, sure, always is
special meet with great sportsman like David.
At the same time, he's a big star outside of the stadium.
But for me, what I admire a lot of him is when he's on
the stadium, he fight like the best of them, more than
the rest.
Q. Can you compare meeting the Queen of England and
the King of British football?
RAFAEL NADAL: C'mon, guys. Sorry. I answer that few days
ago. I explain what happened in that day. For me was
disappointing didn't meet the Queen, for sure. But I have
lot of respect for this tournament, and I have my
routines on that day. Probably if I change the routines,
I am not here today.
Q. Was it hard to recover from the double-fault
mentally?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, because I played a great point next
point. But if Andy makes the serve and give me a set
point was the set, so was important mistake. But I was
lucky Andy missed the first serve, and later I had a
chance to play the point from the baseline and I did
well.
Q. What about Andy, you said to him after the match
that he could win a major.
RAFAEL NADAL: I wished him best of luck for the rest of
the season, and sorry for today. I know it was an
important match for him I think because he play at home,
and this is a chance for him to win probably the most
important title for him win here at home in Wimbledon.
Just I felt sorry for him because he's a very nice
person, very good person. I am sure he gonna win a Grand
Slam very soon, because when you have final in US Open,
final in Australia, semifinals here this year and the
last year, you are there all the time. So one day you
win. I am sure he gonna win. He deserve to win.
Q. How well aware are you that he's such a big fan of
yours? He kept talking about you're his favorite player
to watch.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, just can say thanks. He don't need to
admire a lot of things of me because he's too good to
admire me.
Q. Do you remember where you were the first Sunday of
July last year? Did you watch the final?
RAFAEL NADAL: I watched at home, yeah, on the sofa.
Q. What are the recollections you have from that day?
What else do you remember about the final last year, not
being there?
RAFAEL NADAL: Just enjoying beautiful match. Was a very
emotional match. I liked the tennis, so I enjoyed the
match. I wasn't ready to be here, so my mind wasn't here.
Q. In view of Andy's skill, were you surprised that
you were able to close this out in just three sets?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. When I came to the match I was with
the focus. I know how tough gonna be the match. I never
thought win in three sets.
But at the same time, I never thought win in three sets,
win in four, win in five, or lose in three or lose in
four. I just go on court and try to play my best tennis
point by point. That's my style. I know I just need try
play my best tennis. Only like this I going to have
chances.
Q. Looking back now, does it surprise you you were
able to complete this match so quickly?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. But he had few chances. This match is
decides -- anyway, if was in three sets, this match is
decide in very small things. If Andy makes this point and
win the second set, maybe we are there. So everything can
change in just one point.
Q. During the tournament we have found out from other
players that they have been injured going into games. We
found out after the game. Do you go into Sunday's final a
hundred percent fit? Your knees are ready to go?
RAFAEL NADAL: I hope so. I don't know. I think I didn't
have any problem for the last three matches. But the pain
in the second and especially in the third match is not
forgot. Can be there and can't be there in one moment,
and I don't have the control of this.
But I am still working every day to try to be healthy
like I was the last three matches. But this pain
sometimes appears there, and is there. I don't know when
it start and when it stop.
Q. Did you have a chance to watch your opponent in the
finals?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I watched almost all the semifinal.
Q. What do you think about Tomas Berdych?
RAFAEL NADAL: Amazing. He did amazing tournament. I think
he played very good match against Federer; very good
match today against Djokovic. He save difficult match
against Brands. Yeah, he's the best of his draw, so for
that reason he's in the final. No one opponent can be
more difficult than Tomas to play this final.
Q. Your feelings about the matchup against Berdych in
this particular match on grass, is there a style that
you're expecting to see from him or what?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, Tomas is a very aggressive player, very
good serve, very good flat shots from the baseline. So
gonna be very, very difficult. Very difficult match. Is
very difficult to stop him when he's playing well, and
he's playing really well. So gonna be very difficult to
play against him.
Q. If you have to give a technical explanation why you
won today, do you think it's your forehand that was the
big difference? Your forehand kills the point while
Murray is a very good counterattacker, but it doesn't
have the same power when you slow down the ball and you
slice your backhand.
RAFAEL NADAL: When you win these matches, is always the
same thing: is play well and the mental thing. Mental
part is decisive, no? If we talk about the technique, I
served well some moments. Most of the time my serve works
well.
And, sure, my feeling with the forehand was very good
during all the tournament, yeah. Forehand makes the
difference.
Q. We've had three classic finals in a row here. Do
you expect to give us a fourth one Sunday?
RAFAEL NADAL: Ah, three five sets? Yeah, we had 2007. I
don't know. Sure, will be very difficult match. Will be
very difficult match for me, and hopefully for him, too
(smiling). I don't know.
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