Nadal vs Hewitt (PHOTO)

Foto: vamosbrigade

3rd Round Interview

Q. I have a different question for you. Everyone in tennis loves Roger, respects Roger. He is said to be the best of all time. Yet two out of every three times you play him, you win. You've won six of the last seven times. Who's a better player?
RAFAEL NADAL: You like this. You are focused on the Roger thing, eh? (laughter.)
Yesterday with the clay. Today with the if somebody says I am better than Roger, I think this person don't know nothing about tennis. That's my answer.

Q. How so?
RAFAEL NADAL: Why?

Q. Yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: So you don't know nothing about tennis.
You see the titles of him and you see the titles of me? It's no comparison. So that's the answer. Is difficult to compare Roger with me now, because he has 16 Grand Slams; I have 6. Masters 1000, yeah, I have more than him. But for the rest of the things the records of Roger is very, very almost impossible to improve.

Q. Still, it is interesting when you step out on the court...
RAFAEL NADAL: What?

Q. Still, it is interesting, Rafa, when you step out on the court...
RAFAEL NADAL: (Through translation.) 

Sorry, I interrupt you. What's the question? Sorry.

Q. The question is: Still, for the fans, it is interesting when you step on the court with him, you usually win.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I am No. 2 in the world for five years, so I think I am a good player, too. Sure, I can beat him. No. 2 can beat No. 1. That's the thing. It's not a lot of difference between No. 2 and No. 1 or between No. 1 and No. 10. That's the tennis, and the tennis very close, the level, all the time.
But I can beat him, yes. The same time, the thing is I beat him a lot of times on clay. I beat him on other surfaces, too. But the most of the times I beat him on clay, so I played with him more times on clay than on the rest of the surfaces.

Q. How do you feel at this point in the tournament? Do you feel like you always feel at the French Open coming into the second week, physically and mentally?
RAFAEL NADAL: Physically I'm fine. I don't have any problems, so I happy for that.
Mentally, too. I am with a lot of allusion to play well and to play a good tournament here. And I am doing, you know. I defend my points already, so I think now is all to win.

Q. You will follow the World Cup for football, especially Spain?
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure. I love the football, yeah? I know we won 3 2 today.

Q. Spain is your favorite to World Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: For me, yes. But for the rest, for the Brazilians, it's gonna be Brazil, and for Argentines, Argentina. That's football, no? And gonna be difficult to say something.
I think we have my opinion is we have the best team, but in one competition that all decides in one match. Gonna be very difficult to say something, because just little thing can change the rest of the match.

Q. If you could predict the opening round against Switzerland, what will the score be?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, here we are better. (laughter.)
Not in tennis, but here we are better. That is no comparison to. 

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. On the subject of football, on Monday Mourinho is going to sign to join the Madrid team. What do you think about him and his charisma?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I'm no one here to talk about other people's choices. As a trainer, he's always been a good trainer. He's always done a good job. We'll see.

And also, I think this is simply a follow up of what has been taking place in the last few years.

Q. Can we go back to tennis? We've seen you happier here than when you were on the court. You seemed to be fairly tense. You weren't happy?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was a little bit worried. The weather conditions weren't very good. I don't know. The weather conditions can make for a difficult match.
I saw the clouds gathering. When I walked on the court, I looked at the sky, and I kept looking at the sky because I really wanted to wrap up this match. I did not want to continue playing this particular match tomorrow.
I really want to have tomorrow off to take a break, and also to work. In the first set I believe I played well, then I believe I had a bit of a dip. The second wasn't so good, but the third one, until 6 3, I played well, really well.
I had to play against the wind, I played the whole match really well. I was very comfortable with my forehand, my backhand, but there was the wind. Because of the wind, you know, Hewitt takes the ball really early, and so the ball came to my side fairly low.
Sometimes I had trouble catching the ball because I was playing against the wind. But those were my main difficulties. In spite of all these difficulties, I felt fairly comfortable.

Q. Such a wet day and rain threatening, are you still with your 25 25 strings, or are you going to change?
RAFAEL NADAL: I play 5.5; 26 in Madrid; 25 here. I decided to go for 25.5. I did ask myself the question before the match, but already I had already four racquets at 25.5, and I thought, I'm not going to change everything.

Q. (Question off microphone.)
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, the balls were heavier, and therefore, the fact also that there was no sun, that the courts were slightly wet. This all made for heavy conditions. The balls were heavy, so these conditions were not favorable.
Because the spin that I like to give to the ball simply does not work in those conditions, and Hewitt plays really flat.

Q. Several times we saw you looking at your racquet.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I only looked at my racquet once, because I took a backhand and I hit the ball. I hit the racquet, sorry, against the ground, and I thought maybe I had broken it. I checked it, but it wasn't broken.
I looked at the frame simply to check for a crack. In Spanish I don't know how to say this, but in my language, in Mallorcan, we say cruit (phonetic.) It's a kind of a crack. (laughter.)

Q. Can you say a few words regarding your next opponent?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, he's top level opponent. I think in 2008 he went really deep into the tournament. The last time I played him he was very difficult. He's a clay specialist. He has recently beaten he has just beaten Ljubicic, so he is quite confident.
It's going to be very difficult, and it will also be a test for me to check my level of tennis.

Q. Three Spaniards reaching the fourth round this level in the tournament. Is that a surprise for you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, it was a surprise, the fact that Juan Carlos lost. I could not watch his game, so I can't really make any judgments. But I'm quite surprised that he lost. I saw him he lost the first few sets, and I saw him sort of coming back into the match, but apparently he didn't come back.
And also, I think that David played in a Kamikaze way, and it was difficult for him to stop on time. David played too flat. As I said, the weather conditions today are not favorable. He had a very good serve. That, I noticed. 

Optimi

Rafa trece si de Hewitt... recunosc, am avut ceva emotii inainte de meci, dar Nadal a trecut fara probleme de australian in 3 seturi: 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 dupa doua ore si 28 de minute.

Apropo de Hewitt.... am mare respect pentru el... s-a vazut ca e un mare campion, a aplaudat loviturile de senzatie ale lui Rafa si la final s`a vazut ca l`a felicitat sincer pe Nadal... nu doar asa formal.

In optimile de finala, Rafa va juca impotriva lui Thomaz Bellucci, brazilianul eliminandu`l pe Ljubicic... asadar, mare grija !!!
Nadal si Bellucci s`au intalnit doar o singura data pana acum si Rafa conduce cu 1-0, insa asta nu inseamna nimic, "El Matador" trebuie sa mearga mai departe... obiectivul fiind castigarea trofeului !!!



VAMOS RAFA !!!

Rafa Nadal vs Horacio Zeballos (PHOTO)

VAMOS RAFA !!!

2nd Round interview

Q. You said against Mina you don't play well. Do you think today you play well as you want to play?
RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, I think I improved a little bit. I improved a little bit. I played a little bit better. But sure, not perfect, no?
But sure, is a little bit of improvement. That's always important to play a little bit better every day, no?
So I did. Today I happy for the victory. Never easy. He's a good player. He's a young player and he's coming well. So it's a good win for me, and I'm happy for that. But I hope to keep improving.

Q. What would be the difference in your tactics, the way you play compared from 2005 the first year you played here to now? How would you say your game has changed on the clay?
RAFAEL NADAL: I forget. I think I improved. 2005 I think I played well. Probably not here I played here some matches well and others not that well. But I think I am serving better, I have a better backhand, a little bit better forehand, too. I have the position on court much better than 2005.
Probably I am running like I did in 2005, 2006, no? I can win a lot of matches without run crazy all the time, so that's a big improvement.

Q. You obviously had problems coming into Roland Garros last year. Could you compare how you're feeling now after a couple of games and compare it to the same stage last year?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, impossible to compare, no? I answered these questions a lot of times, and, you know, is very difficult to compare every year. The conditions are different.
But you never know what's happened this year. Last year I arrived one of the favorites, too, and I lost. That's difficult to compare.

Q. I have a question on the balls.
RAFAEL NADAL: The what?

Q. The balls.
RAFAEL NADAL: Ah.

Q. Do you choose the balls in a different manner? Do you prefer to keep the ball if you win the point, or you change?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I never play two points with the same ball, no. No, no. I don't like. Is slower.

Q. I was just watching Djokovic play. I didn't see your match. Do you try to serve and volley maybe one, two, three times? If you do, is it for surprise, and do you do it on the first or the second serve? Which do you think is better? Just to try to surprise, to use the serve and volley?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am not doing.

Q. But why would you not do it one, two, just to surprise your opponent?
RAFAEL NADAL: We'll see. We will see if I did. I did a few times. Not here yet, but, you know, my idea is not before the point, matter my idea is never gonna have serve and volley. I never gonna have desire. Not here on clay.
But if I serve one good serve outside, good slice to the backhand of the opponent, I see if I see I can go, I go. But it doesn't happen yet here. I am not serving that well. (Smiling.) Not yet. I need to serve a little bit better next match.

Q. If I could, I'd like to ask you a difficult question.
RAFAEL NADAL: Very difficult? Gonna be difficult to answer.

Q. Right, exactly. Roger recently said that on clay you don't need a volley or serve. You just need legs, an incredible forehand, and backhand. You can be competitive even with a very incomplete game. What are your thoughts on that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Everybody has his every guy's free to have his own opinion. No, I think probably a lot of years ago when you play with the slower balls, with the slower racquets, you know, with the small racquets and you can't have a winner, was very difficult to have a winner, probably.
But in my opinion now, in the sport is important to think how to win the match. Probably in very fast surfaces that's not happen, because you can have one serve and one forehand. That's the only that's the only way for the moment, one serve or one volley, only one serve.
Here you can play with more tactics. You can change your style. You can play attacking; you can play defending; you can go to the volley; you can play with the baseline.
So you have many options to do, and I think that's nice for the sport, too. I think every surface has difficult things. But sure, have a good forehand, good backhand, good legs and good movements, that's not an easy thing.

Q. And if you had to, in terms of being an athlete, athleticism between clay courts, hard, and grass, where do you need to be the best athlete? How would you rank them in terms of being an athlete?
RAFAEL NADAL: You can be a good athlete on every surface. For me, doesn't matter that moment, no? Sure, if the court is very fast, you don't need to be you don't need to have unbelievable physical performance, no? You not gonna have very long points.
In the rest of the surfaces, you have to be fit. You have to be fast and you have to be an athlete to be in the top position. Not one player in top 100 is not fit.

Q. When you were No. 1, were there extra mental pressures? We always talk about your physical, sure, but were there mental pressures?
RAFAEL NADAL: If you are No. 1?

Q. When you were No. 1, yes.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, less. No, no. Sure, no not. For me, I never thought about that. Probably I was more relaxed when I was No. 1, because I won a lot in that year. I won Australia not Australia well, I was in I was No. 1 when I won Australia; I won Olympics; Roland Garros; Wimbledon.
So I was very relaxed, because nothing to I won a lot, and that gets a lot of pressure out.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.

Q. In London you said you were not at your best tennis, but you said that with practice you would be able to reach this level, your best, that is, but you're not far from this.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, let's face it. I don't know if I'm playing my best tennis today, but I think I have almost reached this level for several months. I don't think that much has changed. I feel good this year. And what are you referring to? 2008?
I don't know. I think I've played really well throughout the year here. That's true, that's not yet my best tennis. But if you look at the season in general, I think that my level is more or less the same. My level is good, and I've worked hard on this.
I've always practiced, believing that I could improve. Every day I practice, every match I play, I focus very much on the aspects I have to improve so as to reach the level I'd like to reach.
Then I try and reuse this experience during the matches I play. That means you have to practice a lot and gain confidence. I think that I have worked hard for a long period of time. And then, you know, when we work a lot, when we practice a lot, when we're very positive, when we're highly motivated, then after a while things go on nicely.
If it's not nicely, at least you're satisfied because there's nothing you could reproach yourself with.

Q. What do you think about this very rainy day? Do you think we would need to have a roof, just like they have at Wimbledon, so that we're less subject to weather conditions?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, rainy days happen. Everybody was probably bothered. You were bothered. I was staying in the cloak rooms and the match was canceled. Then it rained again, and I was bothered. I didn't know if I had to stay or if I would practice later during the day.
But then we thought we will have a rest. It was not easy, because I'm not used to doing this. Then they covered the court. It's better for the players. It's better for TV channels, as well. So yes, I would say I'm in favor of a roof.

Q. I'd like to pick on this question. Would you like Roland Garros to stay in Paris? Would you like to move?
RAFAEL NADAL: Where?

Q. Would you like Roland Garros to stay here?
RAFAEL NADAL: As I said before, I think that Roland Garros has a long standing history, which is here. I think that Roland Garros should remain here, because here we can breathe the history of tennis within these walls.
It's very important, whereas if we move elsewhere, maybe the site is going to be bigger, we're going to lose part of our soul.

Q. The other day when you played a match you said, I didn't really play well. What do you think about today and how you played?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I played better today. I played better than the other day. I didn't really play badly. I wouldn't say this was an exceptional match. It was a normal type of match.
I didn't have enough rhythm. He was a lefty, and he wanted to change the pace with dropshots. But sometimes I had the impression I was playing well or very well, mainly when it was 3 2 during the second set. And then 6 2, 3 0, I think I was playing very well during all of these games. But then at the end I lost my concentration.

Q. During the first match you had opportunities to break. You only lost or dropped four points on your serve. During the second set it was 1 1; you could have broken then. What did you feel? What about your serve?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I think I changed my serve strategy at that moment. We discussed this in the locker rooms before we started getting on the courts.
I thought I should have more first serves in, and then if it's a second serve, I should hit the ball more strongly so as to dominate.
With the second serve it's always more complicated. So I think I have a good percentage of first serves, and I should put some spin into the ball so that the ball would bounce very high. And also, I should work on my forehand.
I was gaining confidence except for the very last two or three games. But anyway, otherwise it was okay.

Q. When the press conference started, Hewitt and his opponent Istomin were playing their fifth set. What do you think about this?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know Istomin at all, and I've never played against him. I've not seen him play. I know he's on the tour. I know he's played really good matches, but I've not seen him play.
Whereas Hewitt, I know him well. It's the fifth set, so that means Istomin is really playing well. That's an excellent match for him. We know Hewitt. He's a very dangerous guy and he plays at a very high level. He's going to do his best to win, of course.

Q. What do you think about the balls and the court compared with two years ago?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the balls are the same. I think so. Monte Carlo, Barcelona, all this was okay. I don't know about Barcelona, but Madrid and then Monte Carlo. There's a difference, a slight difference.
But let's be careful about one thing: Let us not change the balls between the tournaments. It makes things more difficult for us. At least this time any matches played on clay were played with the same balls. Well, if it's a sunny day, that's okay. The problem is that when it's wet, the balls are heavier.

Q. Can you tell us what you think about your opponent today? He's Argentinian, and he's a bit more than 20, I think. He played here during the second round against you, Zeballos. What do you think about him? Do you think he has great potential?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think he's 24. I think he's probably 44, so he's well ranked. He's not been on the tour for a very long time, so he's improved quite a lot, and we'll see what happens in the future.
His forehand is really good. He serves well, as well, and this is very important on quick courts. He's got a very good slice, as well. He's a very good all court player. 

De neoprit !

Rafa a mai facut in pas inainte azi, dupa ce s-a distrat cu argentinianul Horacio Zeballos, invingandu`l in 3 seturi: 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 si este in turul 3 pe zgura de la Roland Garros.

In turul 3, Rafa va intalni un adversar ceva mai dificil si anume pe Lleyton Hewitt, australianul fiind un jucator cu o experienta uriasa si fost numar 1 in clasamentul ATP, desigur australianul nu mai este acel jucator de speriat, insa Rafa trebuie sa fie atent... cum spuneam intr`un post anterior nu mai avem nevoie de surprize, cel putin nu la Roland Garros.




VAMOS RAFA !!!

Rafael Nadal vs Gianni Mina (PHOTO)

Victorie fara probleme !

Rafa Nadal a trecut la pas de francezul Mina in 3 seturi.. toate castigate la 2. Nu a fost nicio surpriza, francezul fiind cel mai slab cotat jucator de la Roland Garros... si mai bine ca n`a fost nicio surpriza, dupa meciul de anul trecut contra lui Soderling nu mai vreau surprize.

Batalia pentru recastigarea trofeului celui mai important turneu de tenis pe zgura a inceput !!!




VAMOS RAFA !!!

Rafa Nadal - Press conference@Roland Garros (PHOTO)

Masters 18. SuperPhoto !!!

Photo: vamosbrigade.com

Rafa - Training Session@Roland Garros (PHOTO)

VAMOS RAFA !!!

Roland Garros Draw

Rafa Nadal’s bid for a fifth French Open title will be more difficult than most would have liked following Friday's official draw ceremony for the claycourt Grand Slam.

Fresh from sweeping all three claycourt Masters titles, Rafa will face 18-year-old French wildcard Gianni Mina (ranked 653 in the world) in the first round.

Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt, who has lost three times in four years to ‘The king of clay’ in Paris, is a possible third round opponent.

Rafa's Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco, who has a 0-10 against the world number two, and Fernando Gonzalez of Chile are potential quarter-final opponents, while the semifinals could feature third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia, former French champ Juan Carlos Ferrero, ninth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain and sixth-seeded American Andy Roddick, who last year had his best showing at Roland Garros with a fourth- round appearance.

Rafa refused to look beyond his first-round opponent. Asked who were his main rivals for the tournament, he said: "First round, no? I play against a wildcard from France and that's my toughest opponent right now."

www.rafaelnadal.com

VAMOS RAFA !!!

He`s the best ! (PHOTO)

He is the The King of Clay... RAFAEL NADAL !!!

Congratulations RAFA !!!

VAMOS RAFA !!!

El este Numarul 1 !!!

Nadal a fost azi magic !!! A luptat de la prima minge pana la ultima, a fost un adevarat gladiator si l`a spulberat pe marele sau rival, Roger Federer !

Nadal l`a invis pe Federer in 2 seturi: 6-4, 7-6 si a castigat al 3-lea turneu pe zgura la care a participat anul acesta, dupa Monte Carlo si Roma, fiind pe primul loc la numarul de turnee Masters castigate !

Felicitari Rafa, vroiam sa scriu mai mult.... insa cuvintele sunt de prisos. Esti adevaratul "Number 1" al tenisului masculin !




VAMOS RAFA !!!

Primele emotii.

Azi am trait primele emotii si am avut mici dubii ca Nadal poate sa treaca de Almagro si sa ajunga in finala Turneului Masters 1000 de la Madrid.

Spaniolul Almagro i`a facut viata grea lui Nadal, avand un inceput excelent, Rafa pierzand primul set aici la Madrid: 4-6. Experienta, talentul, valoarea au facut ca Nadal sa revina spectaculos castigand urmatoarele 2 seturi: 6-2, 6-2 ajungand in finala turneului.

In finala, Rafa va juca fie impotriva lui Roger Federer, fie impotriva compatriotului sau, David Ferrer. Cum spuneam, sunt sanse mari ca finala sa fie identica cu cea de anul trecut: Nadal vs Federer. Si ce meci o sa fie, daca finala o sa fie aceasta ! Un meci pe care cu totii il asteptam de mai bine de un an !


UPDATE: ah... si inca ceva... cu ocazia accederii in finala, Rafa redevine numarul 2 in lume si principalul challenger la locul 1 detinut de Federer... dar mai multe despre acest subiect, dupa finala si dupa afisarea noului clasament ATP.


UPDATE 2 : The Dream Final -- Nadal vs Federer. THIS IS IT !!!


VAMOS RAFA !!!

Tic-Tac... Tic-Tac...

Numaram orele pana cand vine finala, pentru ca se pare ca va fi o finala Nadal - Federer la cum se joaca.

Rafa a trecut fara prea mari probleme de Gael Monfils, invingandu`l in doua seturi : 6-1, 6-3 si este in semifinalele Turneului Masters 1000 de la Madrid, unde il va intalni pe Nicolas Almagro, un adversar periculos asa ca noi, toti fanii lui Nadal nu trebuie sa ne gandim la finala, desi daca judecam dupa scorul intalnirilor directe dintre cei doi, avem tot dreptul sa o facem, Rafa conducand cu 5-0 !

In cealalta semifinala, Roger Federer isi asteapta inca adversarul ce urmeaza sa vina din ultimul sfert de fnala care se joaca si acum la ora la care scriu ( Murray vs Ferrer 5-7, 0-1) deci, sanse mari ca spaniolul sa mearga mai departe.

Ahh... ce finala o sa fie... dar... nu !!! Trebuie ca Rafa si noi, toti fanii lui sa ne concentram pe meciul cu Almagro.

VAMOS RAFA !!!

Se apropie finala...

Rafa Nadal l`a invins pe americanul John Isner in 2 seturi: 7-5, 6-4... un scor destul de strans, insa victoria in fata americanului  e foarte importanta, Isner fiind de`a dreptul un urias cu un fizic incredibil, scorul la intalnirile directe dintre cei doi fiind acum 2-0 !

Nadal este in sferturile Turneului Masters de la Madrid unde il va intalni pe francezul Gael Monfils. Cred ca o sa fie un meci destul de greu, francezul fiind artagos pe zgura, insa am incredere ca Rafa o sa faca inca o data un meci de 5 stele, asa cum ne`a obisnuit in ultima vreme, mai ales ca se apropie de finala si din cate se pare acolo il va intalni pe Roger Federer.... asadar, Nadal trebuie sa joace cel mai bun tenis al lui pentru a castiga si acest turneu de la Madrid.

Insa, inainte de toate  planurile facute  cu privire la finala si la Federer, Nadal terbuie sa castige urmatorul meci... adica sa`l invinga pe Gael Monfils !



VAMOS RAFA !!!

Rafa with Raul & Cristiano Ronaldo (PHOTO)

VAMOS RAFA !!!

Rafa in turul 3 la Madrid.

Rafa l`a invins pe Oleksandr Dolgopolov in 2 seturi: 6-4, 6-3... calificandu`se astfel in turul 3 la Turneul Masters de la Madrid.

In turul 3, Rafa il va intalni pe uriasul american, John Isner.



VAMOS RAFA !!!