ATP - Rafael Nadal

TUESDAY, APRIL 1

Hi everybody,

Quick answers to some of your questions:

What do you write on your hand? -- Helen
Things to remember on-court.

Bjorn Borg recently said he thinks you'll be the next No. 1, and that you're working to become a complete player. How do you react to that? -- Reema
I thank him for that. I am working hard on it.

Do you get a chance to practice on grass at home between the French Open and Wimbledon, or is it all in England -- Liz
It's all at Queen's and then at Wimbledon just the week before the start of the tournament.

I understand that athletes have to be very healthy about the foods that they eat. But when you want to treat yourself to something not healthy, what do you choose? -- Anon
Mcnuggets, candies, sweets, ...

Do you find it difficult to play with your long hair? -- Nellas
No, that's why I wear the bandana.

Did you fool anyone today or get fooled? What happened? -- Brinda
No, actually we celebrate fools day in Spain on December 28th. We call it "dia de los inocentes" so nothing happened this time here...

Who do you find more difficult to play, Roger or Novak? -- Johnathon
Roger. You always have to be 120% against him. Or more....

Are you playing doubles at the Olympics? Who will be your partner? Will you stay in the athlete's village? -- Cilla
Yes, I will be playing there I think with Tommy Robredo.

Who are your close friends on tour? -- Catalin
Carlos Moya, Feli Lopez, Juan Monaco, ...

What did you think of Youzhny hitting himself with his racquet like that? It looked quite dangerous -- Evangelina
I actually watched it last night at dinner. Nico Almagro was with us and he had it on his iPhone. It's amazing. I don't think it is dangerous since it might have a small cut but it certainly looked strange to do that.

What color clothes do you like to wear on court? -- Tricia
I actually wear what I like. But I think the light blue I am wearing here in Miami is really nice.

What are the differences between your two coaches, Toni Nadal and Francis Roig? -- Deisi
Toni is my main coach and the one who tought me tennis. Francis comes when Toni can't come. But I like both.

What do you think of the WTA's on-court coaching experiment? Would you like to see it on the ATP? -- LibbyWho makes you laugh most in your family? -- Lauree
My uncle Miguel Angel.

Are there any Playstation marathons happening in Miami? -- Donna
Not big ones. I am only playing against Benito and Rafa Maymo since Moya, Monaco, [David] Nalbandian, Almagro or [David] Ferrer where not in the same hotel. Easy this time... :-)

Every year you seem to be improving your English. Are there any interesting phrases or words you're learned recently? -- Abbey
A few. Yesterday I learned how to write 'briefing'... :-)

What do you do with your trophies? Do you ever shine any of them? -- Rosemary
I have them all at home,. It is a very important thing for me. I am still missing the one from Acapulco that got lost on my trip back to Spain when I won it. I know we are getting it soon.


http://www.tennis.com/tournaments/20...aspx?id=123358









Rafa pise blog, a za uzvrat tennis.com daje pare u dobrotvorne svrhe.



Hvala na slikama Crystal. :-*

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

[quote author=Cali Tee link=topic=474.msg19687#msg19687 date=1207149727]

Rafa pise blog, a za uzvrat tennis.com daje pare u dobrotvorne svrhe.

[/quote]

Svaka chast i njemu i njima! Humanost na prvom mestu! Divno!

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

Nastavak bloga

Hvala Cali Tee TUESDAY, APRIL 1

Hi everybody,

First of all thanks for all the questions. I answered many of them (below). The guys at tennis.com were fast. Many thanks.

Another important thing is to say that today it was April 1st but that for us in Spain doesn't mean anything. We celebrate this day on December 28th so no one played jokes on me or anything alike. I was told today but I keep loyal to our traditions in Spain :-)

Today, talking about my match, I think we played a very good and fast match. Fast meaning the speed of the ball. The first two games where really long and really it was very important to win them. I will talk about my match which I usually don't since there were no journalists in my press conference. On the other hand, when I was leaving the court, It surprised me, and I actually didn't like it very much, that Arantxa who is commenting the matches for TVE (Spanish TV) said at the end of the match when interviewing me that I won although the match was not too good. I completely disagree, since I think it was a very good tennis match with great deep balls. Maybe the score looks like a boring or easy match but the reality is that it was very good with great points.

But the highlight of the day was that it was also the 40th birthday of Francis Roig, my friend and also coach for these 4 weeks here in the US. We had prepared a dinner for him at the Spanish restaurant next to the hotel. He invited all of us for dinner. We were 22 people at the table and we had a lot of fun. He is a really funny guy and we all had a fantastic time. Among all, my father and his group of friends with Ramon, Salvador and others, my uncle Miquel Angel and his friends, Carlos Costa, Rafa Maymo, Benito Perez-Barbadillo, Albert Molina, Nico Almagro and his coach Antonio, and some others. We all gave Francis a present for his birthday.

I am also sending, as promised, some pictures of us playing golf. Benito tells me that they were taken by a photographer that lives here in Miami called Michael Leshay. So thanks to him too for sending them.

See you and thanks for following this,

Rafa



A donation is being made by TENNIS.com to Rafael Nadal's choice of charity for this blog.

http://www.tennis.com/tournaments/20...aspx?id=123358

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Reci cu samo jedno: VAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOOOS!!! Idemo u polufinale!

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

[quote author=Bella link=topic=474.msg19699#msg19699 date=1207171771]
Reci cu samo jedno: VAAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOOOS!!! Idemo u polufinale!
[/quote]

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

Hvala Dejo! Iz tvojih usta... VAMOS!!!

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FANTASTICNO, samo cu to reci. Kakva psihicka i fizicka snaga, kakva zelja za pobedom , nemam reci.
Mi , Rafini navijaci smo navikli na ovakve meceve ali uprokos tome svaki put nas ponovo odusevi. Blake je jedan od najtezih ako ne i najtezi protivnik za Rafu, ali eto dobio ga je 2 turnira za redom. Jedva cekam da izjednaci na 3-3, mozda bas u Monte Carlu.

VAMOS RAFA!!!!!!!!


a nocas VAMOS ANDREEV


Reuters


ESPN

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

Intervju posle meca sa Blake-om.

RAFAEL NADAL


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A few weeks ago before Indian Wells, people were saying, and looking at his record, thinking he's maybe a little bit in your head. What turned around? And are you in his head a little bit now maybe?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't think, so. I think we play very tough matches, both, Indian Wells and here. Very good matches I think.
Well, he start playing so aggressive. I don't have many chances in the beginning. I can't touch the ball. I can't get the rhythm in the beginning, nothing. But I was all the time very focused, no? Serving well? The first set, I don't know, but I was playing well, winning my serves easy.
So later in the 4?3, 30?Love, you play against James and he has three winners, returns, something like this. So you don't know why, but you are 6?3 down.
So later I won a very important point. One 15?30 with one long volley after long point with the backhand. This change a little bit the match, no? And later I have the break in the 4?3. That's turn of the match.

Q. You've found a way to get on James' backhand side and make that work for you. How have you done that?

RAFAEL NADAL: I think I play better this two times than the last times against him, no? I change a little bit tactically. I play more aggressive than before.
I think just before I was running a lot, two meters behind the line. I think right now I playing a little bit more aggressive. I can lose, but I think it's the only way for try to win.

Q. Does it help to hit the service returns high to James on the backhand side?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I need change the serve because I don't have 230 kilometer serve. Well, so I have to change. I serve with more topspin sometimes. Sometimes a little bit more flat. But I have to change. If not, it's impossible because he returns so fast.

Q. Has Djokovic's early loss here taken a bit of pressure off you in terms of ranking? Obviously after this tournament you've got a lot of points to defend. Do you feel a little less pressure now?

RAFAEL NADAL: Djokovic is very good player. He can be No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 right now. Doesn't matter, no?
But I just try my best in every tournament. If he pass me and he's the No. 2 or No. 1, we have to accept that and congratulate him. But the only thing is try to put the ?? I just try my best. And, well, with this tournament, a little bit with more calm.
But anyway, I have to defend a lot of points. He's going to have his good chances on clay for pass me. But I just ?? my goal is try to continuing playing like here and play like this, I going to have my chances for being in the top positions.

Q. Do you feel as though you're game is coming together now? I know it's the end of hard court season, but do you get the sense that things are beginning to come into place for you at an important time?

RAFAEL NADAL: I think for me it's very good, both tournaments, no? Semifinals in Indian Wells and being in semifinals here, it's very good tournament for me. Best players of the world are here, playing at hard surface.
So three most important tournaments this year on hard, I was in the semifinals in all three, no? So I think I'm playing well, for sure, and my opinion is that I am playing much better here than Australia.
Right now I am feeling like I am playing at my best level, so that's important for come to the clay season with more confidence, too. But at the same time, disappointing, because right now finish the hard season and then I'm playing better than before.
I think the last week help me a little bit with the big wins against Tsonga and Blake. After, I play very bad match in semifinals against Djokovic. Anyway, I play very good matches, and I come in this week with more confidence, no?

Q. In both these matches the past few weeks, at the end James' level seemed to go down. He looked like he wasn't feeling so confident anymore. Is that something that you notice on your side of net? When was the last time you felt so discouraged against a player at that stage of the match?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, sometimes happen, no? Well, the thing is it's strange. I don't know what he says before. I don't know what he says. But I think he was playing fine today. I think he was playing very good tennis.
After the third game or fourth game of third set he comes a little bit down. I have lucky with the break point net on the inside. But I think he goes a little bit down, no?
I have the same last week against Djokovic. I played, but it's a little bit different because I start playing bad and I finish playing worse. He start playing well, and he finish a little bit worse. But it was a tight match, not similar.

Q. Maybe the most important point of the match: Breakpoint, fourth game, third set. He hits an overhead right at you. Did you feint one way first to try to get behind you? Is that how you were able to retrieve the over head?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, it was in the third game. Yeah. I don't know. I just ?? I have bad lob, I think, not very well. Anyway, I have lucky because I touch the ball here and the ball can goes anyplace.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the fact that you missed so many breakpoints today?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. Sometimes happen, no?

Q. But were you getting a bit crazy about it?

RAFAEL NADAL: The true is I didn't know. I know when I sit in the changeover of the first set. So that's the first time what I know that, no?
But I think he play well. He play good serves. I tried to play aggressive when I have the chance. This is the only way to win: Play aggressive, no? But, well, he serve very good points and I have some mistakes with the forehand in the return, but anyway, he played very well, the important points.

Q. Will you watch Berdych tonight?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know. It's at 9:00, no? I don't think so. I think we know each other, Berdych and Andreev, and he's not an unknown player. It's dinnertime.

Q. Should you reach the final, would you prefer to play Roger Federer and maybe get the chance to reverse the result of 2005 when you had a lead of two sets to Love and 4?1 and you lost the match? Would you prefer to play Federer because of that?

RAFAEL NADAL: I prefer to play the final.

Q. Yeah. But would you prefer Federer in the final if you get there?

RAFAEL NADAL: Ask me when I am in the final, when I come here after semifinals and if I am there, no?


FastScripts by ASAP Sports


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Evo jos slika.

CBS Sportsline

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Eeeeeeeh, gotova repriza mecha Rafa-Blake! Kaaaakooooo dooobaaaar tenis!!! Uzivala sam! Dusha nasha
[glow=red,2,300]VAMOS RAFA!!![/glow]

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2

Hi everyone,

One thousand apologies for writing this blog almost a day late. The truth is that last night when I got back to the hotel, we were going fast for dinner with the big group and when I came back I was very tired and could not write the blog. This morning I went to the site and practice and now, back at the hotel, I have this time to write. Apologies since I always keep my word.

Having said that, I want to talk a bit about yesterday's match. I finished tired. I think it was a great match. I don't think I played very well but this was not because of me but instead because of James [Blake]. He puts unbelievable pressure and it is very difficult to play against him. It is more a mental thing than physical. So that's also the reason why I could not write the blog earlier. I always say that normally (not always) when a player plays great it is difficult to play better. It is like a balance. If one is too good, the other can't be that good. And a bit of that is what happened yesterday.

James has a style of game, hitting so fast and hard, that I get not much rhythm and that creates me more problems. Also I have to be very, very focused on every single point. It is not that if I am 30-0 I can think, 'oh well, I have this point,' etc. With James you know he can just hit four unbelievable returns and he breaks. Or the other way around serving. It is very tough. Great opponent and that's why it is special to win against him. He is also a very polite and educated person so that's also great of him.

Anyway, I'll keep it short and I will write some more stuff about today later on or tomorrow morning.

Many thanks to all,

Rafa


THURSDAY, APRIL 3

Hello everybody,

It is strange to write two blogs posts in one day. But I came back early to the hotel since we had an early dinner. Well, early for a Spaniard like me, since we left the hotel at 8.45 pm for dinner. That might be very late for some of you reading this. But for me it is quite early since I normally go for dinner at 9.30 pm the earliest. We went to the Argentine restaurant close to the hotel. We have been going there almost everyday before a match. It is really nice and the food and atmosphere is great. We were five people. My close team (except for my uncle Toni who, by the way doesn't normally come with us for dinner) here in Miami with me. That is Carlos, Benito, Rafel and Francis.

My father, uncle and all their friends went to see the match between Roddick and Federer. Talking about that, I followed the match on the internet before going for dinner. It is quite a surprise, although Andy is playing very good lately. He played really good in Dubai and it seems he is playing here at that same level.

I hope the media don't start "killing" Roger for this. He doesn't deserve it and he is really a great guy. I am sure he will win soon again.

As I say I went for an early dinner since tomorrow I leave to the site a bit earlier. I am warming up at 10.30 and as you know I go to the site like an hour before so I can get ready. We just finished playing some soccer on the Playstation and finished a massage after that. I am ready to go to bed and be ready for tomorrow. It is an important match since I would love to be back on a final here in Miami.

Thanks all for your support and win or lose I will be here tomorrow to write and talk about what happened.





See you,
Rafa


A donation is being made by TENNIS.com to Rafael Nadal's choice of charity for this blog.

http://www.tennis.com/tournaments/20...aspx?id=123358

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

Hvala za blog i veliko VAMOS za vecheras!!!

[bojanaBG]

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

[quote author=crystal link=topic=474.msg19784#msg19784 date=1207303383]


My father, uncle and all their friends went to see the match between Roddick and Federer. Talking about that, I followed the match on the internet before going for dinner. It is quite a surprise, although Andy is playing very good lately. He played really good in Dubai and it seems he is playing here at that same level.

I hope the media don't start "killing" Roger for this. He doesn't deserve it and he is really a great guy. I am sure he will win soon again.

[/quote]

Odg: ATP - RAFAEL NADAL

VAAAAAAAMOOOOOOOOS U FIIIIINAAAAAALEEEE!!! Bravo Rafitooooo!!!