R. NADAL /S. Grosjean 6-4, 6-4 An interview with: RAFAEL NADAL THE MODERATOR: First question, please. Q. How did it go? How was it playing in the afternoon after playing late last night? Was that a problem for you? RAFAEL NADAL: No. For me, it's okay. I prefer play a little bit late. But it's okay. I think we have a lot of wind, a lot of wind, and the wind all the time change of direction. That's not easy for play good tennis. But I think today I'm very happy because I win a very difficult match because I have in front a very good player and we have a little bit wind. Q. In Paris you had a very tough match with Grosjean on clay. How do you compare today? Hard court, but you won in two sets. Is it as difficult? RAFAEL NADAL: Today I think is very, very tough match. In the beginning, he have 1-0, 15-40. In the second set, he has breakpoint in the beginning I think, too. And I don't know, I think I have the break all the time in the third game. That's important for the confidence in the rest of the game. I'm very happy because in this tournament I think I never lost my serve. That's new for me. Q. The last time before this tournament you played hard court is in Miami ? RAFAEL NADAL: No or yes? In hard court, yes. I play in Wimbledon , but... Q. The adjustment to hard court seems to be going well for you. Were you surprised at all how well you've adjusted? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I think the hard court is good. Is not a big change like the clay. Is a little bit, but not too much different. The change is a little, but I feel good. If I am playing good, I feel good in this court. If I am playing bad, I play bad here, in clay, all like this. Q. How do you change to hard courts? Do you attack a little bit more? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I'm a little bit aggressive in hard court. But in clay, I can play a little bit more defensive. But when I am playing good, normally I play a little bit more aggressive. That's very important in my game, I think, because I need defense and after I need attack sometimes. Q. Yesterday Andre Agassi said the year he won his first tournament you were one year old. Right now you two are on track to meet up. Can you talk about what it would be like to play Agassi in the final here? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know yet. I'm in fourth round, quarterfinal. We have a lot of travel -- ATP: A lot to go still. RAFAEL NADAL: So for me, play the final here is unbelievable tournament. If I play against Andre Agassi , is unbelievable, too, no? I want to play against him because he is a legend of tennis. I never play with him before. For me, play against him is a new experience. I hope play with him before he retires. I don't know when he retire because he's unbelievable, but I hope play before. Q. You played three matches here. Do you think you have improved after each match? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't think. Normally I improve in the tournament. But in this tournament, the first match is very good, I think. Moya play a great match. And I have good feelings. Yesterday for me I play very good match, too. And today is difficult match for the wind, but I am very happy for this victory. So I think I play good in different circumstances. But I am playing good every day, so I am very happy for that. I was practicing very well the first days before the competition, before the tournament. Q. What pleased you the most about your game today? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Q. The dropshot? RAFAEL NADAL: No, the dropshot, no (laughter). I only have two dropshots or three, but in the last game. I don't understand now. I think I am lot of concentrated all time. I play good the breakpoints down all time. And sometimes I play little bit more aggressive with my forehand, and I'm happy for that, no? I am happy because win today is very, very important because is good round, stay in quarterfinal. Today I know I play against very good player in this surface especially. Q. You are the top seed. At the start of the tournament you gave the impression you thought you might not be the favorite. Do you think you're the favorite to win the tournament now? RAFAEL NADAL: I am the No. 1 in the tournament, but you know not always win the No. 1 in the tournament. So I am not the favorite. I think all players stay in quarterfinals, all players we are playing good, we have chance all players. I don't think I am the favorite. We have Agassi is the most favorite for me. Q. Agassi ? RAFAEL NADAL: I think. He won a tournament two weeks before or last week, so he's playing good in this court. He's the favorite, I think. I hope play good tomorrow, and if I stay in semifinals, I have chance, of course. Q. Do you have a goal for the rest of the year? RAFAEL NADAL: Of course. My especially goal is finish the year in the No. 2. So I want to play good tournaments in hard because I never win a tournament in hard. I play good tournaments, but I want to continue for improving my game in these courts. And my especially goal is improve my game because I am young and I need improve every day. And about the ranking, about the results, is stay the No. 2 -- finish the No. 2. Q. For you I guess it's important to prove to everybody you can win on hard courts? RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, I don't think so, because I always play good in hard court. Is not new, play good tournament in hard court. I say every day I play good in Australia , I play good in Auckland two years before, I play the final. I play the final in Miami against Federer when I was two sets to zero and 4-1 in the third. I know I can play good in these courts, but I want to play a good tournament for continue improving in my game. Q. What is your take on Spaniards playing on hard courts? There's a generalization they're better-suited for clay. Do you think that might be a bit exaggerated? RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, for me the Spanish player is playing good in hard, too, because is not too fast the hard. Ferrero played the final of US Open two years before. Moya played the final in Australia , I don't know, six years before. I don't know. I don't know yet. But Moya three years before won in Cincinnati . You know, we can play in these courts because we always -- (changing to Spanish ). ATP: He knows that Spanish players do have that image of being clay-courters, but they also can do very well on hard. RAFAEL NADAL: Robredo last year semifinals in Cincinnati I think is good results for Spanish players, so... Q. Do you think Spanish players could adjust better to hard than Americans could to clay? RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I think the Americans have a good level in clay, too. But Americans sometimes don't come to Europe for playing clay. So I think if the American players come to play all tournaments in clay court, he play Monte-Carlo , Rome , Hamburg and Paris , of course he has a very good level on clay. And the Spanish players, normally we play always Miami , Indian Wells , Montreal , Cincinnati . I think if the American players going to play all time, all tournaments in clay, all important tournaments in clay, of course he can play very, very well. -- All come crashing down, your desperate icon. You've got to gob on, your desperate icon. You'll all come crashing in, your desperate icon You've got to gob on, your desperate icon. Am I a God or am I Jesus? Am I a man or am I a boy? Do I feel love or just possession? Do I feel holy or nothing at all? You can't deny, That your shit just tastes as sweet as mine. And you can't deny, That your shit just tastes as sweet as mine. Sweet Jesus. --

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