INTERVIEWS March 14, 2006 An interview with: RAFAEL NADAL R. NADAL/M. Fish 6-1, 6-4 An interview with: RAFAEL NADAL THE MODERATOR: Questions for Rafael. Q. If you were a soccer player, you wouldn't be playing this late. It appears that it's not bothering you? RAFAEL NADAL: (Translated from Spanish) Sometimes you play late matches, and that's just fine. That's the way it is. Q. Do you enjoy the conditions late at night? RAFAEL NADAL: I like play at night. I play lot of times at night. In Dubai last week, I play every time. Just one match on day. I am used to play at night. Q. Here when you play at night, the conditions are slower. Have you found the conditions slower? RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe is a little bit slower the court in the night. But it's okay. I feel good. Q. Nothing significant? RAFAEL NADAL: For me, no. Q. Tony is not here this week. RAFAEL NADAL: No. Q. There's a lot of tournaments where he doesn't travel with you in a season? RAFAEL NADAL: No, no, not too much. Sometimes when I have large travels, a lot of days out, he have three kids, young kids, very young, so he want to stay at home. He going to be in Miami. Q. Who coaches you when he is not with you? Who is your coach here? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, it change a lot of times. Sometimes one from Mallorca. Sometimes I travel with Francis Roig. Here is Francis Roig. Q. Considering how good you are on the clay courts, coming up to the hard court season, are you looking ahead to try to peak for the clay events or are you completely focused on cement and doing the job here? RAFAEL NADAL: No, I am completely focused on hard courts. I like play on these courts. Last year I won two Masters Series on hard courts. I won in China. I play the final in Miami. I need improve, but I think I have chance for play good matches here and good tournaments. Last week I won in Dubai, the same court. So I think if I am playing good, I can play on this surface at good level, no? Q. What about your next match against Grosjean? Do you think he can be dangerous with his forehand? RAFAEL NADAL: For sure. Grosjean is one of the best players in the world. I will have a difficult match. For sure I need play my best for try win this match. I think going to be a difficult match, nice match, no? I play with him one time before. I know he is very tough. Going to be a difficult match. Q. How did you feel you played tonight and were you expecting a tougher match tonight? RAFAEL NADAL: I am always prepared for a difficult match because I know every time every match is different, every match is difficult. But I think I am playing very well - the first set especially, very aggressive, a little bit misses. So the second set I am playing good, too, but I can't do the break. I have a lot of chances in every game for breakpoint. When I have the breakpoint, every time my return go very short, so I can't do the break. But finally I can in the 5-4. That's the most important thing, no? Q. There's a lot of players your age who have had success in this tournament. Can you talk about the other players, Berdych, Gasquet. RAFAEL NADAL: Monfils. Q. Monfils lost with Ljubicic. RAFAEL NADAL: Oh, Ljubicic. Q. Baghdatis. What is your thought about all the young players coming up? Federer thought it was like when he, Hewitt, Roddick. RAFAEL NADAL: Not Federer, Roddick, Hewitt. Federer, Roddick, Hewitt, Ferrero, Nalbandian, Coria. Is a new generation. Now we have very good players. The new generation and the other generation. So is a new generation and we have a good level now in the tour. We have this new generation and the other one. That's a tough confrontation. In the next years, I think some players like this going to be in the top 10. Q. Are you surprised that Ferrero has been struggling the way he has? RAFAEL NADAL: You know, every match is difficult. But he is a good player. Yeah, surprised a little bit the score. But I know every match is very difficult and I know I can lose today, I can lose yesterday, I can lose tomorrow. Ferrero can lose every day. Every player can lose every match because the level sometimes is very similar all players, no? Q. Did you watching Agassi? RAFAEL NADAL: Yesterday, yes. Q. What were your feelings? RAFAEL NADAL: I think he has a good chance in the first set, like 5-4, 40-15. Haas is a really good player. He's playing very good this year. He can't convert this chance. After, Haas play good and Agassi is going down a little bit, no? But Agassi is an unbelievable player. He has 35 years old. That's unbelievable. Q. When you were growing up, do you remember a particular image or feeling about Agassi or were you more focused on the European players? RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I remember especially the confrontations Agassi/Sampras. I remember very good, no? FastScripts by ASAP Sports -- 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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