Q. You have now played Roger twice this season, and so many times in the past. Does he seem this year to you, from how he’s played in those two matches, more relaxed than he was in the past on court?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. In Australia was a very close match. I had good chances to win. Today, not. Today he played better than me. I didn’t play my best match, and he played well.
These kind of matches, when you’re not playing your match, is impossible to win.
Q. The way he’s hitting his backhand, and you sort of changing your serving variation a bit, has that changed the way you two match up?
RAFAEL NADAL: The way what?
Q. The way you two match up. The way he’s hitting his backhand and you changing your serving patterns a little bit, has that changed the matchup?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I think was always that he returned well. But at the same time, it was obvious that I didn’t have the right answer for his returns, no? I needed to neutralize the points. I needed to neutralize his two first balls, and I didn’t.
So then playing two shots, he’s better than me today. And five years ago, ten years ago, always was better than me, no?
I was a little bit better than him in general when I neutralized the first two shots, and then I can manage it a little bit better the point, no?
So I was not enough good tonight to make that happen, and he deserved the victory, for sure. Very easy.
Q. On this court with high bounce it would be an advantage for you. Were you surprised the court wasn’t helping your game more than with this?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is always the same. You need to play well.
The court or doesn’t matter the surface. You need to play your best if you want to have chances to win, and I did not play my best. It’s obvious that I have to congratulate him because he played a great match.
But I have to think from my side, and I think I can do it much better, and I think I gonna do it much better next time.
Q. Do you see a certain difference the way Roger plays against you on the backhand side since he has a bigger racquet, racquet size?
RAFAEL NADAL: You have to speak to him. I don’t know about his racquet. I don’t know about these things.
He’s always played well, very aggressive, and his backhand was enough good to win the match.
But at the same time it’s obvious, as I said before, no, I need to hit longer and I need to hit higher, longer to create him problems, no?
I was not able to do that, and then he was advantage. The main thing he take the break in the first game, and I had break point in the next game and come back and he had a good serve.
When Roger have advantage, his serve is so good, he has a lot of confidence with his serve, he’s able to play much more relaxed, no?
Worst thing in that match for me was from the beginning I was in disadvantage breaking the first game of the match, and then breaking the second game of the second set. So that’s so difficult to play against Roger this way.
Q. ITF is debating changing Davis Cup to best of three-set matches instead of best of five. Would that make it easier for you and other top players to play Davis Cup?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t want to talk about that today. Sorry. Sorry. No, no. I spoke about that earlier. Maybe you were not here, but I spoke for a long answer of that question, so you can check it.
As I said the other day, it was not right the way that the people write it, I think was not right. I said the good thing is the new start, the new president, is trying to do changes, and that’s always going to be good. I don’t know if the changes are the right ones or not, but any change will be good, because it’s always that with the old format things were not going enough well for Davis Cup.
But there is issues that can be better.
Q. With Roger getting the early first breaks, how did that affect your mentality with respect to going for more on your serves today?
RAFAEL NADAL: Repeat? Sorry.
Q. Roger getting the early breaks and you’ve been working to increase the velocity of your serves this week, we have been seeing success with that, but having that pressure of him already being up a break, how did that affect you mentally in deciding to go for more?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not mentally. But it’s about tennis. It’s about the mental part in this case. No, I was there. I was fighting. I was trying to find solutions. I tried to serve quicker. I tried to serve changing more directions, and I was trying to return inside and in the back.
Was not today. That’s all.
Q. After a loss like this, do you go over it, do you think about it for a long time, or are you able to quickly put it behind you?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. A lot of years here. When you feel that you are playing bad or you are in a bad moment, maybe stays a little bit longer in your mind. Is not my case, no?
I started great the season, playing great tennis, winning a lot of matches, playing good tennis.
Today I didn’t play my best, but I am really confident I gonna play well in Miami this week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Anyone know when Rafas❤️ first match in Miami is going to be? 😊
I believe tomorrow, Wednesday, but time still unknown .
RAFA ROCKS
May I suggest if RNF does not post Rafa’s first match you can check with Scoreboard as they are very reliable. Other fans started using it after I first suggested it. It works.
RAFA ROCKS
I’m pretty sure it won’t be tomorrow Margo, as today is Qualifying, which means tomorrow will at most be first round in which Rafa has a bye. I predict we won’t see Rafa until at least Saturday:) Am I becoming Maria Siberia?
No, it won’t be tomorrow. That’s why I subsequently posted the comment about Scoreboard.
I we won’t see Rafa until Saturday, that may explain why RNF has not posted the draw, etc. Thanks, you probably inadvertently answered my question.
RAFA ROCKS
CORRECTION: If we won’t see Rafa…
Miami have tweeted. He will play on Friday day session.
Rafantastic Rafa plays Friday.
RAFA ROCKS
I do hope that all is well with the RafaelNadalFans’ administrators. It is usual that they haven’t posted the Miami Open draw.
RAFA ROCKS
Oh i haven’t seen the draw. Do tell rafa fan
Rafa’s possible opponents for #MiamiOpen2017
R1: bye
R2: qualifier – Dudi Sela
R3: Kohlschreiber – Fritz
R4: Dimitrov – Johnson
QF: Raonic – M. Zverev – Troicki
SF: Cilic – Nishikori – Verdasco
F: Federer – Wawrinka
Thanks YB. Some of this looks a little tricky
Rafa’s draw is not looking so great! We as fans have to think of it like Rafa by taking it one match at a time
Hi Susie ,only time will tell with Nick but so far this year he doing well. A new coach to keep him on the right track would be good . I’m thinking a woman coach as I don’t think he would be disrespectful to them . Judy Murray how do you fancy some time in Australia Lol
Nice comments about rafa from nick maria. Maybe he is maturing after all – at a slow pace!
Nick Kyrgios or should I say Saint Nick after his good behaviour in Indian Wells. Speaking about Rafa he said “I would just like to ask Rafa how he can play every point as if his life is on the line.” “I think that´s one thing that gets overlooked.”He´s so good at tennis that you sort of don´t really appreciate how he lines up for every point and he plays it, whether he´s 40-Love down or 40-Love up. I think that´s the most incredible thing about his game.”That´s something I don´t have.” After Saint Nick’s victory against Novak in Indian Wells he joined fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt in being the 2nd only player in history to beat Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in their first matches against them.
Yeah when Kyrgios matures and has a good coach I think he will be the first player from the new generation to become the first no1 after the B4 era. And that day probably isn’t very far from now. He’s clearly a great talent and enjoys the challenge against the great players.
Nice to hear that another player is inspired by Rafa. I think we’re gonna hear more abt this in the future. 🙂
Hi Susie, I didn’t see it last night as the match was so delayed and straight after Roger won I turned the TV off. I have just seen it now , Stan was very emotional , I haven’t seen that side of him before .They seem to have a genuinely great relationship, it was quite touching. , (Funny how when learning English they always manage to pick up the naughty/ swear words Lol ). Yes it was a good match, such a shame Stan couldn’t just clinch the 2nd set ,then who knows what the outcome would have been. Watch out though Roger , Rafa and Stan will be out for payback in Miami. Good luck Rafa .
Trump: ‘We’re going to win so much, you’re going to be so sick and tired of winning’
Federer: ‘Hmm…’
At this rate, Federer’s belief and confidence should be sky high, and he is building up a great aura around himself. All this at 36, and he makes it look so easy!
Maybe there’s hope for Rafa yet for a late resurgence. But who will knock Federer off his perch right now? Djokovic is the only one who did this on a consistent basis, but his powers seem to be on the decline lately.
Hopefully Rafa does better in Miami.
But how was it easy for Fed at the AO? IW looked easy, all thanks to Nick for beating Djoko and then withdrawing, giving Fed a free pass to the SF, whilst Sock had to fight hard to beat Dimi.
I guessed Nick could at least pushed Fed to go the distance in the QF. We’ll see how Fed will fare at Miami.
Hi maria. Yes when he got up to speak he was crying and apologised saying it was because he was tired. He then looked at Roger who was still seated and said look he’s laughing – the asshole. Roger laughed more and it was all said in jest. Stan is such a good player and it was a good match.
Truly said in jest between friends. Roger went on to say that he’s been called that many times by his friends; this is the first time on court.
It was reported that Stan is the only IW’s opponent who broke Roger.
RAFA ROCKS
Oh I wished I had stayed up to watch the ceremony , I read that Stan cried and jokingly said: ‘I would like to congratulate Roger. He’s laughing, he’s an asshole. But that’s ok’. Later in a press conference Roger was asked if he had ever been called an asshole before and replied No many, many times before
That’s why I take that as a compliment, you know, (smiling). There’s not always cameras around, so I get called that sometimes. Quite often, actually. On the court is the first time, but it felt good.’ Only in tennis would you get such good natured banter between players.
Hi rafa fan – I agree with all that you say. However I would have loved to see Roger play nick in the quarter final as I’m still unsure how that would have panned out.
Credit where credit is due, Roger is playing unbelievable right now. I’m still proud of Rafa’s season so far as he is no.2 in the ATP race, I just can’t wait for the clay season to start 🙂
Ahh stan is really emotional bless him
Miami I mean
Gosh Roger did it – looks like he’s having a little revival here. Well let’s wish rafa all the luck we can for mami and hope that he has a good run!
Hoist the Jolly Roger. Well Roger is now seeded no 6, like him or loathe him you have to take your hat off to him. I thought him winning the AO was just a fluke, how wrong was I ( again) . I know it’s nearly Easter but I thought that was know for the resurrection of Jesus not Rogers tennis career. Move over Novak , you are now neither the one to beat or the one to fear . Maria (Siberia) you were spot on this time . Good luck in Miami Rafa , now for a couple of days I can have a decent few hours sleep before Wednesday when it all begins again.
Hahaha… I needed a good laugh! Very clever Maria (England)
Roger has arisen… He is born again!
Come on Stan, don’t blow this set now
Now that was a really good set of tennis even though stan just lost it. Why didn’t he challenge that point? He would have been 5 all then rather than 6 4 down!
Bleep ..Bleep..Bleep.