Q. There were some difficult moments out there tonight.
RAFAEL NADAL: Sure, yeah, especially in the second. Yeah, he's a kind of player that is very difficult to play against. His style of game is not easy to play.
He's good, no? He's a better play, and I think he will be better.
Q. What advice do you have for him? He's a talented young player who is just starting his career.
RAFAEL NADAL: I can tell you what I did. What I did is work all the time, to work with humble, illusion and motivation to be a better player, no? That's the only thing that I can say for sure.
Q. Cilic played a long game. Did you watch it?
RAFAEL NADAL: I watched it a little bit in the locker room before I went on court. So, yeah, he was playing really good. Was a good match of tennis. Yeah, was real emotional in the end. He finished the match playing really well. Going to be a real difficult match, I think.
Q. Do you feel like you played well tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't think so. I didn't play well tonight. I played short. The movements wasn't the best. The position on court wasn't the best neither.
So the positive thing that the attitude was good all the time. That's true. Even with the 4 0, I keep fighting for the second. And for moments I did something good in the third. I went to the net more than before, so that's positive thing.
But I have to change a few things if I really want to have chances to win the next match, and I gonna do it.
Q. How long did it take you to understand his game? He doesn't play a very regular game.
RAFAEL NADAL: In general, the most difficult thing is he's a good player, no? So he won the first two matches against not easy players in straight sets. So is a difficult match. And is important victory for me. Even if I didn't play my best tennis, for me win in three sets, 6 2, 7 5, 6 3 is a very positive result for me. I'm very happy for the victory.
Is more important win matches when you are not playing your best than when you are playing your best, no? Yeah, is more difficult and the same time is have better value, I think, because when you are playing well everything is easier. When you're not playing that well, like today, the victory is more important.
Q. Talking about your attitude, if you play one bad point or a few bad points, how do you forget about those bad points?
RAFAEL NADAL: I have to play the next one, so... The only thing is try to not lose the concentration and just think positive to keep fighting all the time, no? So for that reason I was able to come back in the second and finally win without many problems.
If I lost that second set, if I don't fight for points after the 4 0, maybe we are playing right now.
Q. You weren't on court very long in the first two matches. Was it good to get a bit extra time and a bit of extra hitting and still get the win?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, is better win easier (smiling). But that's part of the game. Is impossible to win easy in this sport. All the players are really good. All the players are very competitive. That's normal, have a difficult matches like I have today. That's a normal thing.
Every day right now gonna be really difficult. The next match gonna be very difficult and I have to be ready to play my best tennis.
Q. You seemed to be sweating a lot early on, changed your shirt a few times. Were you feeling okay out there?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was perfect when I started the season in Abu Dhabi playing. I was playing perfect and I was feeling perfect physically. In Doha, I had that problem. I wasn't feel very well. Have fever and these things. Seems like after that my body is still not perfect. I am sweating more than usual. I am more tired than usual when I'm playing. That's what happen right now. That's the true.
Q. Was it a bit unusual having the crowd primarily against you?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't feel that. The normal thing was he's young, he's from Australia. Normal thing is have the crowd behind him. But I don't feel a lot that tonight. I think the crowd was real neutral. The crowd was supporting both of us.
The crowd here in Australia is always fantastic. I played against Lleyton. He's an idol here. It was when I was a kid little bit more than a kid, but when I had 17 and 18. The crowd was fantastic. Very respectful with both of us. Supporting Lleyton for sure, but supporting myself, too.
Tonight have something similar. Is always nice go on this center court. Atmosphere is always nice I think.
Q. You said you don't have a fever anymore, but the body is getting tired. Are you concerned in the next week the body might not be ready for five sets after five sets?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. Hopefully I gonna improve. I don't know. I don't know what's going on. I am doing all that I can. I am working, I am resting. I can't do more, no? If I don't feel perfect, it's not my fault. It's day of today. All I can say is keep fighting. I have the (indiscernible) here, my biscuits, for the problem maybe. If I eat more, maybe I am better next week.
Q. Do you think in the last year you have made more progress in your tennis game or in your English?
RAFAEL NADAL: I think in my tennis game for sure, no? Cannot be my English because I am not very inspired tonight. But I can
All my concerns have already been mentioned in this thread but to summerize order of importance:
1) he can beat most people on tour even when he's less than 100 percent.
2) there's an incentive for him to over play the amount of discomfort he is feeling.
3) is english is surprisingly terrible in there is definitely some information that is lost in translation.
I really liked cilic to take one or two sets in this match, but he wasn't as sharp as he can be, looked a little dogged after that 5 setter. rafa will be another 2 days removed from his illness when he faces ferrer and he looked very very good against cilic. I don't like to eat chalk but ferrer is not a player with any strengths to rafa's weaknesses. assuming he's in good form for a 4 or 5 setter should it get there (unlikely) i don't think ferrer can pull off the miracle.
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Originally Posted by Mirar Baseball
