Final point and presentation.
Showing posts with label Miami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Nadal v Djokovic - Live Final Chat
On Sunday, April 3 at 1 pm EST, online editor Ed McGrogan will provide live commentary and analysis during the Miami men's final, featuring world No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Novak Djokovic.
Link from Tennis.com here
Link from Tennis.com here
Rafael Nadal - Another Shot @ Djokovic
Rafael Nadal hits a return during his semifinal match against Roger Federer at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Reuters Photo)
MIAMI: If anyone can stop Novak Djokovic's winning streak it is surely world number one Rafael Nadal and on Sunday, the top two players in the world face each other in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne.
Serbian world number two Djokovic has won 25 straight matches, going back to last year, and beat Nadal two weeks ago in the final of Indian Wells.
Nadal reached the Miami final with surprising ease against his long-standing rival Roger Federer on Friday, winning 6-3, 6-2 and facing just one break point from the Swiss world number three.
Nadal knows he can expect a much tougher test on the Miami hard court on Sunday and only has to think back to his 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss at Indian Wells for a reminder of what he is up against.
"He's winning all his matches very easily and he hasn't lost a match this year. He's playing fantastic tennis and I can only congratulate him on what he has done in the first three months of the season. It's fantastic ," he told reporters.
"We'll see what's going to happen. I felt I had a chance in Indian Wells but I lost a little bit of focus and rhythm in the second set, I lost a bit of intensity - in the legs and in my shots and I started to play a little bit more defensively.
"Against a player like Novak, it is impossible win the match playing like that. So on Sunday I have to play very well all the match if I want to have any chance. I have to play aggressively and I have to play all the points, and that's what I going to try to do," said Nadal.
GOOD RECORD
While Djokovic is the man in the best form in the game at the moment, Nadal can boast a good record against the 23-year-old Serb.
Nadal has a 16-8 advantage in all meetings but while Nadal has won all nine meetings on clay and the two encounters on grass, Djokovic leads 8-5 on hard courts.
Nadal has won four of their five ATP finals, played out on three different surfaces.
Those numbers should act as a brake on any over-confidence that Djokovic may have as a result of his remarkable run of results this year.
But the Serb, a much more mature and focused individual than two years ago, does not appear to need much grounding at the moment, despite the headlines about him being "unstoppable" and 'invincible'.
"I don't feel invincible. I don't feel that I can't lose on the court," he told reporters.
"What I feel is big confidence. What I feel is that I'm playing best tennis of my life. It is as simple as that.
"I feel that I'm serving as best as I think ever and it is really important to have this advantage, obviously, because today there are so many great returners and movers, so to get a couple of free points on your serve is crucial.
"I don't really think about how long this winning streak is going to go on for or who I'm going to lose to.
"I'm just thinking about my next opponent and what I need to do to win."
Serbian world number two Djokovic has won 25 straight matches, going back to last year, and beat Nadal two weeks ago in the final of Indian Wells.
Nadal reached the Miami final with surprising ease against his long-standing rival Roger Federer on Friday, winning 6-3, 6-2 and facing just one break point from the Swiss world number three.
Nadal knows he can expect a much tougher test on the Miami hard court on Sunday and only has to think back to his 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss at Indian Wells for a reminder of what he is up against.
"He's winning all his matches very easily and he hasn't lost a match this year. He's playing fantastic tennis and I can only congratulate him on what he has done in the first three months of the season. It's fantastic ," he told reporters.
"We'll see what's going to happen. I felt I had a chance in Indian Wells but I lost a little bit of focus and rhythm in the second set, I lost a bit of intensity - in the legs and in my shots and I started to play a little bit more defensively.
"Against a player like Novak, it is impossible win the match playing like that. So on Sunday I have to play very well all the match if I want to have any chance. I have to play aggressively and I have to play all the points, and that's what I going to try to do," said Nadal.
GOOD RECORD
While Djokovic is the man in the best form in the game at the moment, Nadal can boast a good record against the 23-year-old Serb.
Nadal has a 16-8 advantage in all meetings but while Nadal has won all nine meetings on clay and the two encounters on grass, Djokovic leads 8-5 on hard courts.
Nadal has won four of their five ATP finals, played out on three different surfaces.
Those numbers should act as a brake on any over-confidence that Djokovic may have as a result of his remarkable run of results this year.
But the Serb, a much more mature and focused individual than two years ago, does not appear to need much grounding at the moment, despite the headlines about him being "unstoppable" and 'invincible'.
"I don't feel invincible. I don't feel that I can't lose on the court," he told reporters.
"What I feel is big confidence. What I feel is that I'm playing best tennis of my life. It is as simple as that.
"I feel that I'm serving as best as I think ever and it is really important to have this advantage, obviously, because today there are so many great returners and movers, so to get a couple of free points on your serve is crucial.
"I don't really think about how long this winning streak is going to go on for or who I'm going to lose to.
"I'm just thinking about my next opponent and what I need to do to win."
Courtesy: TimesOfIndia
Rafael Nadal - Semi Final post match press conference
An interview with:
RAFAEL NADAL
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Well played, Rafa. Even if he had taken that breakpoint at the start of the second set, did you still feel that you were in control of this match all the time?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. (Smiling.) You never know, no? Always if that happen, that's what happened and he didn't break me and I had the chance to keep playing well and to have the break at the next game, no?
If he had the break at the first game of the second set, you never know if he gets confidence, he start to play better, and you never know what's going on the rest of the match.
So that's not happen. I was lucky with the net and inside. So in general, I think I played a very, very good match, very solid and serious. First set especially I think I played very, very good.
Second set I think he played worse. He had more mistakes than usual. He tried to play shorter points, so I think second set he didn't play well.
First set I think was very good level of tennis.
Q. Did you feel immediately well on the court from the first point?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am feeling well every day, seriously. It's not like Indian Wells last week. I wasn't play well during almost all the tournament, no? Even the final, semifinal, I improved a little bit my level, seriously.
But the feeling when you come after playing a few bad matches, it's not easy to find the right performance or the right feeling, even if you are playing better, no, because the bad feeling is too close.
So this week didn't happen that. Playing the final even without play my best in Indian Wells was very important for my confidence, and I started this week playing much better, no? Since the first round I was playing I think very, very good.
I didn't have a good draw; last week I think I had a better draw than this week. This week I had a tough draw. In general, I think I played a very good week.
Now remains one match.
Q. Do you sense that he became discouraged pretty early in the match? Did you have any feeling about that looking across the net or the vibes you were getting?
RAFAEL NADAL: Wasn't easy for him tonight because he had the break in both sets very early, so that's tough. Because I was playing very good from the baseline, without mistakes with my forehand, playing aggressive, so wasn't an easy situation when you are back all the time in the score.
So, yeah, in the second set I felt he started to he wanted to play more aggressive, play shorter points, and probably he didn't have the perfect feeling to do this tonight.
Sometimes it works really good because he has fantastic forehand, fantastic volley, and his movements when plays inside the court a lot of times are unstoppable. Tonight he had few mistakes. I played long, so wasn't easy for him to go inside.
In general, that's always happen, no, when one play very good and the other one don't play perfect. It's always same. Sometimes, you know, when both players play at higher level, always matches are very emotional and very nice, no?
But that's happen very few times, because both players must feel perfect to play both at very highest level, no? Because if one is playing really well, the other one, it's tough to play at highest level. The same happen again.
Q. Talk about Novak.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, he's winning very easy all the matches. He don't to lose a match this year, so we'll see is what's going on. He's playing fantastic. I just can congratulate him about what he did the first three months of the season. It's fantastic.
We'll see what's going on, no? I felt I had a chance last week in Indian Wells. I lost a little bit the focus and the rhythm on the second set, the intensity of the legs and of the shots, so I started to play a little bit more defensive. Against one player like Novak, is impossible win the match play like this, no?
So on Sunday have to play very well all the match if I want to have any chance. I have to play aggressive and I have to play all the points, and that's what I going to try.
Q. Do you like this court better, the speed?
RAFAEL NADAL: Than Indian Wells? No. I like play better. Always is the same, no? I love every surface when I am playing well; when I am playing bad, I don't like no one surface.
Indian Wells is a fantastic surface for me. I played six semifinals in a row, I think, and two champions, one final. Here I never won, so I can't say it's better surface here than Indian Wells. For me both are good. We'll see.
Q. We saw a couple years ago at Wimbledon you had the bandages on the knees. You look healthy now and very fast on the court. What's the key for your fitness as far as getting rid of the knee problems?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is no one key and no secrets. Always is the same: work hard. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not lucky. I wasn't lucky in the beginning of the season. I am healthy now, but I had a problem in Australia and I had a virus in Doha, Qatar earlier in the season.
That's part of sport. Sometimes you are feeling good and sometimes you are not feeling that good. You have to accept both things, because that's part of the game.
Right now the important thing I came back after not easy start of the season, because I felt before Australia I was feeling perfect, playing very, very well.
For different things, I didn't have the results that I thought I going to have the chance to do, no? So wasn't easy for me to accept I didn't play the last rounds of the first tournaments of the season, because I felt I was ready to do it.
But I came back, and this is the second final in a row, so that's fantastic comeback. I'm very happy right now. We'll see what's going on in this final. I'm very happy about everything.
Q. Can you remember anything of your 2004 match against Roger here? You beat him 6 3, 6 3; you were 18. Can you remember anything about that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was 17.
Q. 17, okay.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. Sure I can remember, no? Was my best level since that movement. He didn't play well. I don't know, he had something, virus or something I heard.
But for me was unbelievable, that match. Very emotional. Finally, I won, so... I never going to forget that match.
At that point was nothing, but if you see after seven or eight years how many important matches we played against each other, was a fantastic start.
Q. Yesterday you had a shoulder issue. Is that resolved, because you served really well tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: The serve?
Q. You had a shoulder problem against Berdych.
RAFAEL NADAL: It was the right. Doesn't affect on the serve.
Q. Just in general is it okay?
RAFAEL NADAL: In general it's not perfect, but doesn't affect to my game. I feel some nerve, but that's not going to affect to my game. Affected it a little bit yesterday because it's something new and I didn't know the situation at that point in the match.
I say yesterday in the press I know what happened, and if it going to happen tomorrow, don't going to affect about my concentration, about nothing.
I am lucky it's the right arm, so...
Courtesy: Official Website
RAFAEL NADAL
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Well played, Rafa. Even if he had taken that breakpoint at the start of the second set, did you still feel that you were in control of this match all the time?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. (Smiling.) You never know, no? Always if that happen, that's what happened and he didn't break me and I had the chance to keep playing well and to have the break at the next game, no?
If he had the break at the first game of the second set, you never know if he gets confidence, he start to play better, and you never know what's going on the rest of the match.
So that's not happen. I was lucky with the net and inside. So in general, I think I played a very, very good match, very solid and serious. First set especially I think I played very, very good.
Second set I think he played worse. He had more mistakes than usual. He tried to play shorter points, so I think second set he didn't play well.
First set I think was very good level of tennis.
Q. Did you feel immediately well on the court from the first point?
RAFAEL NADAL: I am feeling well every day, seriously. It's not like Indian Wells last week. I wasn't play well during almost all the tournament, no? Even the final, semifinal, I improved a little bit my level, seriously.
But the feeling when you come after playing a few bad matches, it's not easy to find the right performance or the right feeling, even if you are playing better, no, because the bad feeling is too close.
So this week didn't happen that. Playing the final even without play my best in Indian Wells was very important for my confidence, and I started this week playing much better, no? Since the first round I was playing I think very, very good.
I didn't have a good draw; last week I think I had a better draw than this week. This week I had a tough draw. In general, I think I played a very good week.
Now remains one match.
Q. Do you sense that he became discouraged pretty early in the match? Did you have any feeling about that looking across the net or the vibes you were getting?
RAFAEL NADAL: Wasn't easy for him tonight because he had the break in both sets very early, so that's tough. Because I was playing very good from the baseline, without mistakes with my forehand, playing aggressive, so wasn't an easy situation when you are back all the time in the score.
So, yeah, in the second set I felt he started to he wanted to play more aggressive, play shorter points, and probably he didn't have the perfect feeling to do this tonight.
Sometimes it works really good because he has fantastic forehand, fantastic volley, and his movements when plays inside the court a lot of times are unstoppable. Tonight he had few mistakes. I played long, so wasn't easy for him to go inside.
In general, that's always happen, no, when one play very good and the other one don't play perfect. It's always same. Sometimes, you know, when both players play at higher level, always matches are very emotional and very nice, no?
But that's happen very few times, because both players must feel perfect to play both at very highest level, no? Because if one is playing really well, the other one, it's tough to play at highest level. The same happen again.
Q. Talk about Novak.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, he's winning very easy all the matches. He don't to lose a match this year, so we'll see is what's going on. He's playing fantastic. I just can congratulate him about what he did the first three months of the season. It's fantastic.
We'll see what's going on, no? I felt I had a chance last week in Indian Wells. I lost a little bit the focus and the rhythm on the second set, the intensity of the legs and of the shots, so I started to play a little bit more defensive. Against one player like Novak, is impossible win the match play like this, no?
So on Sunday have to play very well all the match if I want to have any chance. I have to play aggressive and I have to play all the points, and that's what I going to try.
Q. Do you like this court better, the speed?
RAFAEL NADAL: Than Indian Wells? No. I like play better. Always is the same, no? I love every surface when I am playing well; when I am playing bad, I don't like no one surface.
Indian Wells is a fantastic surface for me. I played six semifinals in a row, I think, and two champions, one final. Here I never won, so I can't say it's better surface here than Indian Wells. For me both are good. We'll see.
Q. We saw a couple years ago at Wimbledon you had the bandages on the knees. You look healthy now and very fast on the court. What's the key for your fitness as far as getting rid of the knee problems?
RAFAEL NADAL: Is no one key and no secrets. Always is the same: work hard. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not lucky. I wasn't lucky in the beginning of the season. I am healthy now, but I had a problem in Australia and I had a virus in Doha, Qatar earlier in the season.
That's part of sport. Sometimes you are feeling good and sometimes you are not feeling that good. You have to accept both things, because that's part of the game.
Right now the important thing I came back after not easy start of the season, because I felt before Australia I was feeling perfect, playing very, very well.
For different things, I didn't have the results that I thought I going to have the chance to do, no? So wasn't easy for me to accept I didn't play the last rounds of the first tournaments of the season, because I felt I was ready to do it.
But I came back, and this is the second final in a row, so that's fantastic comeback. I'm very happy right now. We'll see what's going on in this final. I'm very happy about everything.
Q. Can you remember anything of your 2004 match against Roger here? You beat him 6 3, 6 3; you were 18. Can you remember anything about that?
RAFAEL NADAL: I was 17.
Q. 17, okay.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah. Sure I can remember, no? Was my best level since that movement. He didn't play well. I don't know, he had something, virus or something I heard.
But for me was unbelievable, that match. Very emotional. Finally, I won, so... I never going to forget that match.
At that point was nothing, but if you see after seven or eight years how many important matches we played against each other, was a fantastic start.
Q. Yesterday you had a shoulder issue. Is that resolved, because you served really well tonight?
RAFAEL NADAL: The serve?
Q. You had a shoulder problem against Berdych.
RAFAEL NADAL: It was the right. Doesn't affect on the serve.
Q. Just in general is it okay?
RAFAEL NADAL: In general it's not perfect, but doesn't affect to my game. I feel some nerve, but that's not going to affect to my game. Affected it a little bit yesterday because it's something new and I didn't know the situation at that point in the match.
I say yesterday in the press I know what happened, and if it going to happen tomorrow, don't going to affect about my concentration, about nothing.
I am lucky it's the right arm, so...
Courtesy: Official Website
Rafael Nadal - On Court interview
Here is Rafa after his straight set win over Roger to set up a re-match of the recent Indian Wells Final against Novak.
Courtesy: ATPWorldTour
Courtesy: ATPWorldTour
Rafael Nadal - Into the Miami Final
Comfortable win over Roger in the semi final. Here are some match photos
Friday, 1 April 2011
Rafa & Roger - The Rivalry
© Getty ImagesRafael Nadal and Roger Federer have played each other 22 times.It is the scene where it all began, when, in 2005, Federer first came across the player that would thwart him on 14 occasions, including in five major finals. It is a rivalry that has gone from an annoyance to a delight for the Swiss, who confessed he did not always enjoy having a major challenger to his dominance.
“I think in the beginning, early on in my career when I became the World No. 1, I didn't really have that rival, and I was very happy about it,” said Federer. “I was just able to win, win, win, and dominate. That was quite incredible.
Read: Rafa & Roger The Rivalry
“So in the beginning I guess I struggled to embrace the rivalry I had with Rafa. Only later on I was able to say this is actually quite cool. Sleeveless, pirate pants, you name it, long hair, lefty, spins, more with the flat shots and so forth and double-handed against one-handed [backhand], lefty against righty. I think it all kind of made sense, and I was able to embrace it then."
He continued, “I knew he was good [when we first played in Miami], but he surprised me to some degree that he was so consistent, so good on hard courts already so early. That really showed me he was probably going to become a World No. 1, Grand Slam champion; just a really special Spaniard who could not only play on clay but other surfaces as well. He clearly lived up to all the expectations. From then on it went; the rest we know.”
Indeed we do. The pair has gone on to play each other on 22 occasions, including in seven Grand Slam finals. They met most recently in the title match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, which Federer won in three sets. From Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park to Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, it is the big stages that they play on for the grandest prizes in tennis that makes the rivalry so special for both of them.
“It's special always to play against him and have these matches, for sure very important matches for both of us in our careers,” said Nadal. “So that makes our careers probably more special for both of us.
Watch Nadal vs. Federer Live Online @ 11pm GMT/ 7pm ET
“When I go on court against him I feel it's a really special match, especially because we play always really important matches. That makes the rivalry very, very special. I don't know if rivals in the rest of the history of tennis played a lot of the matches, as many matches as we played. I don't know how many matches McEnroe/Borg or Sampras/Agassi played, but we played a lot a lot times. So that makes the match really special always.”
Added Federer, “My No. 1 rival to me it seems is Rafa. Doesn't matter how many more times I'm going to be playing all the other guys. At the moment, we have that history and nobody can take it away from us.
“We've played in so many big finals against each other and were able to play over four or five tough sets and have always shown a lot respect towards each other. So clearly those are the matches I'm really looking forward to and hoping to play my best tennis.
Nadal vs. Federer: FedEx ATP Head2Head
“I think we really get up for these kinds of matches against each other because we know the world is watching. We always have these incredible points and incredible matches against each other. The excitement is huge walking into the stadium. Those things make you nervous. So it's a good thing when that happens
Courtesy: Official Website
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Nadal - Round 4 press conference
Transcript courtesy of Official Website
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. The weather today, did that cause you any disruptions, or just you know what you have to do in those sort of situations?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, you know, be calm and wait. That's all. Nothing else. You can't do a lot of things in days like today. Relax in the players' lounge, be with the friends. That's it.
It's nothing new. It's something that happen a lot of times in the tennis.
Q. Playing Alexandr today, did you feel that he was maybe a little bit tired having to finish off against Tsonga today?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know if he was tired or not, but you can ask him, I think. But maybe is possible, no? But I think when we play matches, five set matches in Grand Slam is more than what he had.
So I think probably is not easy play end of the match and after start of the match. That's sure. But that's part of the game, no? It happen to me a few times, and I think in general I played at very good level, no?
Probably he had more mistakes than usual, but I don't know if because he was little bit tired or not.
Q. Did you find the conditions heavy because of the rain from earlier on?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, heavy, very humid. That's why I am sweating a lot.
Q. What about playing Tomas in the next round?
RAFAEL NADAL: Difficult match always, no? We know each other. We played a lot of times, and I know just play my best tennis I gonna have chances against him, no?
He can play very, very good, and I have to play very solid all the time with my serve and wait a chance on the return.
Q. One question about being an ambassador for Bacardi. I was just wondering, was that a difficult decision, seeing that alcohol and sponsorship for alcohol might be a little strange for some people? Or was it more you saw the good it can do with the company?
RAFAEL NADAL: Did you see the campaign?
Q. Yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: So, I mean, I am not presenting alcohol party, you know. It's a responsible campaign, a social campaign.
Anyway, I think alcohol is inside our lives, so is nothing new, no? But the campaign is not against alcohol but about be responsible when you go out.
So wasn't difficult decision, because I think is very important social campaign, and I believe in this campaign. So it was a very easy decision, because I think is very good thing to do for Bacardi.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. The weather today, did that cause you any disruptions, or just you know what you have to do in those sort of situations?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, you know, be calm and wait. That's all. Nothing else. You can't do a lot of things in days like today. Relax in the players' lounge, be with the friends. That's it.
It's nothing new. It's something that happen a lot of times in the tennis.
Q. Playing Alexandr today, did you feel that he was maybe a little bit tired having to finish off against Tsonga today?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know if he was tired or not, but you can ask him, I think. But maybe is possible, no? But I think when we play matches, five set matches in Grand Slam is more than what he had.
So I think probably is not easy play end of the match and after start of the match. That's sure. But that's part of the game, no? It happen to me a few times, and I think in general I played at very good level, no?
Probably he had more mistakes than usual, but I don't know if because he was little bit tired or not.
Q. Did you find the conditions heavy because of the rain from earlier on?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, heavy, very humid. That's why I am sweating a lot.
Q. What about playing Tomas in the next round?
RAFAEL NADAL: Difficult match always, no? We know each other. We played a lot of times, and I know just play my best tennis I gonna have chances against him, no?
He can play very, very good, and I have to play very solid all the time with my serve and wait a chance on the return.
Q. One question about being an ambassador for Bacardi. I was just wondering, was that a difficult decision, seeing that alcohol and sponsorship for alcohol might be a little strange for some people? Or was it more you saw the good it can do with the company?
RAFAEL NADAL: Did you see the campaign?
Q. Yeah.
RAFAEL NADAL: So, I mean, I am not presenting alcohol party, you know. It's a responsible campaign, a social campaign.
Anyway, I think alcohol is inside our lives, so is nothing new, no? But the campaign is not against alcohol but about be responsible when you go out.
So wasn't difficult decision, because I think is very important social campaign, and I believe in this campaign. So it was a very easy decision, because I think is very good thing to do for Bacardi.
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