D. FERRER/A. Murray 6‑4, 6‑7, 6‑3, 6‑2
DAVID FERRER
Q. Is it was very good win. How did you feel to go through to semifinal?
DAVID FERRER: Happy. My first time in semifinal in Roland Garros, so feel good. (Smiling.)
It was a very tough match, and I’m very happy.
D. FERRER/A. Murray 6‑4, 6‑7, 6‑3, 6‑2
ANDY MURRAY
Q. You said you thought he was going to be hard to break down on clay. It felt like you had to keep going for more and more to try to do that. Is that how it felt to you?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I think, I mean, I thought I played some good tennis tonight. I just didn’t convert. I mean, I had a lot of chances in the last couple of sets on his serve and I lost a lot of really long games on my serve, which didn’t help.
Against him, you know, he is so solid, so consistent, you know, that if you’re not converting your opportunities, it turns to many long games and then the pressure can build on your serve.
He obviously broke me a lot times the last couple of sets. I had chances to break him and didn’t convert them like he did.
R. NADAL/N. Almagro 7‑6, 6‑2, 6‑3
RAFAEL NADAL
Q. Can we say that today it was a really first good test of the tournament for you because it was interesting match?
RAFAEL NADAL: The tests are every day, no? If the No. 14 or 15 of the world is not a test, against Monaco it’s a good test. At the end, you know, the match wasn’t that difficult.
But before the match was a real test for me, because Monaco arrived to the match playing probably one of the best levels of his career, clay court specialist. At the end wasn’t the right test, because I won with comfortable result.
No, today, sure, you cannot expect more than a test. It’s a quarterfinals. It’s a difficult match. You play against win of the best players of the world and especially one of the best players of the world in this surface.
Sure, you cannot expect to win an easy match in quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, quarterfinals of Roland Garros. Was a tough one, but I am through and I am very happy.
Q. In the third set Almagro was hitting the ball very well. He was close to the break. What was your feeling at that moment?
RAFAEL NADAL: Just try to wait for my moment. That’s true that I was a little bit ‑‑ he had chances in the third. He had a few very good moments hitting the ball very hard. But I had ‑‑ with 1‑0 I had a few deuce; with 3‑2 I had a break point; with the 4‑3 I finally had the break, no.
So I had my chances too. It’s true that he had a few chances, important ones. But my serve worked really well, and he had one mistake, one important mistake with the forehand.
He had the control of the point in that moment, but wasn’t very easy to hit that forehand. He tried to hit, in my opinion, not the right ball. He had the mistake.
My thoughts in that moment just I am two sets up; wait for my moment; try to play aggressive when I have the chance. Because was very difficult to play aggressive against a player who, from the first ball, hit the ball that fast, no, and with that power.
I tried when I had the chance, and I played well mentally in the third. My serve was important, sure.
Q. Have you watched any part of Djokovic’s and Federer’s matches yesterday? If yes, what have you been thinking about it?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I watched the first set and second of Federer here. After, I went back to hotel and on the TV I saw Tsonga and Djokovic, yes. Federer wasn’t ‑‑ the France, they didn’t show Federer match.
So I saw the Tsonga and Djokovic one, and was a good match to see. My opinion Tsonga played fantastic for moments. He was a little bit unlucky, that’s the true. But in my opinion, he had two mistakes in two match points, important ones. The first was a passing shot with his backhand. He hit the ball probably in the worst place to hit, against the forehand volley of the opponent.
So his chances was volley and backhand, not forehand, in my opinion, but is very difficult in that moment, no. After, he hit the ball to the net with his forehand with another match point. It probably wasn’t the right ball to hit. He had to wait a little bit for another one.
But that’s the game. That’s the sport. Both players deserve to win. Djokovic saved a lot, fighted a lot, and he maintained his focus.
So anyone would be the right winner, but finally it was no Novak. Well done.
Q. Can you tell the world about David Ferrer? He’s still playing right now, but what in his game, if you play against him in the semifinal, could possibly annoy you? Do you think he could annoy you even more than Nicolas?
RAFAEL NADAL: Nothing new. We played each other a lot of times. We played in Barcelona, and I won 7‑6, 7‑6. His game bothers everybody because he’s one of the best players in the world in every surface, in clay especially.
Everything, he’s a complete player. It’s very difficult to play against him, because his movements are probably the best of the world, and he’s able to hit the ball very early a lot of the times.
If it’s David, will be a very tough match. I had a very tough first set in Rome against him. I had tough first set in Barcelona. I was able to win, but anything can happen in that set.
But at the end, don’t forget it’s semifinals of Roland Garros. Against who do you want to play? You have to play against the best of the world. The only way to be in the final of a big tournament like this is playing your best tennis.
If I want to be in the final, my only way is play aggressive, play my best tennis. That’s what I going to try.
Q. Just to follow up on the match yesterday, Tsonga/Djokovic, obviously Tsonga missed one forehand but Djokovic played very aggressive and bold on the match points. Do you have some thoughts on what is the source of the ability to do that? Is it calmness? Is it experience? Confidence? How is a player able to make those shots with so much on the line?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, we can talk a lot about these things, but at the end is a feeling. You have to be brave to do it in that moments. But for some reasons, these players who are the best in the world, players who are No. 10, players who are No. 20 and No. 30 and No. 50, No. 100, that’s the real thing.
In the end, let’s talk about not that moment, because that’s at the end of the day, a little bit of lucky, little bit of everything. It’s like when you talk about the return of Djokovic in semifinals of US Open last year against Federer. You are brave to do it that, yes, or you are crazy.
So, you know, anything can happen. It’s a little bit of lucky, little bit of everything, little bit of you are good, you are with confidence. But yesterday we cannot talk about that moment, you know, personally, no?
Because that’s a limit situation and anything can happen. He did very well, but the first forehand that he hit against the backhand of the Jo was almost on the line. So the ball can go out. That’s the true.
But a player like Novak probably create more chances to save opportunities like this. Not in match point, but to save tough matches like yesterday that he’s in a trouble situation, difficult one. He’s fighting. He put another ball inside the court, and he puts pression all the time on Tsonga.
Probably another kind of player playing against Tsonga, very inspired, playing in front of his crowd and playing very well don’t going to fight that much, no?
But I tell you, that’s question is why he’s No. 1 of the world. That’s all.
Q. Rafa, you said that there are major and minor records to beat. You have seven semifinals like Federer, just you two, plus a third one. Since I lost a bet once with you, if you know who’s the third one, we can bet on that and I’ll tell you 10 minutes after the press conference.
RAFAEL NADAL: Sorry. I don’t know. Can you repeat? You are very focused on the records this week and I am not.
Q. I’m saying just only you and Federer have made seven semifinals at the Roland Garros, plus a third player. Just asking if you have any idea who could be the third one. That’s it. I’ll tell you later.
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know, because Borg won six times but I think that he lost against Panatta both.
Q. This is a question from fans. We’re moving away from tennis for two seconds. They know that you are a big fishing fan, and they would like to know the biggest fish you caught, and has it ever been so big that it scared you?
RAFAEL NADAL: Disappointing, no. No, I am not that good. I’m an amateur at fishing. When I go, I go with friends who really knows what to do. When I am able to have time and holiday and go, I go.
But, you know, the problem with fishing is, one, you have to go early in the morning. It’s not because I don’t like to go early in the morning. I love to wake up early and go for fishing, but I practice in the morning. That’s the thing, no?
My uncle will not be very happy if I tell him that today I going to practice in the afternoon because I go for fishing. That’s the problem, no?
THE MODERATOR: Spanish questions.
Q. Up until now you’ve only lost one set. You saved a certain number of difficult balls, and I think your confidence is growing.
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, in fact you need to face the situation. It’s true if I’d not lost any set and not lost my serve, it would have been a miracle. It’s just impossible to achieve that. You need to face the facts.
In all tournaments where I made it to the quarterfinals or semifinals, when I went deep in the tournament I needed to have a very powerful serve. Sometimes there are matches when you can turn the match around.
But it’s true that this year my serve works very well, and I managed to turn a match around in Monte‑Carlo or Barcelona or even in Rome. I lost my serve, but on very few occasions.
So I think you have to be consistent. But it’s true that I served better during the two last rounds. During the very first rounds here, my serve was not well adjusted. I was making mistakes and I was playing from the baseline quite a lot.
Today I managed to score the most difficult points and I had a very good serve. So when you serve a winner, then it’s perfect. At the moment everything is fine.
Q. Rafa, in 2010 we’re talking about your quarterfinals against Almagro. Did you think about this match before you played him today, or was it a match during which Nicolas played better?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, it was 7‑6, 7‑6, 6‑3 in 2010, so I did not remember that match so much. But last time he was playing better than me. During the tiebreak I was very aggressive. I played well.
The third set was more clear. But at the beginning of that match he played very well. His serve was exceptional. At the end of the third set I was playing much better. I was moving much better on the court.
The third set was similar to the match we played today. It was 6‑3. But this time he hit very hard. He really went for his shots. He played very well.
I think at 3‑2 he had a beautiful return. I made a few mistakes. I think the one big mistake I made was with my footwork on the court. Otherwise I played well. I gave everything I had. I played well when I had to save a point.
And when I could start attacking, I did. When I could be aggressive, I was.
Q. You’ve reached the semifinals, and you know that Djokovic suffered a bit against his opponent. Would you say it can be helpful to you? And Federer’s match was long, as well.
RAFAEL NADAL: No, this won’t have an impact. They’ll have two days of rest, so everything is fine. It’s true that against Del Potro it was a very strange match.
Well, I didn’t see the whole match. I watched the other one. But after I saw what I saw, I was very much surprised. 6‑2, 6‑Love, Del Potro/Federer, I did not understand exactly what happened during that match. But with two days’ rest I don’t think they will have any problem.
Q. You played eight matches against Almagro. There were five tiebreakers and you won them all. When you reach a decisive moment, you make the difference. This is why you have very good statistics. What would you say about that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the answer is yes and no, because matches are not all decided at one very specific time. I can’t remember all of the results, but if you talk about tiebreakers, let me see. In Madrid he was leading. He had a break point. There were three tiebreakers during the last matches I played here.
Might have been the others were in the US Open or Bercy. Bercy, yes. You’re right. He almost won; 40‑Love when he was serving. Yes, you’re right. You’re right.
But the surface is totally different here, and it was at the end of 2009 when I was not in a great shape. I think these are well deserved semifinals. Very tight matches were Madrid and Paris. I was very lucky.
But winning a tiebreaker, you can’t say you can win a tiebreaker with just a few points. I mean, it was 5‑7, and during the three other matches I won in three sets. Another one, I can’t remember which, but result was very close.
But sometimes you can lose and set, and then things can be more complicated. You can lose confidence. We could talk about it for hours if you’d like. I was a bit lucky. The most important is that I managed to get through.
Q. I wanted to ask you a question about David Ferrer. He is up 5‑3 in the third set. You said he deserved more than his result. What would you say?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don’t want him to go too far, too deep in the tournament, but of course he deserves a lot. He’s a great player.
Apart from the fact that we get on very well together, his tennis is impressive. He is very consistent. He gets exceptional results. He is very consistent, and has been for many years.
His season on clay has been great so far, except in Monte‑Carlo when he was a bit tired. But he also played the Davis Cup; he played Barcelona. Okay, let’s not talk about his quarterfinals in Madrid and semifinals in Rome. But each time he played with very beautiful tennis.
He only lost to me in Barcelona and Rome, and the matches were very close. I think he made it to the quarterfinals in Miami, if I’m not mistaken. That was against Djokovic. So he would only lose to the best in the world, and he sometimes wins.
So I would like Ferrer to be able to win not just here, but also in Bercy and other tournaments. He has already won quite a few tournaments.
To be honest, I don’t hope ‑‑ I’m not hoping he wins here. I won’t tell you the opposite.
Q. What about the other semifinal? Considering Federer and Djokovic’s level, would you say that Djokovic has more chance to win?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don’t know. It all depends on how you feel personally. If Djokovic feels confident at the moment, it has to do with your mental state.
I don’t know who is going to win. It’s the one who’s going to play best the day after tomorrow. You can’t analyze this. These are matches in which the best players in the world are very close.
Who would have said last year that Djokovic and Federer ‑‑ that Federer would win last year? I mean, this is a sport in which you can’t make any prediction. It’s just impossible.
R. NADAL/N. Almagro 7‑6, 6‑2, 6‑3
NICOLAS ALMAGRO
Q. There were a lot of noise coming from the crowd. A lot of shouting towards you from a few fans in particular. Were you anything bothered by it?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: I didn’t understand starting in English. Someone can you tell in English or something, right?
(In Spanish.) Well, I think the person who was shouting was not really aware of what he or she was doing. It was a mentally disabled person, I think. So we should not give too much importance to this. I think he tried to enjoy the match the way he could.
So I think it’s perfect people like this come and watch tennis matches and have fun. That’s all I have to say.
Q. How good was he out there? Looked like he played quite well, and it was still very tough.
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Well, I’m very happy with my tennis today. I think I played one of the best matches I can play against Rafa, but he’s the No. 1 of the world in this surface. I’m very happy with my tennis.
The only thing I can say to you I’m going to work a lot for the next time.
Q. Has his serve improved? What made it difficult to face his serve today?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Well, he served really good today. I think at the important moment he serve better than the rest of the match, but I think the key of the match was I have my chance and I didn’t catch it.
Q. You’ve played him several times over the years. Is his serve better than it used to be?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: He’s serving well. Did you see the match? He served really well out there at the important moment of the match.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish.
Q. Well, Rafa could not remember exactly the match two years ago, but it was quite similar to today. There was a tiebreaker. We have seen beautiful shots today, as well. We know your backhand, but we have seen your forehand, as well. It was exceptional.
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Well, if he doesn’t remember it, I do. As I said during the press conference before the match, I knew exactly what my game would be. I knew that I would give everything I have to give, because I know that against Rafa you have to play your best tennis.
I knew I would make mistakes, maybe more than what I anticipated. But I wanted to fight all the way against him, so I lead the match. But I’m proud of what I did. I fought against Rafa, but he played a perfect match. And he needed to be. He was defensive when he needed to be. I congratulate him.
Q. Would you say that Rafa is the best in the world on this surface? Do you think he’s the favorite to win the tournament?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: The one who’s no longer favorite to win the tournament is me. At the moment, you have Djokovic, Federer, Rafa, and then later Ferrer or Murray.
I wish the final is 100% Spanish so we’re certain we have the winner, but the four or five left are huge players.
Q. With the last five tiebreakers in the match you have not won any. Today the first point during the tiebreaker he played a dropshot. Where was the difference in the tiebreaker? Is it experience? Calm?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: After a serve at 210 kilometers per hour along the line, I can’t hit back. What should I regret? Of course it was out and of course I remember that point.
You knew to take the initiative on the point, and the best way for me to take the initiative was sometimes to play a dropshot. I also missed a return on the third point of the tiebreaker.
But these are things that happen in tennis. Maybe in another sport I would not have had to play a tiebreaker, but that’s tennis. That was the only thing I could.
I’m quite happy with what I did, because a few years back I would not have been able to do what I did today. I need to make Nadal fight to win the match.
Q. So you think you played better during the match and he played better on the most decisive points?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: When a player wins three sets to love, he is stronger from the first point to the last point. I played well. I applied my strategy. I tried to do my best. But he was at such a high level that I couldn’t take all opportunities I had.
Q. There were many critical moments.
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Well, he played better on these critical moments and he won the match.
Q. The first set you were powerful, but we had the feeling that you were dropping the gloves afterwards.
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Well, if I dropped the gloves in a quarterfinals in Roland Garros, I deserve to go back to school.
But at one stage the balls were very heavy and he was playing incredible angles. You know, when Rafa starts attacking he’s an excellent player. When he’s dominating, he knows the game perfectly.
But me dropping the gloves? No way. At no stage. I tried to fight at all times. I was down 6‑2, and then I came back 5‑3. It was 6‑2. During the third set I had a few opportunities to win a break, but I couldn’t.
So when you say hanging my gloves, that’s not the kind of expression you want to use. But I want to congratulate Rafa.
Q. It’s the third time you made it to the quarterfinals. David keeps talking about the finals he lost to Rafa, for instance, in Monte‑Carlo. Are you fed up playing Nadal and losing to him?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: No. Really, no. It’s a real opportunity to play against the best player in the world on clay. It’s wonderful fighting against someone at such a high level.
We’re all very proud because we can write the story of Spanish tennis along with him, and that makes us all very proud and happy.
We are going to continue working. Had it not been Rafa I would have played another player and maybe I would have lost, but I don’t want to think back about what things could have been. I had great pleasure playing that match, and I hope I’ll have many other opportunities to play him. That would be fabulous.
I will try to find a way to at last defeat him.
Q. You were active playing for charity for victims of the earthquake in Lorca. Are you going to now start practicing on grass for Wimbledon?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: To your first question, Juan Carlos and Maria José, Anabel and I, it was a great pleasure spending a bit of time to help families who went through something terrible. We contributed what we could to help them get back their life as soon as possible. I was supposed to play tennis and contribute.
Now to answer your second question about my schedule about whether I’ll play exhibition matches before Wimbledon, well, I didn’t think I would have enough strength to play before. I wanted to take some rest because the rest of the season is quite difficult.
Q. You talked about another opportunity to play Nadal. Would you have preferred playing on the other half of the draw?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: Once again, you can’t think back about what could have been. We had the draw last week, and I knew then that I would play Rafa in quarterfinals. If I made it to the quarterfinals.
But you come to tournaments like this one to play that type of match, because that’s what you enjoy playing.
I had this great opportunity to play him today, and I need to leave happy. I played a very beautiful match.
P. KVITOVA/Y. Shvedova 3‑6, 6‑2, 6‑4
PETRA KVITOVA
Q. First semifinal here. It wasn’t that easy today. What was going wrong maybe in your game? What was tough with her game?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I expected it will be tough match and it was actually. She start well and I was very nervous from the beginning. The first set I did easy mistakes.
Then I knew that I had to change my game and I have to be the aggressive one and going for the points.
Yeah, I mean, the games was very close. I’m happy that I won the big points for me. Yeah, I couldn’t give up, so, yeah.
M. SHARAPOVA/K. Kanepi 6‑2, 6‑3
MARIA SHARAPOVA
Q. Talk about your game. You just seemed very controlled out there. Your returns were fantastic. Talk about how you feel coming into the semifinals.
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Yeah, well, it’s certainly nice to be in that position again. It’s my third time in the semifinals. After a tough match in the previous round, you know, I’m happy with the way I improved in this match.
I thought that was really important, because she’s someone that always competes and plays really well against top players especially. She has that extra motivation.
Yeah, the return is very important because she can serve very well, has a big first serve, so that was a big key today.
P. KVITOVA/Y. Shvedova 3‑6, 6‑2, 6‑4
YAROSLAVA SHVEDOVA
Q. The third set was very tense. Petra took the lead and you came back and in the end Petra won the match. What do you think made the difference?
YAROSLAVA SHVEDOVA: I was just super‑tired. In the first set I still had the energy and I played well. She was doing mistakes. I took the advantage I wanted, and then I had just loss of energy.
The third set is just like I was saying to myself to fight and just try to get all the balls and then we’ll see what happened. Because I can win; I can lose. Read the rest of this entry »
M. SHARAPOVA/K. Kanepi 6‑2, 6‑3
KAIA KANEPI
Q. Just your impressions of the match? Seemed like she was hitting a lot of lines and really attacking your serve.
KAIA KANEPI: Yeah, I think she played very well. Yeah, she was attacking all the time, and I didn’t have much time to do my shots. She played very well.
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