Nadal "improving every day"
Rafael Nadal says form is improving with every match he playat the BNP Paribas Masters
The start of the match with Gasquet was close and then you found your best game. Tactically you were really on point. How did you feel on the court?
I’m happy about my performance. I’m sorry for Richard, but I think tonight was my best match of the tournament so far. I feel that I was in control of the baseline rallies and that gives you a lot of confidence. During the match, I was able to play a little bit more calmly and patiently and, at the end, I was able to hit a few good forehands down the line. That shot has won me a lot of points this season. That’s the way I need to play on these kind of surfaces. It's something I need to do well for the rest of the tournament.
In the past, this tournament had a lot of surprising results with players who have never won Masters 1000 titles taking the trophy. But this tournament, it has been all the top players doing well. What do you think made this year's tournament different?
This tournament deserves a good finish. It has suffered a lot, being the last tournament of the year. It's great to see all the best players on form and getting good results. Having the quarterfinals with the eight players going to the World Tour Finals is great news for the tournament. It's true that Andy Murray isn’t here. He is an important player. But the difference this year is probably because there was so much left to play for. We arrived here with three spots still available for London. That's huge motivation. Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet all qualified for London here, so that would have been a great motivation for them. In terms of the world rankings, David Ferrer and Juan Martin del Potro are both fighting to end the year at number three. Novak Djokovic and I are playing for top spot. We have to keep playing well and keep getting good results to finish the season on a high.
What are your thoughts on playing David Ferrer or Tomas Berdych in the semifinal? How do you imagine the match?
I imagine a very, very difficult match against Ferrer or Berdych. They are great players. The only thing I am sure is that if I don't play my best I’m not going to win. I have to keep playing better and better every day, like I have done so far this tournament. Tomorrow is another day to keep improving. If I am able to do it, I hope to be competitive.
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