Happy for his great victory against Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the 1000 Masters in Rome, Rafa Nadal He spoke to the media online to explain his feelings and talk about his next match against Reilly Opelka.
Differences between Madrid and Rome: “The conditions are different, honestly, very different than in Madrid, where it is difficult to have control, especially against good servers. Anyway, it has been difficult because he (Zverev) is a great player. I have done a lot of things well today and it's a very positive game for me. “
Fighting spirit: “When you fight, normally, you get something. Yesterday I suffered a lot, but I was able to carry the game forward. Today I was much more solid and it is a great victory for me. I have managed to handle the pressure well and improve my movements. Yesterday's battle, being able to face someone like Sascha is important. I wanted to be fit and ready, something that gives me confidence. “
Opelka: “It will be a super difficult opponent, who has a super serve. I have to be very good with mine and be aggressive from behind to make him play one more ball. They are semifinals, I can't expect anything easy. It will be very difficult to break a player who He gives very few options to the rest and he can play calmly. It's what you have, you have to be focused, with the same intensity and play safe with my serve. “
Best match: “I do not know if it is my best game of 2021, I have not analyzed it. It has been solid, complete, with many things that are recognized when I do well on this surface. I have changed the rhythm well and I only needed some courage to throw a little more sometime. Also physically it has been positive, because I have felt resistant and even faster “.
The physical: “It was a mystery how I would be, other times I was almost in the infirmary for two days, but from yesterday to today I have recovered. Knowing that you have an important match helps, I was working well, beyond the resistance, I was missing a bit of spark And I was closer, I defended better, I anticipated the ball, I read the game better, and that for me is very important. One more victory against an opponent like this gives confidence, it is positive. Yesterday was very hard, today also difficult. many long points without having to play a winning shot out of fatigue, and I was mentally strong to save important moments “.
The fall: “Several parts of my body hurt, because I have injuries in different places and being such an unexpected fall, I did not know how my foot was, that I have it complicated and you suffer because of that, then I hit my wrist and I got scared. little. In a few seconds I saw that it was only pain from the blows and that nothing happened “.