MADRID, 29 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal said he felt “good” on a physical level after his tough match this Monday that lasted more than three hours against the Argentine Pedro Cachín at the Mutua Madrid Open, but that it is “an unknown” to know how he is going to get up. Tuesday in the round of 16 to see if he is “capable of playing two days in a row.”
“I’m fine, tomorrow we’ll see. Happy, I don’t know how I’m going to get up tomorrow, I don’t feel like I’ve been hurt, this is the most important thing. I need to improve in many aspects physically, but I’ve held on,” Nadal said at a press conference. after his third victory in the capital.
The winner of 22 Grand Slams will now play against the Czech Jiri Lehecka in the night shift, something that seems “good” to him. “Unfortunately it is a time that is not what I would have liked, but given the circumstances, playing for more than three hours, the most prudent thing is to play at that time. There were two options and the tournament has chosen that, and I agree,” settled.
The Spaniard did not hide that playing at night has “more hours to sleep and to work before the game.” “I can see Barça a little,” he added with a smile. “It’s a bit of an unknown,” he replied about how he would be doing on Tuesday. “It’s been a long time since I played a three-hour match, but it was a shame not to win the second set because at the moment I was in it was more than playing three hours,” he warned.
“I am happy for having been able to accept the challenge of the third set and for having improved. In the first set I was too comfortable and he was too nervous and his level was unreal, he increased it and I competed too little to make quick decisions and because things don’t happen automatically,” he said.
The former world number one believes that he had “opportunities” to win the second set, where his rival showed “more tension,” but he celebrated that in the third he managed to “become unpredictable again a little more and make him uncomfortable.” “I have changed the way I play and my physique was not worse, not at a fabulous level, but it was important. Taking risks and having them work out is positive for me, also being mentally awake and I have accepted adversity well, but I am aware that I need more,” he said.
“I want to continue playing, competing, progressing, but that doesn’t take away my enthusiasm and this year, in a more special way if possible, I’m enjoying it. I wouldn’t have liked to lose, it would have bothered me. I’m happy with what I’m experiencing, it’s been “Three weeks in Manacor I was almost unable to serve, unable to move, losing to the guys from the Academy every day and now I am competing on the circuit again,” he added.
The Manacorí insisted that he does not know “how long” he will be able to “compete”, but that what happened this Monday “is progress.” “Progress has to be valued and although I am in a different situation in my life, I have built my entire career on valuing the little things, building on trust and I am trying to go through this process again even though it is a much more complicated task” , the Spaniard remarked.
“Let’s see if I’m able to play two days in a row and play the game with guarantees of being able to compete, I hope so. If I can compete I think it will have been a positive week no matter what happens, but I have to see if my body is tolerating these loads and then recovering automatism, speed and quality, and that is what victories and games give you,” he pointed out.
Therefore, “yes” he would be surprised to win against the Czech Jiri Lehecka, “a very high-level player.” “I trained with him and he has a very powerful serve, very hard shots from the baseline. Alex (de Miñaur) has a higher ranking, but Lehecka’s quality and ball speed is another step. Beating Cachín did not surprise me and winning to Lehecka would be one more step, but if I am competitive it is a success. I hope I am better because I lost with him in training,” said Nadal who looks “more unpredictable” than he used to be.