Shanghai 2nd round presser transcript

RAFAEL NADAL

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please, for Rafa. 

Q.  How did you feel out there tonight?  You've had problems in early round matches here in the past.  Is it just a matter of getting back into match shape after being off for a bit?

RAFAEL NADAL:  Is normal to have problems in the early matches in Masters 1000 because best players are here.  Is true that sometimes in the end of the season I didn't arrive with the best feelings in my body and the tennis.  I lost against players that they decided to play aggressive, like Mayer did, like Melzer did a few years ago.  Understand in 2009 I played the final too. 

The court is fast, faster than the previous years.  I like the ball much better than last week.  I think I played a good match.  Win against Dolgopolov the way I did is because I did a lot of things well. 

In the beginning I couldn't do nothing.  He was playing amazing, hitting every ball very hard, playing winners from every place.  Positive thing is that I resisted well at the beginning and I converted the second chance I had on the breakpoint.  I was lucky that he missed that smash, is true.  But after that I think I played a great match. 

The serve worked great.  Something that didn't happen last week.  That's very important thing.  I don't know, maybe the ball and the court help me little bit more here for the serve.  Hopefully that's a real thing, is not a thing of one day.  We'll see tomorrow.  I have another tough opponent in front. 

But generally happy.  All the victories are important, and more at the end of the season. 

Q.  Your thoughts on Carlos Berlocq, just beating John Isner. 

RAFAEL NADAL:  He already won two matches.  To win against Isner, he should be playing great.  If not, you cannot beat against a player like John in a fast surface like this one. 

I saw a little bit the statistics.  He didn't lose many points on his serve today.  Won almost every point with his serve.  Will be very focused and try to play a great match. 

He's a different kind of player than Dolgopolov.  Is a player more from the baseline, more rhythm player.  I going to try to play the way that I did:  playing aggressive, trying to take advantage with my serve, then when I have the chance to attack with my forehand, try to go for the shots, no? 

But we'll see.  Every day is different. 

Q.  You went to watch Roger's game before your game.  It seems like it is not common.  For what purpose did you go to watch the game?

RAFAEL NADAL:  I watched because I arrived here early.  I already practiced.  I didn't know what to do.  I went on court to enjoy always watch a player like Roger.  Is special. 

Is true that because of the situation that I cannot go on court most of the times because crowd is there, I disturb the players if I go on court, like happened after few games.  I had that opportunity today to watch a few games like a spectator in life.  I enjoyed.  That's all. 

Q.  A lot of players have started to use Twitter and Facebook as a way to engage their fans.  You do it in English and Spanish.  Is that a way for you to get closer to your fans? 

RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, is a good thing for me to be in contact with the fans, to let know the fans what I am doing, where I am in almost every moment, try to be closer to them.  That's at the end why I have the Facebook and the Twitter.  On Twitter I can have a lot of information on different things about what's happening in the world. 

Q.  Viktor Troicki's case is up for appeal today.  What is your opinion as to whether or not of the 18 month suspension was too harsh. 

RAFAEL NADAL:  Well, I think that if the guy who is there doing the control said, Yes, Viktor, you going to do it tomorrow, he did it the next day, everything was fine, I don't see no one case here. 

But what means for me that Viktor is right.  The person from there allowed Viktor to do the next day.  That's something that I don't understand.  If Viktor said, I don't want to do it today, the guy from there had to say, Okay, if you don't do it today, you will be penalized and you will not do it tomorrow. 

What's strange for me is he was able to do it the next day.  That's something I don't understand.  I understand the penalization, but I don't understand why he was able to do it the next day. 

Q.  Talk about the surface.  You said the surface is faster than the other years.  Considering the recent changes to your game, playing more aggressive, less spin, is this a time where you feel more comfortable on faster surfaces like this? 

RAFAEL NADAL:  The thing is if I am playing well or not.  If I not playing well, is true that for me is better to play in little bit slower surfaces.  If I am playing well, I prefer to play in these kind of surfaces.  I had success in these kind of surfaces.  In Montréal, I had success.  Similar ones.  A little bit faster here, I don't know.  But both are fast. 

The faster surface helps to my serve.  Sometimes the directions on my serve are good, remain a little bit more of power.  In a fast surface, the surface create the power.  That helps me a little bit more.  If I am playing well from the baseline, I'm able to play aggressive, can be a positive thing for me. 

But we'll see.  Today I played well.  Let's see tomorrow. 

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