Rafael Nadal: Roger Will Be A Challenge, He Is Playing Fantastic
- 9 Comments
Despite a 17-8 series lead, Rafael Nadal recognizes that he may be the underdog tomorrow when he meets Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Their 26th career meeting will be the first in round-robin. Federer last win against Rafa came at the Barclays a year ago in the finals.
“It will be a challenge for me,” said Nadal yesterday. “He’s playing fantastic, winning two tournaments in a row, and now today. It will be a very difficult match. I will try.”
Nadal was lucky to win Sunday over Mardy Fish in a third set tiebreaker. Nadal was ill in the third set with a stomach issue.
“The third set was a little bit more crazy, up and down,” said Nadal. “But I felt very bad from the stomach since the beginning of the third. I was seriously really lucky for the victory, and I for sure am very happy.
“I just eat some pasta before the match,” he added. “For the lunch, I eat some pasta with salmon at the hotel. So nothing strange and nothing unusual. That’s the true, no? But during the match, start to feel something half of the second set. But really getting worst and worst at beginning of the third. After going to the toilet with the 2‑Love, I went with 2‑Love because I asked to the umpire that I needed to go to the toilet.”
Fortunately Nadal sounds confident he’ll be 100% for the match tomorrow.
Nadal also responded to Yannick Noah’s assertion that Spanish players are doping.
“This guy deserve not write anymore in the newspaper,” Nadals said. “What he said is completely stupid and he knows better than nobody. Say that today is a totally stupid thing because you know how many anti‑doping controls we are having during all the season year by year. So, in my opinion, his article, what he writed, was from a kid. And when one kid say something, is not painful for us. So that’s what I feel.
I don’t know how to say in English, but especially I think that’s worst for French, for France. Is worst for his country than for our country, in my opinion, because the image of the country when one guy, important guy like him, say that, is terrible.”
You Might Like:
Watch Rafael Nadal Dump A Big Bucket Of Water On His Head For The #IceBucketChallenge [Video]
Juan Martin Del Potro: “I Think I’m Playing Fantastic Tennis”
Roger Federer Takes The ALS #IceBucketChallenge [Video]
Rafael Nadal: Six Straight Losses To Djokovic That’s Painful, But I’m Going To Work Every Day Until That Changes
Novak Djokovic: “I’m Physically Fit And Ready For The Challenges That Will Come”