Satisfied with performance, Rafa swaps grass for beach
LONDON: Rafael Nadal will not agonise over his missed chance at Wimbledon, preferring to think about a good tournament and a break on the beach back home in Majorca.
"Tomorrow on the beach I'm going to be thinking how good it is to be in Majorca," he replied to the question whether he would turn over in his mind the chances he lost to break Roger Federer in the deciding fifth set of Sunday's final.
"I will be happy about my tournament and my game," he told the post-final news conference after world No 1 and top seed Federer beat him 7-6 4-6 7-6 2-6 6-2.
French Open champion Nadal twice led 40-15 on Federer's serve early in the fifth set but let slip all four chances of a break, the Swiss going on to win a fifth successive Wimbledon title.
An enthralling and high calibre final finished with the set count at 26 all and Nadal pleased with his part in it.
"Today was tough for me but it's good to see me playing a final like that against the best in the world on grass, playing at a similar level," he said.
Second seed Nadal, who lost to Federer in four sets in last year's final, said there was no comparison between his two performances, this year's being much better.
"Last year I got there a bit by surprise, this time I did it with the illusion of winning," said the 21-year-old Spaniard, who has stressed over the last few rounds how much his grasscourt game has improved.
Better serve
"I'm sad that I lost but in no phase did I play below his level. I don't believe in luck, the one who had to win, won," said Nadal, though he added: "If we have to find any difference, maybe it's the serve.
"He served better than me and that's important on every surface, but on this surface more, no?"
Nadal needed treatment on his left knee when he was 4-1 up in the fourth set but he dismissed it as unimportant.
"I prefer not to talk about that...On a serve I felt a pinch in my knee but then I got over it," he said.
Asked if he thought he could win Wimbledon one day, Nadal said: "You can never be sure of anything but what I am sure of is that I can play at a very high level on any surface."
He considers, however, that Federer is the best player ever.
"The best player in history has 14 (grand slam titles), he has 11 so he's very close," said the Spaniard, comparing Federer to seven-times Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras.
"He's playing unbelievable (tennis). If he wins 14 or 16 or 13, in my opinion his level is the best in history."
Agencies
(China Daily 07/10/2007 page23)
