“It was accident, I lost” says Rafael Nadal, who was clearly disappointed after his loss to Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round on The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6. In front of a packed main Stadium, and in front of Larry Ellison, one of his greatest supporters, Rafael was not able to stop the inspired Ukrainian as he has done many times before.
“I played bad. This is a tournament that I really love so much. I wanted to play very well here. I had good success in this tournament in the past, a tournament I always have great feelings. I had great feelings practicing.”
“I never find a good feelings when I was on court competing this year. Upset for that, because as I said before, I love a lot this event. That’s fine. It’s impossible to be every single week on the last round of the tournament. I did for the first three tournaments of the year that I played. Today was an accident. I lost.”
Rafael was pretty much aware of the mistakes he made during the match. He mentioned not being able to play solid rallies from the baseline, or hold on to the breaks during matches, and Nadal gives credit to his opponent.
“When I have two breaks in one set, normally I don’t lose the set. He played great. He’s playing well, much better today. But today. At the end I have to analyze my part and opponent. I cannot talk about the opponent because what the opponent does is not in my hands. I can talk about what is in my hands, and what is in my hands I didn’t play enough solid today. I had enough breaks to win the match, but I didn’t play enough well from the baseline then to be solid with my serve. Is not a problem with my serve. Was more problem with my baseline shots. I didn’t go for the points. I played with too many mistakes.”
“So when that happens, you know, when you are playing a player like Dolgopolov, the way to stop him and the way that I really bother him is when I am solid all the time, playing long, playing high. When I play a high ball and the ball comes short, I go for the point and try to hit a winner and I open the court all the time. So he’s in trouble, no, if I play defensive, if I play short, if I hit good ball. But when the ball comes back short I am not able to have the winner or to play a shot that gonna give me that advantage.”
“So then the match then I become a really normal player. I am not anymore a great player. I am a great player when I am doing these kind of things. These kind of things I am not doing the last two days. So when I am not doing these kind of things, I am not that good player. I become a normal player.”
Nadal will play the Sony Open next, in Miami, and hope to be ready for it.
NUMBERS DO MATTER:
“I don’t know how to play tennis different way, 50%. I play with all 100%, all my 100% every week. Today my 100% was here; sometimes it’s here. But I played with my 100% today was not enough. I gonna play with my 100% in Miami. Let’s see if my 100% in Miami still here or is here. “
CLAY SEASON:
“And talking about French Open, remain a lot about the French Open. My goal is try to be one of the candidates. To be one of the candidates, I need to play well in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome to arrive with the right feelings. That’s what I gonna try.”
ON LOSING:
“But at the end, when you are on the limit, this thing happen. You can lose. I lost today.”
BAD BACK:
“No. Forget about the back. I don’t want to talk anymore about the back because I am fine with the back. I didn’t have bad feelings with my back. The bad feelings was with the forehand and with the backhand (smiling). “
FACTS in IW:
Rafael Nadal lost to Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round of Indian Wells
6-3, 3-6, 7-6
The two met in the finals of the Rio Open, in Brazil last month. The Ukrainian player, had lost all previous 10 sets he played against Nadal.
Nadal had not lost before the semi finals in Indian Wells since 2004.
Nadal did say his opponent played well.
Lucia Hoffman
Tennisvista
Indian Wells, CA
