Q. It was a close game. Did you expect such a tough battle with him?

RAFAEL NADAL: I know every time every match is difficult always. I always think about I will have a difficult match. I think that before the match, of course. So I have some difficult moments, and I can beat ‑‑ I can win before, too, no?

Q. It's your fourth match. Are you satisfied with your first four matches? Do you feel every game you're feeling better?

RAFAEL NADAL: In every match?

Q. Yes.

RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe today I play the best match, especially in the ‑‑ I feel the ball my best feelings today in the tournament, sure, and especially first set maybe I play very good, no?

After, I have the control of the match in the second set, too. I have 4‑3 with break. But in that game, I was playing very bad. I serve very bad, and I finished the second set bad because I was serving bad.

And he, he's very competitive. So if you have some mistakes, some misses, so he going to be hundred percent after, no? So...

Q. Third set, 4‑4, breakpoint, then the dropshot. Was it the turning point of the match, in your opinion?

RAFAEL NADAL: This is very important moment because with this game I ‑‑ maybe in this game I won the match. But I have before one critic (sic) moment, in the 3‑2, 15‑40, in the third. That is the worst moment in the match, the more difficult in the match. The two dropshots, too.

Q. This allowed you to serve out the set. Having won that break, you were then able to serve out the set. You had a two‑sets‑to‑one lead. Did you feel totally in control of the match at that point?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, sure. When I beat the first set, I get a lot of confidence. After I play good at all time. Lleyton have some mistakes so I can come back and play good, no?

Q. Do you think that you pushed Hewitt to try to out‑pass himself, to try to play better than what he usually does? He knew that on clay you were better, and it forced him to make more mistakes than usual maybe.

RAFAEL NADAL: Me?

Q. No, Hewitt. You pushed Hewitt to play better than his usual standards, so he tried to surpass himself to reach your level on clay.

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I don't know exactly. But maybe ‑‑

Q. Maybe yes? Okay.

RAFAEL NADAL: No, no. I can answer. I understand 55%.

No, I don't know exactly which one is his level on clay.

Q. If this is his best on clay, he had to play better than that to try to reach you.

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I understand.

Q. Your dropshots came at critical moments always in the match. At very critical moments, does this decision come spontaneously or something you keep for the worst moments?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, I don't know, no, in this moment you think that and you do that. You don't think that before, no?

Q. 57 wins in a row on a clay court. Must not have been easy always. Two tournaments ago in Barcelona, you won the tournament and lost only one set. Jarkko Nieminen was winning 6‑4, 4‑1. What happened? How were you able to turn the match to your victory in Barcelona?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I remember this match. I was playing normal, not my best tennis. Jarkko was playing very well. I was playing with little bit nervous, with more mistakes than usually. So after in the 4‑1 maybe I improve, I improve my level a little bit, and he had some mistakes. I can come back. When I win the second, maybe I finish the match, no?

Q. Third set, was it easier for you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes.

Q. Over eight hours in the last two matches, yet you still looked very fresh in the final set today. But if you have to go another long match on Wednesday, could your legs become an issue?

RAFAEL NADAL: Maybe I going to be better on Wednesday than today, no? Yeah, I think. Because today was tired, especially in some moments. I lost my concentration. I lost my concentration maybe because I am a little bit more tired than usually, no?

Q. Here (in the head)?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, because all these all go together. If you are tired legs, your mentally is difficult, too. All comes together. Maybe I feel a little bit tired. Sure, I lost my concentration for that in some moments, no?

Q. The record of Vilas of 53 matches on clay was interrupted by Nastase. Nastase played with a double racquet.

RAFAEL NADAL: Double cords.

Q. Then it was forbidden by the Federation. Could you allow your opponent to play with something like that to beat you?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, but I going to lose in this tournament or in the next or in the next. Every match is difficult. You look. So today I have difficult moments. Against Mathieu, I have difficult moments. Every match is difficult, and every match I can lose, no?

And Vilas, I don't know in these times.

Q. Hewitt had five double‑faults in the last set. Did you think he was getting tired?

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no? Not for the tired (indiscernible) five double‑faults in the last set, no? But he had good chance in the third, and in the fourth he coming down a little bit. I don't know is for because he is tired. Because he won last match against Hrbaty easy. And today we play four sets, but not the toughest match in the history, no?

Q. Yesterday James Blake said Gaël Monfils is the best athlete he has ever seen on a tennis court. Can you comment on that opinion? >

RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, he's a spectacular guy, no?

Q. Many people say that you are the best athlete.

RAFAEL NADAL: I don't want the comparation (sic). Every is different. The physical is different, no? Because he is more agile. I have better resistance maybe. I have better resistance, I think. He is more spectacular, more agility. I have better resistance.

THE MODERATOR: Spanish questions.

Q. You didn't eat any bananas today, did you?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes, I did. Come on, I swallowed ‑‑ I got one stuck once, but I'm not going to stop eating bananas because of that. Of course, I ate bananas during the match once in a while. With a great degree of caution, but I did eat bananas.

Q. You played a practically perfect first set. You had difficulties in the second. What happened?

RAFAEL NADAL: I wasn't able to keep my level up. It was a very long set, very aggressive. I think the court was a little bit faster than on previous days. He was really playing close to the lines. I think he was changing direction much easier and serving very well.

The truth is it was 4‑3 with a break, he was controlling the set. 5‑All, 15‑40, I think I was feeling a bit less fit, I had a bit of a slump. I was moving backwards. It's something I have to learn. It's something that happens to me once in a while. I've got to improve on that.

But Hewitt is someone, I mean, you let him grab a finger and he takes the arm. He's really a great competitor. He's demonstrated this on a number of occasions.

Q. The fact that there was a mistake against you, was that a problem?

RAFAEL NADAL: No, it's the kind of thing that happens. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I mean, it's not the first time that I take too much time and get a warning for it. But I need to recover. It's been five hours in my previous match. I also had a tough match against Kim. I've been playing a lot of hours on court. I really need to recover and breathe between points.

Yeah, I got a warning, but never mind.

Q. Can you tell us more about what happened with the ball boy. His nose was bleeding?

RAFAEL NADAL: Yes. Well, Hewitt played a very hard serve. It bounced off the plastic wall. It hit the ball boy in the nose. After I finished that first point, I looked back to see how he was feeling. I saw that his nose was bleeding. I asked the umpire to come and have a look, do something about it, because the poor kid had got the ball in the middle of the nose and was actually bleeding. I mean, something had to be done about it.

Q. Djokovic is now leading the match. What do you think about him?

RAFAEL NADAL: He's got a lot of potential. He's a very dangerous player. He's got very good shots. I don't know what his ranking will be at the end of the year, but I think it's going to go way up. I think he's a year younger than me. That's life.

Q. Last year you hadn't won a Grand Slam in your life at this level. Now you know what it's like. Today how do you feel about the possibility of being in the final and winning the tournament as compared to how you felt last year?

RAFAEL NADAL: Listen, I'm in the quarterfinals. I'm not thinking about the final yet. If I'm in a final, this means I'll be playing well and probably I'll be ready to play that final. For the moment, I'm playing a quarterfinal. It's going to be a tough match. We'll see what happens.

Q. You were asked about crucial points in this match, decisive moments. Can you tell us more about that?

RAFAEL NADAL: There were two crucial moments in the match after losing the second set, because a number of things could have changed in the second set, I think.

I think 3‑2, 15‑40 in the third set, that was a very important moment. 4‑All with a break. Then, of course, 6‑4, when I confirmed that break. But I think that's really what turned the match in my favor because I was really feeling confident. I really needed confidence to be able to finish this match.

Q. Did Hewitt say anything special? This is the first time you beat him.

RAFAEL NADAL: No. When the ball bounced on the net, I just looked at him and said sorry. He was laughing. I've always had a very good relationship with him. Every time we've played a match, usually he's won the previous matches. It's always been a very tough match, very close. He always had very good words for me in the past, as today. He always said that he liked playing against me. The match was always tough.

He's a very nice player. I like his game. I like his attitude. I like his style. I like the way he manages his matches. I mean, he lost today, but he's someone who is a real fighter. He has a very good game. He's never had a problem with me, nor I with him. He's always wished me good luck.

Q. Do you think you can compare yourself to him in terms of fighting spirit?

RAFAEL NADAL: Well, we're different. I think we play differently. We have a different fighting spirit. True, we are two fighters.