R. NADAL/J. Chela
6-2, 6-3


Q. What happened when you lost 11 points in a row in the first set?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, well, I understand the match very well. I play some game wells. I did some terrible games. In the beginning of the second, after two games, really bad. Yeah, up and down during all the match.
Yeah, I have to improve the concentration in the next match. That's the important thing.

Q. Is it just a matter of not having played on clay or not having played a match in a while?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I don't know. You can think (smiling). I don't know.

Q. Do you think people maybe expect you to always be perfect?
RAFAEL NADAL: No. I think I never thought I am perfect. I think the people think the same as me, I'm not perfect.
I won anyway. I won 6 2, 6 3 against Chela. He's really not a bad player on clay. Is a good start because I was all the time in front on the score.
Yeah, I think was a comfortable win. Anyway, I have some tough moments during the match. But, no, in the end wasn't the moments where I was scared for the victory, no?

Q. You don't play anymore with the straps on the knees?
RAFAEL NADAL: You never know. Maybe tomorrow I gonna put another time. We think about to take out for a while. We gonna see what's happen. So for the moment it's okay. So I happy for that.


Q. Do you remember when it was when you played without them the last time?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, I think last year here I played without against Ferrer. And before I don't know. One year.

Q. Does it make a difference?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know. I have to try more matches than one, no?

Q. How important is it for you to set the tone here in Monte Carlo for the rest of the clay court season?
RAFAEL NADAL: Every tournament is completely different, no? So sure the important thing is the tournament. I think, sure, is important to try to start well, to have the confidence for the rest of the clay season. But the important thing is the tournament. Is really important tournament for me. Monte Carlo is historic tournament. I would like to play good tennis and have a good result here.
But if not, I gonna go to maybe Barcelona next week and try my best another time, so...

Q. How do you explain this lapse in concentration in this match?
RAFAEL NADAL: I said one question ago, I don't know. Yeah, I played some up and down during all the match. Sometimes happen something like this. Trying to don't repeat for next match.

Q. What is your opinion on Murray's game on clay? What do you think he can do on clay?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn't see him yesterday. But, anyway, when one player have good results on the rest of the surfaces, he's gonna do very good results on clay, too. No question about that.

Q. Could you speak about your training routine off the court. What kind of things do you do? Do you do cycling or running?
RAFAEL NADAL: Today?

Q. No. Off the court when you're training, what is your sports training routine?
RAFAEL NADAL: Not much. No, not a lot of things. I run enough on court. Outside sometimes I do some bicycle. But not a lot of things, yeah.


(via ASAP Sports, photo/AP Photo)

Rafael Nadal - Monte Carlo 15. April Interview