R. NADAL/A. Rublev
6-3, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How would you rate your performance, especially on the return? You didn't have a breakpoint today. How satisfied were you with your performance overall?
ANDREY RUBLEV: Yeah, I mean, I have chances on return. Once deuce and was a little bit out that normally if you give me couple more times I will make it, so I should have at least one breakpoint. Once was Love-30, and also, I didn't make it.
But, yeah, in general I was serving not good at all, because I was a little bit nervous, which is normal. And then when he broke me in the second set I relax and I start to serve much better. Then was different game, but it was too late.
Q. Was it also a factor that you played against Rafa who is your biggest idol when you grew up?
ANDREY RUBLEV: No, I would not say. I would say it's more I don't really play with top players, so all the other players they play much more with top players, and me, I play only, now it's going my second time against Rafa and one more time I play against Roger.
So I play only three times against top three players. And, yeah, so I don't really have much experience, so is more I will play against them is better, I think I will perform every time.
Q. Do you think that maybe you have played a little too much, one tournament after the other at the end of the year, while Rafa is more fresh? And that maybe makes a difference in terms of also concentration? Because already in Paris you did seem to me to be not the same Rublev I have seen before.
ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, I had couple of days to rest, so in Paris, yeah, I was already mentally exhausted. I was really tired.
But here I came fresh. I rest couple of days. Then I practiced just few days and came pretty much fresh.
It's more about experience. I mean, Rafa is one of the top players, so he win Grand Slam, he win one Master, and he don't need basically to play many tournaments because it will be already enough to be top player and to be in for the final eight players.
In my case it's different. I need to fight for my spot, so I needed to play that weeks.
So if I would knew that I'm gonna play less and still make it, of course it's different story, but at the moment for me I was not sure if I would make London or not, so I needed to play.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports