RAFAEL NADAL CLAIMS he should not be considered the favourite for his French Open final clash with fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Sunday.
The seven-time champion came through an epic semi-final encounter with Novak Djokovic on Friday, eventually sealing a 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 9-7 victory.
And, though Nadal is gunning to become the first man in history to win a single grand slam eight times, he says he will not take his compatriot lightly.
“I don’t feel a favourite, I feel that I am a finalist,” Nadal said.
“I arrive in the final playing well, I have improved a little bit in every match during the whole tournament. It is always important to arrive to the final with the right feelings.
“But he (Ferrer) didn’t lost a set throughout the whole tournament, so he is a player that brings you to the limit, he is a player that if you are not playing perfect you will be in big, big trouble.
“Tomorrow will be a great day for the sport in Spain. It is very difficult to make that happen. Two Spanish players in the final of a grand slam, so it’s a fantastic day for us.”
Nadal is still in the process of restoring his men’s tennis ranking having missed seven months of action due to a knee injury sustained at Wimbledon in 2012.
But the left-hander says he is feeling fresh ahead of Sunday’s final, despite requiring over four-and-a-half hours to defeat Djokovic.
“I got a little bit tired but nothing dramatic, so that’s important always because the day after a match like yesterday there is always a scare about how you will feel,” he added.
“I had good feelings practising. I’m going to recover this afternoon and have a rest and try and be ready for tomorrow.”
