Paris (AFP)

Toni Nadal no longer trains his nephew Rafael but, from Mallorca, he closely follows his progress at Roland Garros where the Spaniard is aiming for a 13th title.

And he believes that the unusual fall conditions of the tournament "favor" Novak Djokovic.

"When the ball is alive, Rafael manages to overflow it, but there it will be more difficult", he explained Monday in a telephone interview with AFP, on the eve of the quarter-final of the world No.2 against the young Italian Jannick Sinner.

Q: How did Rafael adapt to the unusual conditions of this tournament, cold, humidity, new balls made heavier by the rain?

A: "I think Rafael is quite good. He arrived with some uncertainties because this is the year he played the least before the tournament. In the 3rd round against (Stefano) Travaglia he played well. But Sunday (against Sebastian Korda), it was too windy to really judge his game. "

Q: What changes does he want to make to his game?

A: "As the conditions change, you have to impose your style of play. To win a point, you have to prepare it longer. In previous editions, Rafael was very effective on points under 9 moves. This year, the rallies are a little longer. The topspin is not as effective. So like all other players, he uses a little more cushioning. "

Q: Who do you think are the favorites?

A: "Djokovic, Rafael and Thiem, even if the latter lost his nerves a bit on Sunday (during his match in straight sets against Frenchman Hugo Gaston, 239th in the world). His strike is very effective when he puts a lot of effort into it. intensity, but there he was not so good and he left the possibility to his opponent to vary the game ".

Q: Djokovic seems to have adapted perfectly to this fall Roland Garros, right?

A: "He's very solid. I think he's the one who is most favored by the new balls. When the ball is alive, Rafael manages to overflow it, but this will be more difficult."

Q: Nadal's opponent in the quarterfinals will be Jannick Sinner who, at 19, is the first player to reach the quarterfinals in his first participation at Roland Garros since Rafael in 2005. How do you judge him?

A: "He has everything to become one of the best players of the next generation. He is for sure a candidate for world No.1. It will be difficult for Rafael, but he has the qualities to win. Sunday against (Alexander ) Zverev, Sinner was on top the whole game. Zverev didn't play at a very high level, but Sinner is a very good player. "

Interview by telephone by PABLO MELIAN

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