Having made his singles debut in Beijing, the would-be world number one Rafael Nadal does not quite put the same value on Olympic gold as other top players.

"Probably after Grand Slam it is one of the most important things of the year, no? But the date probably wasn't the best for us because we are to travel to the United States (for the US Open). After coming here, another trip to the United States," said Nadal.

"So that is very tough for us, no? Especially for me because I played a lot of matches in the last month, gonna be tough."

The Olympics' place on the calendar might help explain the history of unpredictable results on the men's side, where the game is especially grueling.

The weather is usually hot, and the proximity of the Olympics to Wimbledon and the US Open makes for a demanding 1-2-3.

"The weather here is difficult for me. The problem is the humidity, it is very, very hard. I had to change the shirt every 10 minutes. All the time, I have to hold the towel in my hands, so it needs extra work," added the 22-year-old.

Because the Olympic tournament lasts only one week, players often have singles matches every day. Many also compete in doubles.

The Spaniard, who have won seven titles this season including his fourth Roland Garros title and the first Wimbledon crown, will also play doubles with Tommy Robredo as sixth seeds.

Tipped as one of the favorites for the Olympic gold, Nadal also expressed his excitement about participating in the Olympics.

"Very happy for being here, no? I am enjoying the experience and it is always a pleasure to be here in the biggest tournament of the world," said Nadal, having played men's doubles with Carlos Moya in Athens four years ago.

"People recognize me in the village, but they are sportsmen like me, no? So if they ask me for a photo, I just do the photo. It is competely differnet experience from any other tournament."

Watched by the Spanish prince Felipe, Nadal needed two hours and 15 minutes to beat Potito Starace from Italy in a full-set opener on Monday.

The Spaniard eased through the first set 6-2 over Starace in 39 minutes, which is quick by his standards, but the Italian snaffled the second set after an break in Rafael's opening serve, the first set won by the Italian in all previous meetings against Rafael.

Nadal, however, improved a lot in the deciding set, breaking twice to take it at 6-2.

"I started playing very well. I played very good first set and I am happy for that beacause it is difficult to start the first match, and I did," said Nadal. "He plays very well, having good serves, moving very good and hitting very well with his forehand."

"In the second set, I have some bad luck. I had a lot of opportunities for coming back, a lot of break points but I didn't convert on any one of them, so it was tough."

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2008)