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SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERSOctober 11, 2014Gilles SimonSHANGHAI, CHINA G. SIMON/F. Lopez THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You've been playing quite well since Cincinnati, US Open. It seems like the season has turned around for you for the last month or so. Can you give us some insight into how that's happened? GILLES SIMON: Well, it was about time because it was not a fantastic season till then. I found a better rhythm and I'm playing good right now. I just try to win as many matches as possible when I'm feeling so good. Q. Have you done anything different with your game in recent weeks? You've beaten three top‑10 players since the US Open. GILLES SIMON: No, I made some changes, but it's been a long time already. Every time you change something, no one really noticed it before, you play actually good, and you win the match. But I felt I already played some very interesting match this year, earlier in the season. I was that close to win maybe 6‑2, 6‑2 to Andy Murray. That would be a great result for me. Unfortunately, I just lost this match. Then I lost to Rafa, three hours and a half in Madrid, hitting 50 winners. But one more time you just lose the match, so no one remembers it really. I felt already there were some interesting things on the court but I was not able to do it often enough. I've been more successful on the last tournaments. So maybe with the confidence I can, like, do it better. Maybe it's more obvious when you look at it. Q. How was it playing against an opponent like Feli, very good slice, powerful serve, dominant at the net? How do you feel you played today? GILLES SIMON: I really played what I had to. I was feeling really good from the baseline. I felt I almost didn't lose one point from the baseline the whole match. It was difficult for him in the first part, then he was extra aggressive, I would say, hitting full power his first serve, second serve, coming to the net every time on his serve. But still I was really playing good on my service game. I think I lost, what, seven points in the match. It never happened to me on my serve. Well, I was in control. But it was only this time. The two last time I played him, I lost. I was just feeling better tonight. Q. Six years ago in Shanghai on the same court you defeated Roger Federer, then lost to Djokovic in a close match. Tomorrow you will play one of them. Can you give us some memory of the Masters Cup? What do you think about the final? GILLES SIMON: Well, it was a great memory. It's the only Masters Cup I played. I played it good. I mean, I had a lot of pressure playing Roger on the opening match. I had a lot of stress before. I finally won that match. It was really important for me. Then I lost in the semis against Novak. It was a really close match. Maybe if I have one regret in my career, it's this match because I felt I could have win it. I had a chance to even win the Masters Cup, and that would have been very important for me. But Novak was better. 7‑5 in the third. I still remember it. But I just hope that whoever will be in front of me, I will win this time. Q. Gilles, you played consistently well for the last few weeks. Now is it almost like you're going to have to go up another level because these guys are so good at the moment? Do you feel you have to take the game up a little bit higher? GILLES SIMON: Well, I can always do it. I did it in the past. Last time I played Novak, I lost 6‑4 in the third in Cincinnati. Last time I played Roger, I lost 6‑3 or 6‑4 in the fifth in the French. But in other hand, I also lost 2‑1 just before against Roger. I lost in straight sets against Novak in Wimbledon. I just know that I can do it. When I'm playing good, I can play at their level. This I'm not worried. The question is whether I will be able to do it tomorrow. Q. It's your second time in an ATP 1000 final. Compared to 2008 Madrid, how different a player are you? GILLES SIMON: Well, in 2008 it was all new. I got really lucky to reach the final. I won four matches 7‑6 in the third. I saved so many match points in every round. It was just surviving every match. Even in the final I had little chance to win the second set. I think I had some set points against Andy. But I really felt on the edge on every match. Here I feel more in control on the match I had to play. I had a very close match with Stan. This one, it was the hardest match this week I think. But on the other match, even with Tomas yesterday, if it was difficult, I felt I was playing a bit better than him. I just know now more about the top guys, about how it's going to be tomorrow. It's not new anymore. I just hope it will help me to play a great match. Q. Will you stay and watch Roger and Novak play or go back to the hotel and watch on TV? GILLES SIMON: No, I will go back. I watch them already on the match before. I know them for more than 10 years now. I don't think anything's going to change for tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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