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BNP PARIBAS MASTERS

November 5, 2015

Novak Djokovic

Paris, France

N. DJOKOVIC/G. Simon
6‑3, 7‑5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. The second set was quite a struggle. Is it the first time since US Open that you maybe have issues finding the game or the focus on anything?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, focus on certain elements in the game, like serve today, yes, in second set I struggled. I thought I returned well the entire match. I thought I played quite solid from the back of the court. Moving around. Didn't give him too much room to really breathe or too much room to really impose his game.
So I was trying to be patient in constructing points, but yet aggressive when I needed to. Again, serve was not working well. Forehand in certain parts of second set, as well. Many unforced errors as well from that part of the court.
It happens. Those kind of days happen, just managed to hold my nerves in the right moments.

Q. Is there any special reason that you lost in a way your serve like this in 24 hours?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it happens, as I said. In sport, there are days when you just lose the rhythm and the opponent is managing to read your serve well, getting the serve back. And then, you know, you're losing a little bit of confidence. You're trying a bit too much, which I did.
Yeah, it just happens. It's not the first time. So I went to practice a little bit after the match, hit some serves. Hopefully it's going to come back tomorrow.

Q. When players are doing badly, they try new things. When so much is going well for you, are you ever tempted to say, Okay, let's try something different just to keep your mind fresh? Maybe try tactics you haven't tried before?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm not going to go too much out of my comfort zone in this competitive level, obviously. I'm relying on, you know, my game, the one that got me to where I am.
But of course I'm trying to improve, trying to test new things if I have an opportunity to do so. Nothing too much out of my comfort zone, if you know what I mean. I would, for example, work on getting to net more often using opportunities from the baseline and trying to shorten down the points and come to net. But, you know, I wouldn't play any crazy shots now that I would maybe on the practice sessions.

Q. Gilles said earlier in the press conference that when he was starting the point when there was a rally from the baseline against you, he knows that you're gonna win 60 or 65% of those points. Do you feel the same when you enter the court?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I felt like I have a good chance from the baseline against anybody, you know, on the tour. Having this in back of my mind, of course it helps to come up with positive and optimistic attitude on the court. Obviously it's easier said than done.
I don't underestimate any opponent, especially Gilles who plays very well in front of his crowd and who has a very unorthodox game, extra balls back, makes you play extra shot. He loves to feed off the pace of the opponent's ball. I knew that, so I tried not to give him the same look all the time, you know, move him forward and backwards, as well, take him out of this, you know, left‑and‑right movement that he loves the most.
Yeah, I thought I won most of the baseline points. I have done well, except, you know, service games in the second set. Other than that, it was a good match.

Q. When you're not serving so well perhaps, is it a good test for you actually in terms of your composure and not getting frustrated? Is it actually a good opportunity to prove to yourself, I can stay calm in these moments and not get flustered?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, the experience of playing so many times on the highest level helps to stay calm and composed, even though it was frustrating. I can assure you, losing four service games in a set, I don't think that has happened, you know, to me. I'm not a serve specialist, but, you know, I think I have a solid serve and it hasn't happened for a long time.
It wasn't pleasant, but I knew that I have a good return. I was feeling the ball very well from back of the court. So that kind of, you know, was a positive to that, knowing that I can break him most of the time. That was the kind of mindset.

Q. It would be a completely different battle against Tsonga or Berdych. How do you see that one?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. Better service than Gilles, definitely, both of the guys. I think more power from the groundstrokes, especially from the forehand side, both Berdych and Tsonga.
So I'm going to have to adjust tactically to my next opponent, because they play kind of a similar game, big serve, big forehand, and try to come to the net.
So I'm ready for heavy artillery tomorrow night.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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