	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 30, 2016

David Goffin

Miami, Florida

D. GOFFIN/G. Simon

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations.
DAVID GOFFIN: Thank you.

Q. Quite a month for you. How do you explain this great run you're on right now? I know you're full of confidence obviously.
DAVID GOFFIN: Yes, of course. I was playing well when I was practicing. I had a good level all this year during practice. I just had to reproduce my level during a match.

I think match after match -- you know, the first one against Frances Tiafoe in Indian Wells was not the best, but I won that one. Match after match was feeling much better.

After the Davis Cup of course when I won against Marin Cilic, then match after match I was feeling much better. I won many matches in Indian Wells and here in Miami continued to win, so, yeah, I think the level is here. I have just to keep going like this. Stay aggressive.

I worked a lot when I practiced with my coach, my two coaches. I think it's already pays off.

Q. What do you think turned it around today? It was a pretty even match until early in the second set.
DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, the first set it was tough because it was a good set with a good level. Gilles was really solid on his baseline, but I didn't serve really well in the first set. I didn't have any free points with my serve, so it was tough.

I had so many opportunities to come back in the set. I didn't take, yeah, any occasions to come back. I knew that the level was there and I had to keep going like this, just to stay more focus on some shots just to finish the points, some volleys, some smash, maybe some easy forehands. Maybe just be more precise, because I knew that I was feeling really good.

Then game after game I was feeling much better. The serve was there in the third set. Yeah, I think with the serve it was the key to win the third.

Q. With everything that's going on in Belgium right now and the tough week it's been, is there a little bit of extra specialness to the fact that you've got to your second semifinal in a row?
DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, of course. In Belgium, yeah, for the moment it's terrible what happened last week. Yeah, followed all the news from here, and it was tough to see all the videos.

Yeah, we have to move on; we have to just continue to work, continue to play tennis. There is nothing else I can do. Of course for me to play another semifinal here is just a bonus for me. It's a good tournament. Yeah, we will see in the future or in the semifinal against Novak what will be happen.

Of course after what happened in Belgium, yeah, it's good thing for me, but it comes after what happened in Belgium.

Q. What is your family telling you about what it's like back home right now?
DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, just they told me that it's just like you saw the video in the news. When you see every shops and every area that you know perfectly -- like the airport. I took so many flights, so many planes there.

When you see the video, it's really can impressive to see how was it completely destroyed. Of course the family was completely shocked. I received so many phone call during the night.

Yeah, I was also shocked on what happened in Belgium. Of course the family was shocked. They told me what happened when I woke up.

Q. Does it make you feel even more proud to be Belgian? Do you feel it's motivation at any level? Are you just thinking tennis or anything deeper being a Belgian person in this particular week?
DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, I'm always proud to be Belgian. Of course here this week I'm also proud to be Belgian after what happened in Brussels.

Yeah, but I think there are people in Belgium and politics and they have to manage a tough moment. Me, I have nothing else to do. I have just to keep going to play tennis. Just of course all my thoughts are for Belgium and people there.

I only have to stay focus on what I have to do and just to keep going like this.

Q. Talking about Belgian but in a different way, you had great times in Davis Cup. We have Olympic Games this year. How important is Olympic Games for you? How are you excited to play that? What do you know about Brazil?
DAVID GOFFIN: Yes, of course I'm really proud to represent my country. If it's in Davis Cup or Olympic Games, I'm really proud to go there with a team and with the Belgian team.

Yeah, it's some things different when you are playing for your country or for your friends in Davis Cup. It's always different because all the year you're alone on the court and you're playing for yourself.

Yeah, it's quite different. It's a great feeling that you see all the Belgian is behind you, all your friends, all your staff, all the team are behind you. That's a great feeling. Maybe that's why a lot of players wants to play the Olympic Games and Davis Cup, because they have something more that they don't have on the court during ATP tournament.

So that's a great feeling to go there.

Q. As we talk now, you don't know who you're going to play in the semis. Can you first look at playing Novak and then what your thoughts are in case it's Tomas?
DAVID GOFFIN: Yes, of course. If it's Tomas I played against him in Marseilles and I lost in straight sets. He played really good there, but it was indoor tournament. He played really well and it was a tough match for me against him.

Of course I have nothing to lose. He's better than me. He has a better ranking. He has much more experience in the big tournaments. I think he's playing really good tennis this week.

Yeah, if it's Novak, also it's the same. I have nothing to lose. He won almost everything this year. He's playing unbelievable tennis at the moment. But I played a great match against him last year in Cincinnati, and it could be interesting to watch the match.

Could be a good match. But anyway, if it's Tomas or Novak, I have nothing to lose. Just going to enjoy the moment.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297