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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 16, 2017

Gilles Simon

Monte Carlo, Monaco

G. SIMON/M. Jaziri

6-2, 6-2

An interview with:

GILLES SIMON

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. As you said, the court, those Sunday matches, are good for you.
GILLES SIMON: They were good for me last year or this year, but I remember others that were bad for me. But anyway, this time it went well. I don't want to give an opinion on the match because I hadn't played for a while. You always think it can be better, but it's still 6-1, 6-2 against a very solid player.

It was not perfect, but it was still solid. I will take this as it is.

Q. How do you feel after those two months where you didn't play much?
GILLES SIMON: Well, I decided I wouldn't play at Indian Wells. I arrived in Miami quite fresh. However, I didn't feel my tennis, and I didn't win more than two games over there.

After that, I had to play Davis Cup immediately. Now I know I have a lot of training behind me. I don't feel bad on the court at all. I need to win matches so that things will come back naturally.

Q. You're playing doubles?
GILLES SIMON: Yes. I just felt I wanted to play doubles again. I played more doubles last year, in the beginning of the year. After that, I sort of gave up because it's not a priority of mine.

Now I just wanted to play doubles again.

Q. You're going to play Novak in doubles and after in singles. It's not the same?
GILLES SIMON: No, it's not the same. I'm going into the doubles match without pressure. It's always interesting. I have no great expectations for doubles.

I'm not going to try to adapt my game to Novak's during the doubles. It's different. A player like Mahut is able to use what he does in doubles for his singles matches. I'm different. My returns are good, even in singles anyway.

Anyway, serve and volley is not my game in singles. But for my partner, it's good. He likes it.

Q. Of course, Novak hasn't had the results he used to have before, but he's still Novak.
GILLES SIMON: I don't know exactly what you mean when you say he's not as he was before. He's still Novak. It's the same man.

As often, he had a very good period, then not as good. He stayed up there for a very long time. It was impressive. But things change. I know things change.

Each time you believe what happened the previous month will continue, and every time it changes. I know it can go in one direction or in the other.

Novak can win this tournament, win Madrid, and in three weeks we will be saying he's unbeatable again. So to prevent that from happening, I will try to stop him for his first round.

Q. And about yourself, you felt solid today on the court? You played a consistent match?
GILLES SIMON: I practiced a lot sliding. I trained a lot. I wanted to be well-prepared for the clay. It's difficult to prepare for playing five sets immediately. So I worked on my physical conditioning, cardio, so physically I felt good. I had played a lot during the training, so I was waiting for that match impatiently.

A match is always different. But in the end it was a solid match, I believe.

Q. When players go to Davis Cup, they believe it takes a lot of energy from them playing and supporting the other players. You stayed on the bench three days. Was it tiring for you?
GILLES SIMON: It does take energy from you. Very often, after Davis Cup, I had played and supported the team, and played immediately the week after. That was tough.

Here I practiced until the Sunday. I had two days' break. I came back here to practice on clay. I had time to rest and to start playing again.

Q. How did you react when Yannick told you you were not going to play this tie, and it was going to be Jeremy? He said it was tough for you.
GILLES SIMON: It's something that doesn't make you happy, of course. I was ready to play. Yannick said it wouldn't be me.

Q. Did you discuss this with him?
GILLES SIMON: No. I mean, we talk. We often talk. But he said he felt Jeremy should play that match. I can say I'm happy or not for hours; it's not going to change his decision.

Of course, it's disappointing, but it's life.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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