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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 27, 2019

Gael Monfils

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

G. MONFILS/M. Baghdatis

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Looked comfortable in pretty difficult conditions. Still windy out there?
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, it was windy today. It was not that comfortable, I think, today. I was struggling a little bit to hit actually heavy the ball. More tougher for me to be aggressive.

I think I went a little bit for the back and tried to shape a little bit more my ball, be patient, push him, focus on the key points with my serve.

Wasn't that easy for me today.

Q. For a match where you weren't comfortable, you still won in 65 minutes, and every time you were broken, you came back. You must be pleased with the level of focus you have.
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, that's good. Straightaway I tried to change a little bit the rhythm. When he broke me, I think I was rushing a little bit. I tried to be aggressive, but I couldn't because I couldn't feel so good my footwork today with the wind.

I told myself, Go back and spin the ball a little bit and run, then I see.

Q. Is there a little bit of a change in attitude or temperament in the locker room because almost anybody can win a tournament now? Do you see that, even against the top players, the top three, people believe more that it's an even playing field?
GAEL MONFILS: I hope for the other guys. Me, I always had this mindset. I know when I'm on the right mindset, I know I can win a tournament or I can go far.

I think for the other guys, maybe they have more belief, make it even tougher for everybody because, as you say, now everybody tough and believe, which is great.

There's no easy match. There's no match you can come and be hurt a little bit, think, Okay, it's fine, he's going to give me the match. Yeah, now you're hurt, you lose 100%.

I think it's great for the tennis.

Q. Not about the match, but even knows of Hawk-Eye. You've played in hundreds of matches with it. Do you know if you've ever played a match on the other system, the Foxtenn, the cameras?
GAEL MONFILS: I never play with. I saw it actually.

Q. What do you think?
GAEL MONFILS: It looks different.

Q. Do you think it can be anything different?
GAEL MONFILS: Well, it looks different. I mean, I myself so used to with Hawk-Eye. I felt it's a little bit easier to see because you see the ball and the mark, it's a little bit different. I was wondering if the ball hit the camera, how it goes.

Q. That could be a good question.
GAEL MONFILS: That's my question, is that.

Q. Do you notice this new system? Is it around anywhere?
GAEL MONFILS: I saw it in the States. In Marseille I think they have it. I saw it on the highlights that they have it, yeah.

Q. You built up a streak now with seven matches in a row. How much does that add to your confidence, or are you not thinking about that?
GAEL MONFILS: No, not really thinking about that. As I say yesterday, I think just to be better and better every day, just try to have a strong belief, as I showed today.

I think I'm not striking great the ball. When I feel not good in the big occasion, the big tournaments, I know that with confidence, with everything, I can still win.

For me it's more like keep doing what I'm doing.

Q. In Indian Wells there's a meeting coming up. How much do you know about the stuff happening in the ATP, wanting to vote on Chris Kermode, all the stuff that came up in Australia?
GAEL MONFILS: It's a bit tough. Not so much, I mean, with not so much heads up. Honestly I think it's more us to ask what's going on, then it's not the other way around, you know.

For players like me who likes to know but no really care, it's tough because we have this meeting and, boom, it's already done. We don't have so much say to what happen.

Q. You're not the first one to say that. Rafa said the same thing. In the past with other people on the council, would they come to you and tell you things, and you feel it's different now?
GAEL MONFILS: Sometime it's good. Honestly, in Australia what happened, I have no clue about that. You are just like come up, boom, Chris, not Chris. Okay, what happened? Why?

Most of the time when we have the meeting, it seems like he's doing a great job. Apparently some say, No, he's not doing a great job. Okay, why? They tell you two minutes. Thank you, see you in Indian Wells.

No, is not that easy to follow, honestly. I think they might improve a little bit the communication. I think some guys traveling a bit more, try to have some chat with us because, yeah, in Australia we say we're not super happy because we're not really informed.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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