	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

ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2019

Corentin Moutet

Paris, France

C. MOUTET/G. Pella

6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Is it the most beautiful or emotionally the strongest victory against Karlovic?
CORENTIN MOUTET: It's two different contexts. The most beautiful or not, both were fantastic and I was happy with both. There is not one most beautiful victory.

No, not the most beautiful victory. It's a beautiful victory. I'm happy as I have been against Karlovic.

Q. You're the youngest French in the third round since Monfils in 2005, 2006. Is that important or is it incidental?
CORENTIN MOUTET: It's fantastic to be in the third round of Roland Garros, of course. And it's also a good sign. It's pleasant to have that news.

But it's a nice thing to be compared to great players like him. So it's very nice indeed.

Q. Can you tell us what was your game plan facing someone who is at ease on this surface?
CORENTIN MOUTET: It was to play with my qualities, my strong points, the things we work on on a daily basis with my coach, and try to use my qualities to the best I could.

And then tactically there was no specific game tactics. I just tried to use my strengths, be aggressive, and not be trying to return, because he can be very good when he attacks. So I tried to bother him as much as I could and play with my qualities.

Q. Can you tell us about the contribution of Manu, not regarding attitude but regarding the game, the tactical approach to the matches and the way of working? I know you have a physical preparer with you. What has changed? Because we have the impression there is a real change, that he's really bringing you a lot.
CORENTIN MOUTET: Well, he's bringing me a lot, because he's very demanding, and I need that. So we work a lot, also with my physical preparer, and we work hard and regularly.

What is important is to work hard and to be consistent. We do the job every day, and whatever happens in this tournament will continue whether I win or I lose. We try not to be influenced by victories or defeats and try to continue working on a daily basis and do things well. And that's what's most important, both with Emmanuel and my physical coach.

Q. In the fourth set, you were leading 5-0, and then 5-5. Can you tell me what happened in your head and how to stay in your match, despite the difficult moment? Can you confirm you work with someone for mental coaching on a daily basis?
CORENTIN MOUTET: Second is more personal. So the first answer, I'm not sure there is a great explanation and how he came back. He played very well.

You don't have much margin against these players. They are excellent players, and when you're a bit down, it's very fast. So he did a bit more; I did a bit less. And the difference was created until 5-5.

And in my mind, I knew what I had to do. I tried not to panic. I tried to stay in the game. And then I realized at 5-All I had to do more and I wanted to be in the front, and that was successful and that was nice.

Q. When you're in the third round of Roland Garros, what is the objective? To enjoy every match or you say, I want to be in the second week?
CORENTIN MOUTET: I have one match to win before being in the second week, so I'm not sure that you need to take that as a bonus. It's my profession or that's what I want to do. I work every day to win matches, to play these tournaments against top players.

So, yes, I have the next match in two days. I will prepare it, and I will go there to win.

Q. It will be Londero. It could have been Gasquet, but it will be Londero. You have never played him. Do you know him? Can you tell us what you think?
CORENTIN MOUTET: He proved with his results, excellent results. I think it's his best ranking right now. He's a clay player. I think he won a 250 tournament this year, so he's going to be a very tough player. But I'll have a tough match and a new challenge to try to overcome.

Q. Can you talk about the experiences of last year in the Nadal Academy and the training you did with Roger at the end of the season? Is that related to what is happening to you? Did you learn things?
CORENTIN MOUTET: I learned things there. I learn things every day where I am. I will continue learning, and I will still continue learning in the future. These were beautiful experiences. I thank those who welcomed me at the academy.

Roger, who welcomed us in Dubai, was really a great help. So it's fantastic to have the support of these players, to have them helping me, and it was great to share, to observe. And these are the best players of all time so it's a fantastic experience.

It was very interesting, and I tried to make the best of it, be it in Paris, it's not really special there, but I tried to learn more than what I learn on an everyday basis from my coach.

So these were beautiful experiences and I hope I'll have the occasion of having more experiences like that.

Q. The tournament is moving forward. We saw more French being eliminated. As a French player, do you feel more pressure because there will be less French players?
CORENTIN MOUTET: No, not really. I just do my tournament. Then the French players who play well and win matches, it's fantastic for the country, especially because it's in France.

So for the audience supporting us and cheering us, it's good to offer them victories. That's what they are expecting. And we are happy to offer them that.

But then I'm just playing my tournament. I think every player is playing his or her tournament, the other French players, too. I wish them the best. If we can all go very far, it's fantastic.

Q. Do you fear playing on a larger court than today, than court No. 7 today?
CORENTIN MOUTET: I'm not fearing because I don't know on which court I'm going to play, and I'm not sure I will be playing on a larger court than today.

And there was a lot of people today. It was not a small court for me. There were a lot of people cheering me, supporting me, and that helped me a lot, indeed.

So I'll see on which court I'll be playing. According to that, I will prepare accordingly, but I don't think it's the most important thing for my next match.

Q. We talked about your victory against Karlovic. The Corentin of this year, is it different from last year?
CORENTIN MOUTET: Well, he's different because he's one year older. He's been training for one year more of training. The person is not different. I'm still the same.

But it's just that I train and progress. And I need to continue, and next year I will be one year older and I hope I will have progressed even more than this year.

Q. What does it mean playing in Roland Garros with Edith Piaf coming from Lenglen? There were a lot of noises and it was quite surrealistic to hear Edith Piaf. Do you hear all that when you play or are you so focused you don't even realize?
CORENTIN MOUTET: To be honest, I didn't even hear it, actually. It's beautiful music, so that's good.

But honestly, I didn't hear it during the match. It wasn't so loud. That's the only thing. It's beautiful music, and it must have been cool for people who realize that, but personally I didn't hear it.

Q. You're in Roland Garros with the atmosphere and the people, but not so long ago you were on challenger tournaments with not so many people. In Samarkand we saw a warmup before your match against Oliveira. How did you live that moment where he was hitting very hard at the warmup? How did you live that moment which was not so frequent in your career?
CORENTIN MOUTET: I don't want to highlight so much this type of practices. Well, I did my warmup as all the time like 99% of the players do, and he decided to do like that. It's his choice. It's not my problem.

I was there to play my match. We were in Uzbekistan. There were not so many people, so it was cool. I was just there to play my match, and he does what he wants. It's his way of managing his tennis. He does how he wants.

But excellent question (smiling).

Q. As a young player, how do you see the tour, which is dominated by players in their 30s? You talk about the top players in the world. How do you feel about these players and the tour?
CORENTIN MOUTET: I don't have the same ranking as them. I'm not in their world. I don't play the same tournaments as they do.

So for the time being, they are sources of inspiration. You can only draw from their career, their path, what they show every day. They are examples. They are all different with different qualities.

But it's a great inspiration, and I have a lot of respect for these people, whoever we are talking about. So I have a lot of respect. I try to draw inspiration from them. They show us the real values of the high level, and for me it's a source of inspiration and also for many other players.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297