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US OPEN

September 4, 2019

Gael Monfils

New York, NY, USA

M. BERRETTINI/G. Monfils

3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously a tough fight out there. To be out there nearly four hours, to be down and fight your way back, how difficult is it for you right now to come up just a little bit short in the end?
GAEL MONFILS: I don't think I was short in the end. I think I was short for a long time, you know. I think the key today was I served very poorly. My serve was very off, a lot of double faults.

Not at all first serve. That's I think a key in the match. I was battling with that and with my opponent. So it was tough, you know. I just compete as much I could, you know.

But it was a big lack of serve today. I think that was -- I did not get short at the end, because I should have served much better to win this match before.

Q. Physically and mentally after this grueling battle, physically how are you feeling? Did you hurt yourself out there at all? Mentally, how taxing is it to be able to be so close and so far into this tournament?
GAEL MONFILS: I'm tired, to be honest with you. I'm tired. It was tough more mentally. That's why I think my body get a bit more beat up than usual. Definitely after I lost, it's tougher and you feel like the nerve is going quicker. Now it's the end of the tournament, so maybe that's why I feel tired now.

And then I won't say it's fine. I had a tough ones in my career like that. Actually I have a tough one here in match point with Roger.

I know how to bounce back. Actually I played very good after that quarter that I lost in 2014 with Roger, something like that. I've got to take the positive of this almost two weeks and, you know, keep working hard and get back for the Asia swing.

Q. You had said many nice things about Berrettini, his quality of game. So you weren't probably that much surprised, I guess? But still you were up one set, up one break in the second, I mean, and then you erase match points, you go to serve. What were you thinking when it went to the tiebreak? It was after all those match points.
GAEL MONFILS: Well, in the tiebreaker, you know, I was thinking maybe to be a little bit more aggressive. But obviously, you know, he was too aggressive. I didn't serve good at all, you know.

It's a sign for me, you know, for the first point of the breaker, when I say I want to be aggressive, I return a decent return with my forehand. He had a great answer straightaway, winner cross.

And then I think I just disappear with my serve, you know. And then it's tough. You're batting, because honestly Matteo, I will know that he will push. He will push to finish it, you know, because I felt that he was a bit tight, so he will go for his shot. He did well. He had a little bit luck. That's also part of the game. But he did well.

Q. Did it happen to you ever make five double faults in ten minutes?
GAEL MONFILS: Maybe more, I think. Maybe more. I think in Australia one game against Lu, I was serving for the match, and I made maybe four or five double faults this game.

Q. How do you explain?
GAEL MONFILS: How do I explain? I lost my rhythm. The rhythm was not there. And then I know a little bit, because I'm doing some stuff, I know a little bit also why. Also then on top of that you get tight. So everything I make you serve bad. Today was a very bad day for me serving.

Q. You have played against some of the greatest men's players of all time. How would you describe the challenge for Elina facing Serena and the key for her doing well?
GAEL MONFILS: Well, it's going to be definitely a tough match for her also in the way she's playing good. She have nothing to lose. She know well Serena. She knows the crowd is going to be against her.

It's going to be a tricky one at the beginning, I would say, for both. You know, I think either for Serena to come out fast, because if she should come in slow, I think Elina will be there. I think she believe a lot, so it will be tough for her.

And also if Serena start very strong, you know, how tough Elina will be to compete against Serena. So I'm looking forward to see this match.

Q. Taking off from the previous question about your serves, when do you feel that it was off? You started okay.
GAEL MONFILS: Well, not so okay, you know. I think, no, still the first few games I had struggle with double faults. At the beginning I saw maybe because I was playing on the Ashe and then differently I saw it with my rhythm, you know. I was, like, looking at my toes, my feet position. Everything and everything going on the whole match. I felt like it was not so good.

And then, as a player, you know when you go for your safety spots, you know, the biggest safety spot I hit and cost me the match is definitely at 5-4 in the fifth. I go on T, and I definitely have to go out wide. But I know if I go wide and I miss, whew, the second serve would have been maybe ugly. I went on the T and definitely got this one.

Q. From what you saw from Matteo today, do you think he has what it takes to win the tournament?
GAEL MONFILS: Well, you know, sport is -- it's day after day. Today he had a great day. Hopefully recover good. And then I don't know who he's going to face in the semifinal. It's going to depend how you recover, you know, how you get the confidence off this win and how mentally he's going to be ready to take off the semifinal first.

And then for a Grand Slam, it's another question. So that's a direct question to him.

Q. Obviously it stings now, but do you think in a couple of days you'll be able to look back and appreciate the atmosphere?
GAEL MONFILS: I like it, to be honest. I'm not a sore loser. I give it all today. I served bad, but I gave my heart.

You know, the crowd was amazing. They pushed me. They helped me. It was fun. It was exactly what I play for.

I wish I could win, but I love those matches no matter what. You know, I'm proud of myself, and, you know, I will be happy, I will be happy to cheer for my girlfriend tomorrow. Definitely if it can be one more day here, I'm on it.

Q. You have had the opportunity to hit with some of the juniors over the last week or so. Have you seen anybody that has caught your eye that you think really has a shot at making it?
GAEL MONFILS: Well, I didn't see all juniors, but I hit with a few that I knew just to practice with them a little bit in Miami. I think they were pretty good.

To be honest, I didn't follow exactly what they made, but I think they're pretty solid guys. As I say, I used to practice a lot with them in Miami.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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