TMS MONTE CARLO

April 22, 2000

Cedric Pioline

Q. Can you tell us a few words about your opponent tomorrow? How are you going to play him?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is going to be our first meeting. It is going to be difficult, although he played three sets today. It is going to be difficult because he is an excellent baseline player: He runs a lot. And he also has a very good fighting spirit.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: If you see things that way, okay, but the conditions are different. He may not be the best clay court player, but he is among the four best players since he was in the semifinals last year in the French Open. It is true, though, that the way I am playing and I am dealing with my matches is excellent. I can only have a good impression about tomorrow's match even if I believe it is going to be a difficult one, and that is not going to be easy neither for me nor for him.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: What happens once can happen other times.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I think it is too recent to really say it is forever, but in this tournament it is working well. I hope this tournament will be a good reference point for the following tournaments. It helps saving energy which is not negligible.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I tried to warm up well in order to be able to make big efforts immediately and to be able to counterattack when my opponents attack me.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Maybe. But I think it is too recent to really tell. He gives me some little tricks to keep concentrating and to feel relaxed. It is not complicated or extraordinary. But maybe the way he tells me those things is different from what I had heard before. It has more influence on me. And I think it can indeed help me to be consistent all along the match. It is important.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It was a bit like yesterday with a different opponent. I was able to adapt my game to a different game and to react to a different opponent, more aggressive, going up to the net, playing longer rallies, being able to counterattack his game and winning with a good score. Everything worked well.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: On clay court it is good. It is more difficult not to be broken.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yes, he stands a bit far away behind the service line. I think he is not used to having that kind of serve on him. I believe he might have been a bit surprised.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is true that when you feel good, you try to do some things and these things work. But you need to be confident. And also you also have to choose the right moment. It means you take risks. When you take risks sometimes people applaud you but it can quickly transform into a mistake.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is going to be like every other day. I will warm up at 11 o'clock. Then I will have lunch. I will try to get my digestion going before the final.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: About 9 o'clock.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: My nature is being cool. When I am on the court I don't smile too much. I try to do my best to keep concentrated. But outside of the court I am quite relaxed and I am not asking myself too many questions. So it is different because on the court I look serious. I concentrate. I try to settle my tennis. It is not easy, but outside the court I am rather cool.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Bad memories.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: The last final against Moya I had a sore arm and I was really exhausted. I was not able to play. These were the circumstances. My first final was a first one precisely and we played on a court with a roof on Monday. It was not easy. I played one good set and then after I couldn't do much more.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No, we know each other. We see -- we have seen each other playing. And we practiced together. There is no problem with that.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: You always have the prospect of being able to. I never won a tournament of this category but I always believe it is possible. Six matches in seven days is difficult, so having a rest on Tuesday is better than on Monday when you didn't even start the tournament.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I played a good match against Larsson. I was a seeded player, so I didn't expect to lose first round. Being in the Finals we are two of us, yes, I thought it was possible.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It seems to me I always was a good tactician. Maybe it is the fact that I can hold the score better that makes it more obvious. But it doesn't seem to me there is a big difference with before.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is my secret.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I have everything in my game to be able to do that. I serve well. I am able to win the point from the baseline. It is up to me to remain concentrated and not to give the opportunity to the opponent to make me run.