REPUBLIC NATIONAL MONTE CARLO OPEN

April 21, 1998

Cedric Pioline

Q. What do you think of this match? You started off well?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It was a typical first match on clay. I started off well, then I made some mistakes which allowed him to get back into the match. After, in the third, it was a bit tighter. He seemed to be quite tired in the end. I could have lost, but I was confident because I was feeling well in what I was doing.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I missed two or three things, that's true. He made a lob on the line. He made two or three good returns under the tape of the net. I missed the volleys. This put him back into the match. Instead of being up 4-2, it was 3-All. This changes everything. Of course, you think about it a little bit, especially on this surface where you have more time. It's slower. You have more time to recuperate.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I knew it was going to be a difficult match because he plays well on clay. He's a solid clay courter. He played well last week. It's never simple against him.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I had a little break and I also trained for this tournament.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No, I was in Paris.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I could have started next week, too. Why not?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I did that before already. Sometimes it was a success; sometimes not so much. Many players start on clay here. There is a moment where you have to have a break. In the beginning of the year, there was the Davis Cup. If I had gone all through it, I wouldn't have had time at all and I would have had only one week before Barcelona, which is not so good.