NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 30, 2004

Julien Benneteau

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yes, a little bit.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: At 5-all in the third.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: The quad and the calfs. But, well, it's not like cramp, it's just spasm. It's not really cramp.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: After my serve, when I served, after a long rally, I felt my legs very tight. For me, it was very difficult to play the points after this one. From 5-all until 6-5 it was very difficult. When I called the physio, it was very good but the first point after he make the dropshot and after lob. And on the lob, I...

JULIEN BENNETEAU: (Smiling) thanks.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah. But two or three points at the end of the match, I didn't have all my lucidity.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, lucidity.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Oh, okay. So it's like this.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Well, first of all, with this victory in challenger I could play the quallies. Because my ranking before, it was very tough to play the quallies. Then after, I took a lot of confidence in my game with these two victories, so... these victories in this final. But it helps me a lot now on the court. I know that I'm able to play very good level and with a good guy in front of me, guy of Top 10, which was the first time for me I played a Top 10 guy. But I saw that I can play, even I can beat him.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Of course, yeah. It's sure.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: In France.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: In Bourg en Bresse, near Lyon, 50 kilometers from Lyon.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yes, the chicken.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yes, yes.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Not every day, but every week (laughter).

JULIEN BENNETEAU: No, no, I love that.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: No, no.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: No, I did not lose the game because of my cramp, and I did not lose the game at 5-2 or 5-3; I lost the game in the first set, even before the tiebreak because I did not return very well. He's not a big server, but I did not return very well in the first set because I was very tight. I saw that I have the opportunity to beat him. Because when I went on the court, of course I went to the court for to win, but this time I had my strategy, my tactic to beat him, but I went to the court with little apprehension.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Because it was the first time for me on the big court, like this Stadium, against a guy from the Top 10. And when I saw that I had the opportunity on his serve to attack him, to aggress him, I was very tight and I made a lot of mistakes. Every game I start the game at 30-love. I always lost the first two games on each game. And when at the beginning of the second set, I was more relax, I can make some winners on my return. It helps me a lot.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, yeah, it was...

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, it helps me, but sure that I could make some serve and volley with my kick. But with this strategy, two points to win the game. So I don't know. It's sure that my kick helps me on this game, but he is very good with his backhand so is dangerous with these shots.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: I don't think I will go to Valencia in Spain because I'm going to take some rest. But in Monte-Carlo, the quallies of Monte-Carlo.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Not everywhere now because I think on Monday I am going to enter in the Top 100, so I could enter in lot of tournaments. But for Monte-Carlo, it's too late. So I have to play the quallies.

JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, for sure. For sure. I never feel like this on the court. It was something special for me to lead against the No. 4 in the world on the Stadium in Key Biscayne. Even if I lost today, it's for me my best match ever. Because from the beginning of the second set until 5-2 in the third, I played very high level, I think. It was very close this time, but maybe next time...