TENNIS MASTERS SERIES-MONTECARLO

April 18, 2000

Arnaud DiPasquale

Q. I think it has been difficult. What are you suffering from and how did it happen?

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I was sick last night and I requested a doctor in the hotel reception. He came to me at 8:30. He prescribed drugs. He told me it was a gastroenteritis and that there was no miracle to be done.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: In fact, I was lacking sleep. At 3:00 o'clock in the morning I wasn't sleeping anymore. Physically it was too difficult.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: Eat? I didn't eat anything. And I tried to drink before the match. No, I didn't eat anything, but I just drank beverages based on potassium prescribed by the doctors, it's sweet. I had had problems drinking. Water was coming down easy.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: Yes, certainly. This morning at 6:00 AM I wasn't able to sleep. I didn't know what to do. I was thinking it was going to be difficult going on to the court without having any chances, not an easy thing to do. But I thought we never know, maybe it will last only one day, if he doesn't play well we never know and if I go past one round, maybe tomorrow it will be finished. I had to try it. At least I don't have any regrets. Just imagine that I feel better now and that I didn't play.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: In every rally I had pains everywhere. I really tried to put the ball in and to do what I could, but it was not easy. If it had been a player less difficult physically, it could have been better.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I don't know.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I tried. I thought it was my last chance. I was trying to put the ball back in, to run a bit more. I didn't have time to recuperate. Maybe he missed a bit more returns and he gave me some free point but it is a bit more than that.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I tried. I had no choice. Otherwise I would have lost 6-Love, 6-Love.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I have nothing left anymore.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: Yes. It is still there.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: That way, yes.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: Barcelona, then I don't know. It will depend on what happens in Barcelona. I will try to play the qualies. It depends. If I play well in Barcelona, I don't have to play the qualies, otherwise I will play some matches, then Munich, Rome, and the French Open.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: Yes, it is not bad at all. I was close to go to the Finals. After the first round it was a bit difficult. Generally it is always that way. You relax a bit too much. You believe you are already out of the tournament. I played well. But it was mainly my attitude and my behavior more than the rest. This was the objective. I was able to sustain the pressure.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I don't know. I can't know, but also with the Davis Cup, of course the pressure around us is greater being French. I don't know if you prepare differently. As far as I am concerned I prepare maybe a bit differently because I am more into tennis the week before the French Open or the week before Davis Cup.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: Always a little bit. No, but I believe I tried to concentrate on certain objectives on the court. The fact of playing the French Open in France means that I feel less pressure. It is rather on the court. Outside of the court it is maybe difficult to go to sleep but you get over it. It is mainly on the court. But of course, if you concentrate on precise points, it is more difficult. Everyone is doing his best. I forget about the rest and I play my match.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: On crosscourt backhands, on serves, depends on the conditions. If there is wind like in Casablanca, you have to be careful when you throw up the ball before serving. You have to lean on your left leg.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: No, I wasn't the best French player, I was only the 8th French player. It is already a good achievement. I wouldn't have liked the others to go much further.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: No, I don't feel any pressure because of that.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: It is more of a help. It is better to have people behind you than against you. For example, in Casablanca it was difficult, the public was difficult to move, the public was talking all the time, all the time. When you have the public against you, it is difficult. For example, Vinciguerra cracked down, although he is Swedish.

ARNAUD DI PASQUALE: I don't know.

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