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DAVIS CUP QUARTERFINALS: FRANCE v USAApril 13, 2008Paul-Henri MathieuWINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. I know it's difficult to explain, but can you try to explain the decision making as to why you played today? Was it you who said, Yes, I want to play today? Or was it Richard saying no, he didn't? Can you tell us? PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: No, I mean, Guy came to me last night and asked me if I was ready to play. He said he wanted me to play in the first match. So when the captain come to see you and say, Okay, I want you to play, I trust you can beat him, so you want to go, so... I told him I was feeling a little bit tired, for sure, after the match of Friday. But you always think, you know, you have a chance. That's why I went to the court, yeah. Q. When it comes down to this match, were you surprised that Gasquet did not want to play? PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: I didn't know before the match he didn't want to play in the first match and wanted to play the second match. He didn't tell me that yesterday. He say, I want you to play in the first match. I said, Okay. I'm going to go, I'm going to try to give my best. Never did he tell me Gasquet doesn't want to play the first match, but he wants to play the second match. So I didn't have really the choice, I mean. I mean, I didn't have a broken legs or arm not to go into the court. So I say, Okay, let's try, I will give my best. Andy was too good today for me. Q. If you could just talk about Andy's performance today. Seemed like it would have been hard for any player against how he was playing today. PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: No, I mean, for sure, even if I was a hundred percent, I mean, it will be so tough to beat him today. He's playing on that kind of court. The court is really fast. He served pretty good today. No, for sure he was tough to beat today. You know, he played a great match. Q. It's a team sport, Davis Cup. You have a very proud tradition in your country. Should a player who doesn't step up, even if he's your top-ranked player, be on the team? Is that not unfair to the rest of you? PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: What do you want me to say? I don't know, because he didn't tell me before the match that he didn't want to play the first match. If he ask me to play, if the captain have some confidence in me, I mean, I just go, step up and go, try to give my best. Yeah, I didn't tell him, No, I don't want to go tomorrow, or I don't feel good for the first match. Yeah, it's a little bit strange when you see the outside. Yeah, it's tough to understand why he want to play the second match and not the first one. But, I mean, that's the way it is. Maybe he didn't want to play Roddick. He doesn't like his game. I don't know. I mean, you have to ask him after. I cannot answer for him. Q. How do you like playing in North Carolina? PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: I mean, even with the loss, I mean, it was a great weekend. Unfortunately, I mean, I play not too good today. But the court was nice. The atmosphere was nice. The crowd was good, I think. No, it was nice playing here. Q. When did Guy come to you and ask you that question? Was it last night or this morning? PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Which question? Q. Do you want to play, are you ready to go? PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Last night. He came to me and told me, Okay, I think you're ready to play tomorrow. I mean, the guy come to you and say that to you, you want to step up and go to the court, for sure. End of FastScripts |
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