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WIMBLEDONJune 28, 2008Richard GasquetLONDON, ENGLAND R. GASQUET/G. Simon 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Were you pleased with that victory in the end? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, yeah, because it was hard in the fourth. He broked me in the first game of the fourth. He won the set in the tiebreak. He took a lot of confidence. Me, I was, my confidence was bad after this tiebreak, so it was hard. But I had to fight a lot. I did it. My serve were better in the fourth. It was important for me. Q. You must be pleased with the fact that you could fight. Earlier in the year you said you felt a bit burned out. Do you feel your energy is returning? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, I'm feeling great. I'm feeling great. I have no injuries. That's the most important for me. I'm feeling good. I'm ready to fight another match. Q. What has brought that feeling back? RICHARD GASQUET: I can practice. So I could practice for one month in Queen's and last week in Netherlands and here. On clay court, I couldn't with the knee and everything. Q. There's no remnant of the knee injury? That's okay now? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, that's fine. My physical is great, so everything is good. Q. How much is last year's experience going to help you continue, do you think, or hope? RICHARD GASQUET: It's a great tournament. I like to play here on grass in Wimbledon. I began well in the first round. No, I'm playing great. I had to fight a lot today because Gil is a great player. It was hard. I'm ready for the second week. Q. We don't know the result yet, but do you have any preference between Andy Murray and Tommy Haas? RICHARD GASQUET: They are maybe a little bit different. If I have to play Andy I will play maybe on the Centre Court. But I know the two players are great players, so it will be a great match for me. Q. You have beaten Andy Murray twice. That must give you enormous confidence, even though the crowd will be with Andy. RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, but it's a great match for me to play. It's fun to play on the Centre Court in England against him. No, it's great. I like to play these matches, for sure. Q. How well are you playing right now? RICHARD GASQUET: Not my best tennis, but a good tennis for sure. Step by step I'm playing good. But I fight. I serve well. Everything is possible in the tournament. Q. Were you happy with your shot selection at times this afternoon? RICHARD GASQUET: Sometimes the shots, I could play better with my forehand, for sure. My backhand, too. But you have an opponent. He's playing well. He fight a lot, so sometimes it's hard to play your best shots. But I fight, and it was important. Q. Is serve and volley something you want to do a little more of? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, it's important to serve well, to go to the net. I could do it more. I'm trying to do it in my game. No, it was not bad today with the serve. Q. If you play Andy Murray in the next round and beat him, you will be the villain of Wimbledon. Will you enjoy that title? RICHARD GASQUET: I prefer. I prefer to be it because I have to win him. He's a great player. He's a great guy. But for sure I have to win Andy. If I have to play against him, I don't care to be the villain, as you say. Q. You seemed to mix topspin and flatter driving quite a lot of the time. Was this a particular tactic against Gil? RICHARD GASQUET: No, that's my game. I play with a lot of topspin always with the forehand and backhand. That's my game. Q. Can you tell us a bit about how hard you have worked in the last few weeks to get back your fitness. Everything I read about you it talks about your natural talent, but there must be a lot of hard work as well. RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, for sure. Sometimes is difficult because everybody tells me I have a lot of talent, I have everything. So sometimes it's hard because I'm working hard, really hard, for it. I don't know if I have more talent than other guys, but for sure I'm working really hard. People, yeah, told me all the time, You are talented. You are talented. But I'm working so much to do it, to be talented on the court. Q. And obviously in this last month you have worked especially hard to get your fitness back? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I run a lot. I recover after Roland Garros. I was disappointed with the way I couldn't play. Q. How long did the knee affect you, and how long now have you been fully fit? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, after Davis Cup I didn't play in March. It was hard for me because I couldn't play. I came on clay court just after four days' practice. I had a problem with back in Monte-Carlo, and step by step it was difficult for me to recover. It was really, really bad. It was the same in Roland Garros. But sometimes you don't know why. But for sure I couldn't be 100%. Q. And how long have you been 100%? How long has the fitness been right? RICHARD GASQUET: March to June it was bad for me. Q. It's now better? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, no. Q. How long has it been since it's been better? RICHARD GASQUET: One month, since Queen's Club. I played well there. I won Ancic. It was a good match. When you win some matches, you recover your confidence for sure. Q. How many times have you played the hometown favorite maybe in Australia and New York? Knowing if you do have to face Andy, the whole of the stadium will be for him. How will you psych yourself up to face that? RICHARD GASQUET: Yes, it's not the same for sure, but I played Davis Cup a lot. But it's fun. It's fun to play in Centre Court. To play a guy like Andy, he's talented. No, you have to enjoy it. It's not a big problem if the crowd is for him. It's not too hard. But I have to enjoy it for sure. End of FastScripts |
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