	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2009

Gael Monfils

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

G. MONFILS/N. Almagro
6-4, 6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell us about the game. You must be happy with the match.
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, I think I play a good game again today. I was compete hard. I think everything was great. I mean, the concentration, physically also. So I'm very happy with.

Q. You had some spectacular shots out there, throwing yourself around the court. Are you okay after all that?
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, I'm okay. Like little tricks. But with a lot of luck. I mean, it's part of the game.

Q. Can you talk about the changes to your game since Roger Rasheed has become your coach.
GAEL MONFILS: At least a lot I try to be closer with my baseline and try to be a little bit more aggressive, and also I change a little bit my physical attitude, to be like maybe more strong.
Also I try to learn me like the concentration, the first point till the last one, and try to switch a little bit like my tactic sometime. If it's not working, change. Actually is working.

Q. How about the personal relationship between the two of you? Are you close off the court as well?
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, yeah. I mean, like the very first contact like very close. Was when I was in Adelaide because I spend a month there with him. I meet his family. So, I mean, he's a very great guy. He's different.
On the court, he's very strong and strict, and then after he's very relaxed. I mean, he's a great man.

Q. What did you think of the challenge call at the end of the third set? Did you know what was happening?
GAEL MONFILS: I mean, I don't care about. If you want to talk, it's okay with me. I sit and relax (smiling).

Q. You had a rest?
GAEL MONFILS: Yeah.

Q. What did he say to you when he came to the net?
GAEL MONFILS: I think he tried to say, like, about my racquet, because I switch racquets. I wonder your racquets, or something like this.

Q. How did Rasheed get you to play more up front, taking the balls early, rather than taking them from the fence? What about him made you change your entire tactics compared to previous coaches?
GAEL MONFILS: Actually, it was another mentality. Also, I mean, I think I was ready to do it, change a little bit my game. I change also my racquet. So help me a little bit to do, like, a game like that.
Maybe useless energy to hit the ball to be closer. So actually, I mean, have a different way to work. Basically the message, I receive very good the message. Maybe it's the way how he pass the message to me and I receive good. Maybe this is the little change with the other one.

Q. I understand you say you are ready to make that change. Do you regret not having made it earlier?
GAEL MONFILS: I mean, I never think about the past and even in the future. If you stay in the past, in the future, you cheat on the present. It's whatever. The past is the past.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297