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January 15, 2010

Richard Gasquet

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

R. GASQUET/J. Benneteau
6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You must be delighted?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, I'm really happy because I won. It wasn't a great match, not an incredible level. I was a little bit tired in the second set, but I tried to play. I was a little bit lucky.
I saved three set points on my serve after I broke him, so I played well the big points. The really important points I played better than him.

Q. How long has it been since you played this many matches in a week?
RICHARD GASQUET: Long. Yeah, I did the final in 2008.

Q. Right.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah.

Q. So this must be very sweet for you --
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, for sure.

Q. -- to be back that level?
RICHARD GASQUET: I think last year I stop, but I could make some finals because in Rome I played well. So if after I could play, but I stopped.
But for sure, to come back and to do a final, I'm very happy with it. Yes. It's important.

Q. How tough has it been for you the last six or so months getting back on the court after the innuendo and sniggers?
RICHARD GASQUET: It's tough to come back. I stopped some months. It's hard in the head, so it was really tiring, more tiring than to play one hundred matches for sure.
So that's hard, but I don't care. I know it's hard, but I want to play just for fun. That's why I'm there. I'm enjoying the match. Even if I was losing in had the second set, it was okay.

Q. Were you tired today because you had played so many matches this week, or you're still a little bit mentally tired from the fight.
RICHARD GASQUET: It's possible, but I need to play more matches to be physically better. I'm happy because I played a lot this week. Yeah, for sure I needed physically to be better.
But, yeah, mentally it was hard last year. I don't know, but, you know, I don't want to tell him -- tell me something. I'm just happy to be in final and to enjoy it.
Even if there is -- even if I am losing a match. You know, I had harder times last year, so that's okay.

Q. You said earlier in the week that you were just hoping not to get one of the top four players in the Australian Open draw. Have you seen the draw with Youzhny?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, he's a big player. One of the best, 20 in the world, so it's not easy first round. But I have nothing to lose against him. He's a big player, so I will try just to play my game and enjoy Australian Open.

Q. Are you happy with where your game is?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Even mentally, because it's not easy to play against Benneteau. He's a very good player, French player. It's never easy to play against a countryman. I know him and he knows my game, so that's never easy.
But I was lucky with the match point.

Q. You knew it was won. You had your hands raised.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, with Hawk-Eye you never know what could happen. I was very lucky with this point for sure.

Q. You must be pleased, because in the second set you were a break down and you had to come back.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, for sure I was a little bit tired in the second set, but I played some good shots at 5-4, and that made the difference.

Q. Have you ever won a match like that before on a net cord, the last point?
RICHARD GASQUET: No, not sure.

Q. You can't remember?
RICHARD GASQUET: It's a lot of pressure when you see the Hawk-Eye. But when it's on the line that's good, because to play a tiebreak, you never know. It's better to win with this shot.

Q. If you play Marcos Baghdatis in the final, I think it'll be the first time you've met, which surprising given that he's lived in France.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, yeah. It's very surprising, because we played a lot of years together. So that's surprising. Maybe I will play against him. He's a nice guy and friend of mine. He lived in Paris, so I know him very well. He's a nice guy.
You know, I'm in final in Sydney on a great court, great tournament. I have just to -- no pressure with it. Just to play my game.

Q. It would be interesting, because you're both guys trying to climb again, because he had injuries last year.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, he had injuries, so we try to come back to be in the top as we were two years ago. So that's good for us if we are in the final.

Q. Are you aware of the French history of this tournament? Guy Forget last won it in 1991.
RICHARD GASQUET: He won? I saw Yannick Noah won on the court. I just saw him, yeah. But, yeah, it's a nice tournament, lots of history, so I will try to win it.

End of FastScripts

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