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WIMBLEDONJune 23, 2010Gael MonfilsLONDON, ENGLAND G. Monfils/Karol Beck THE MODERATOR: Questions for Gaël. Q. Do you still feel you need to be convinced that you can be successful on grass? I've heard it said you need to believe you can be successful on grass. GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, that's why I'm really looking forward the next match because Lleyton is a really good grass player, and he won here. He won also last week. Can be a great help for me if I get through. So, I mean, I still need a big match like I will have for next round to believe maybe I can play good on grass court. Q. Do you enter into that match feeling grateful it will be such a big match with a lot of focus and pressure on you? GAËL MONFILS: Not really pressure. I mean, will be more I will enjoy more and really test myself against a type of player like Lleyton. I always complain a bit about my movement on grass because I feel a bit light on grass court. For me, I think it's one of my best skills, is the movement. So that's why I find it hard to play on grass. But if I can get through a tough player like Lleyton, I will have more belief and for sure I will start tell myself I can play on grass. Q. Your movement belongs to you. It is what you are. How can you adapt your movement to a different surface? GAËL MONFILS: To be honest, I think I'm slower like a lot on grass because my first step is not heavy; it is a bit light. I need to lay down more on my legs. And then to break, I need a couple more small step. I can't slide at all. For me is like really difficult. For me I just start to learn how to run. So it's tough for me. Q. How much harder will it be to beat Lleyton on this surface? GAËL MONFILS: It will be really hard. But, you know, like I try also to believe I have a good serve, and I serve not bad. I mean, it's been two matches I served not bad. Then I try to play really aggressive. So I know I need to be really aggressive. I mean, more I will have some rallies I think more it will be hard for me to stay on my feet and compete against Lleyton will be tough. So still I believe I can serve big and hit big, maybe cut point like really quick. I think I can made it. Q. Your coach used to be Lleyton's coach. Is there anything he can tell you that you don't already know? GAËL MONFILS: Actually I played Lleyton last year in Shanghai, so he will always help me for sure and he knows Lleyton really good. But, yeah, I mean, every time is different. And it's more in the head, I think. He will more help me in the head to be tough. But tactically I know how to play him. I think he won't change tomorrow. Lleyton will never serve and volley or stay like six meter far behind the baseline. I know what I will get. It will be more helpful in my head. Q. You're a former junior champion here. Roger was the last former junior champion to go on to win the main event here. Do you have any thoughts on why nobody has managed to do that since? How difficult is it to make the transition from a junior winner to go on and win the main event? GAËL MONFILS: It's pretty easy to respond, because Roger won six time I think here. Every time is tough. I mean, especially, like French guy, I think also for Murray still, we are a generation, we have two big guys, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. To win a slam, it's really hard. It's not that easy I think for young people coming behind. Q. Do you retain hope that you might do it one day? GAËL MONFILS: I hope so. I hope so. That's why I work hard and I believe. And then we can see also sometime like Del Potro won the US Open, play like unbelievable two weeks tennis, and he made it. I mean, I think also about Novak. Still Jo had the opportunity, made the final playing Novak. I think I can do it, yeah. Q. How did it feel watching France go out of the World Cup? GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, I mean, I feel sad. It was hard. We had a lot of hope on our team. Then we didn't pass the quallies. Also we had a bit messy story, I will say, during the World Cup. So it was hard. But now we need to turn back and focus about the Euro. For sure we have our next chance in four years. So actually I wish luck to England. Q. Will you continue to enjoy the football? GAËL MONFILS: Yes. Q. Who do you think will win it? GAËL MONFILS: It's tough. It's tough. I don't have a favorite. But for sure I have like the major, like Brazil, Argentina. I put England in. And Germany, yeah. And Netherlands. End of FastScripts |
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