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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 21, 2011

Richard Gasquet

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

R. GASQUET/G. Dimitrov
6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well done. When he looked as though he might break through in the second set, you always came up with something good.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, it was really important, because he could take a lot confidence. I think he plays a lot with confidence, because he have powerful shots. He's very talented, but he can miss sometimes.
So that's why I'm happy, too, because he didn't break me in the second set. After, it could be a third set. So I had to serve well, and I did a good game at 4-All. It was very important.

Q. What are your confidence levels like at the moment?
RICHARD GASQUET: I stop two weeks because I had a pain in shoulder, so I didn't practice a lot. I'm happy because I hadn't a lot of problem today. I could serve 100%. That's the most important for me.

Q. What about that first set? You really got off quickly. How important was that? When you look back on the first set, what was the key?
RICHARD GASQUET: To serve well, for sure, and to play deep on his backhand. I try to play deep because he's very talented, so I had to play deep.
For sure on a court like that it's fast, so you have to serve very well.

Q. He's talented but he's young. As a more experienced player, how do you take advantage of that?
RICHARD GASQUET: I know he can miss some easy shots. That's what he did at 4-All in the second set. He did it. He miss four easy forehands.
For sure I were a little bit luck on my breakpoint. I save, but, yeah, it's a little -- yeah, I have more experience than him, but he will be good for sure in the future. He's young.

Q. Are you happy with your year so far?
RICHARD GASQUET: It's the start of the year, so just one month since Australia. Yeah, I'm not disappointed, but I think I can do a good year. I try to be healthy, to have no problem. I'm sure I can play well.

Q. We all know that you're good enough to be right up at the top. What has to happen? What are all the things that have to happen for you to reach that?
RICHARD GASQUET: To be healthy for sure, because I have some problems last year in the back, this year a little bit in the shoulder.
After, yeah, I know I can beat a lot of good guys, but I need to play matches for sure, to be healthy, and to play, play, play tournaments, take confidence.
Anyway, I will see if I can come back again in the top 10. I don't know, but I try my best.

Q. What is your coaching situation at the moment?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, I'm with Grosjean Sebastien in Indian Wells, and with Ricardo Piatti, the coach of Ljubicic. So because I stopped with Deblicker, so now it's another coach.

Q. What makes him useful for you, do you think, Ricardo?
RICHARD GASQUET: He has a lot of experience and he did great jobs with some players. I want to, yeah, to work a lot, to play well, so it's a good -- a very good coach.

Q. He will be your permanent coach?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, and some weeks with Sebastien, too. Because he played incredible. He's a good friend of mine, so I'm happy to be with him, too.

Q. Has Sebastien coached other players?
RICHARD GASQUET: No, first time. So he's not 100% with me. He will be on some weeks. We are beginning Indian Wells, Miami.
Here I am with my mother. Not the same, but... (Smiling.)

Q. What does she tell you?
RICHARD GASQUET: To be not frustrated, because sometimes I can be a lot -- a lot of frustration, and she doesn't like it.

Q. As a player that's going up, I mean, how does it feel when you look at the top, Federer, Nadal; is it impossible? How do you think about?
RICHARD GASQUET: I'm sure on a match I can bother them a lot. I can win. But over all the years, they are the best. It's difficult, yeah. Very difficult. Top 10 is very strong, yeah, so it will be for sure very hard to come back. I'm trying the best I can.

Q. Is it a ceiling, or do you think guys like yourself can break through? Is there room for more than three or four players?
RICHARD GASQUET: Not a lot of young guys are coming now. If you see, it's only Dimitrov and maybe another one. It will be really hard for young player to go in the top 10.

Q. Why is that, do you think? Because you were in a generation, yourself, Monfils, Murray, Djokovic...
RICHARD GASQUET: It was an incredible generation. Nadal, too. It was an incredible generation. It's not the same now. Not the same.
For sure it's very difficult physically for young player to come into the top 100. Sometimes I'm looking top 200, 300, they are playing very good.
So tennis, it's a strong sport, a lot of competition. It's hard.

Q. I think you fell over in the first set. I don't know whether it's your natural gait, but you didn't seem to be moving terribly well after that. Did that hurt?
RICHARD GASQUET: No, no, no, not a big problem. Sometimes he's happen. I slide a little bit. It's not a big thing.

End of FastScripts

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