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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 23, 2011

Richard Gasquet

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

R. GASQUET/S. Bubka
6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Gave you a bit of a challenge in that second set, didn't he?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, he played well in the start of the second set. I got more pressure. He played with a lot of big shots. And, me, I played maybe too slow. I played a bad game at 1-Love for him in the second.
I tried to focus and to stay in the match, and he did maybe a bad game at 5-3. But I finish the match. It's pretty difficult. You never know what could happen in the third set, so it's good to finish the match.

Q. How were you able to turn it around so well from 5-2? He gave you opening, as you say.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, I tried to go to 5-3, and I knew it could be maybe tense, because he had to serve to win the set. It's not easy for him. He did two or three bad choice, and that's why I came back at 5-4.
No, I have maybe more experience than him at the end the second set.

Q. You don't know who your next opponent will be, but it could be an all-French quarterfinal.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah.

Q. Talk about the possibility of that.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, I know I think he will win the match today, so it's good to play a quarterfinal against Gilles. He's a good guy. He's a very good player, so for sure it will be really difficult for me to win against him tomorrow. But I will try to do my best.
Yeah, we are not seeded, so we can play everybody. It's better I think to play Gilles, even it's very difficult, than Federer or Djokovic. I could play them in the first round. It's good to be in quarterfinal.

Q. Are you pleased with the way your game is improving now?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, I'm happy because I won two matches. I know physically I have to be better. I stop some weeks with the shoulder. Sometimes I feel a little pain. It's never easy. But it's doing better and better.
Who knows? I'm happy to play more matches in Dubai, yes.

Q. You say your match against Gilles could be difficult. I believe you've got a 4-0 record against him, although Gilles beat you in Sunrise, I believe.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, he won me last I'm in challenger.

Q. You obviously are perhaps...
RICHARD GASQUET: Everybody can win the match. I think he can win me; I can win against him tomorrow. It's a tough match for both. It's very difficult. We were 6 in the world or 7, and we try to come back in the...

Q. You said you were 7th in the world, and now you're 28th. Moving up the rankings now compared to maybe a couple years ago, is it as easy as it was before? Is it much more difficult? What's the challenge?
RICHARD GASQUET: I have more confidence maybe. I won some matches in 2006, 2007, I went up, up. You know, you take confidence every week. So that's what I'm trying to do that again.
In 2009 I stopped; last year I had some injuries. It's very difficult to come back in the top. Maybe at this time last year I was 100 or something. So, you know, to come back, you need time. I'm trying my best to do it.
But it's always difficult to get through in the ranking. In the top 10, it's very hard, yeah.

Q. Even in the top 5, is there any chance with the way the top 5 is now...
RICHARD GASQUET: That top 5 are better? Yeah, for sure they are better. But top 10 -- I am sure I can go top 5. I think, yes, it's very difficult. We can stay some years with the same top 5, yeah.

Q. How would you describe the top 5 now? Is it the best it's been? What's the gap between top 5 and, say, 6, 7, 8? Is it a very big gap?
RICHARD GASQUET: We have four very big player, Murray, Djokovic, Federer, Nadal. Yeah, they are the best in the world, I think. More than three or four years ago they were big on the tour, so, yeah, now maybe it's the best top 5 we had in tennis.

Q. You were saying yesterday that your coaching setup has changed. Is there anything different which perhaps Ricardo or Sebastien - Sebastien will be with you in Indian Wells - but is there anything different they're trying to get you to do compared to Eric Deblicker?
RICHARD GASQUET: No, I'm trying. I'm trying to play more aggressive, to serve better, to feel better. I'm happy to -- I try my best to come back in the best player in the world. I stopped a lot in 2009. I played a big year last year.
Yeah, to come back, it's very hard. I need time. I'm working a lot to do it, but, yeah, I need maybe to play more deep. That's what I am trying to do.

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