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SONY ERICSSON OPEN

March 31, 2011

Gilles Simon

MIAMI, FLORIDA

R. FEDERER/G. Simon
3-0 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you hurt your neck?
GILLES SIMON: Well, I felt to this morning during the warmup. It's a pain I have sometimes. I had it in Rotterdam one month ago. I couldn't play either.
I have some problem with my back. I know I have to work on it. Still some days, sometimes I just wake up like this and cannot turn my head that much and really feel uncomfortable on the court. I mean, tennis is a hard game. You have to play 100% if you want to have a chance to win. When you play Roger, you have to play more than that.
I tried to relax after the warmup. I tried everything. I mean, antiinflammatories, hot cream, just trying to feel better. Just after the second forehand, I tried it hit it very hard; I felt it very hard also. I knew I have no chance to play today.

Q. Right when you woke up this morning did you feel it and did you think, Oh, now I might not be able to play?
GILLES SIMON: Not this time. Normally I feel it -- I think it's sometimes coming when I sleep. If I have a bad position sometimes it happens.
Today it was just during the warmup. I was feeling good and was playing, I mean, just a few minutes, and then I felt it in one move.
Problem is I know that when I feel it, after it's complicated. I have to run a lot, I have to -- it's my game. I have to fight on every point. If I cannot run, cannot play, it's useless to stay on the court.

Q. Must be so disappointing coming back from the two knee surgeries, playing really well, and you've done well against Roger in the past. Must be bummed.
GILLES SIMON: That's why I say it's a very difficult sport. It's terrible. I had to fight on the last two rounds also. I got one set down every time. I played two hours and 40 minutes two days ago just to have the chance to play this one.
I feel like it's a chance to play this kind of player, Roger, Rafa, Novak, Andy also. You don't play them that often, and every time, I mean, it's a good feeling to play them. If you lose, I mean, it's okay. You're just one more. If you win, you can have an incredible sensation on the court.
Well, I think I did a great job this week to reach the quarterfinal. I was happy this morning to play this match. I was feeling good. So of course when you feel it and then you stay ten minutes on the court without any chance to defend yourself, it's terrible. But problem in tennis is every week sometimes is terrible.

Q. Was it frustrating to hear the crowd's reaction when you walked of the court? Wish you could grab a microphone and explain how badly you felt?
GILLES SIMON: Well, I mean, the public pays the ticket to see the players. They want to see them. It's also tough for them to see Roger only ten minutes today.
But of course the sadness on the court is me for sure. But it's I think the way to -- I mean, I feel like everybody is not happy about the match. Even Roger. I think he doesn't like to win the match this way. He prefer to win it with all the winners he can do. (Smiling.)
So, of course I feel disappointing about it, but I understand it. I know every time a player retires it's always same.

Q. Where is it? Neck or back?
GILLES SIMON: That's a good point. I don't even know. I feel like it's the neck more.

Q. So you can't move your head which way?
GILLES SIMON: The problem is I cannot put it like this. (Tilting head back.) So every time you return when you're on the court -- outside the court it's okay, but when you return, when you jump and you have to run, you do it every time and so you feel it every time.

Q. Just during warmups hitting a forehand?
GILLES SIMON: There is some shot I can play. As I told you, I have to do everything perfectly to have a chance to win. It's terrible when you cannot stretch, cannot look at balls on the forehand, you cannot play. It's just like this.

Q. During warmups you were hitting and it just happened?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, with a backhand.

Q. Did you do any tests the last time it happened to you to try to find out what it is?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, I know what it is. It's not easy to explain, but I think I have my back like this. (Straight.) For you, you have a normal one. For me, it's straight like this. So it's always hard for me to move.
I mean, usually that's why I feel taller than I am, because I'm always straight like this. That's why also it's sometimes difficult for me. So I know that every time I take the plane, I have to carry the bags and everything, I know I have to be very careful about it.
I'm working on it, but as I say, it's a long work. I mean, I have to work on the position for maybe six months, and when play one month in Australia, one month here, and you travel every time, it's not easy to do all what you need to do.
So I'm working on it, because I'm really not happy when it's happening. Trust me. But sometimes I don't decide.

Q. Anyone tell you you should try yoga?
GILLES SIMON: (Smiling.) I can try many different things. But as you said, I have first the injury. I am still working on it for to be sure. I mean, everybody, every player has some problem, some less than the others.
But I feel like in my career at the moment I had one big problem with my knee; I worked on it. I hope it's behind me. Now I have just a few things to work.
But of course I don't like when it happens after three good match and the chance to play Roger in the quarterfinal.

Q. Who's your favorite player to win this tournament?
GILLES SIMON: To win this one? Well, I feel like Novak is in incredible shape. He's playing very good. He improved a lot the forehand. He has more confidence with the forehand, and he's really hard to defeat, as we could see the last few weeks.
But still, Roger and Rafa also are big champions, and they're able to play incredible tennis. They will need to play this tennis to defeat him.
I don't know if Novak is gonna play like this until the end of his career or if it's just for the moment, but as I said, sometimes I had the same impression with Nadal two years ago when he won Roland Garros, Queen's, Wimbledon, and then the Olympic Games, he was playing -- I mean, it was a joke on the court.
I think it's going to be interesting, but I think Novak a favorite for this one.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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