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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERSApril 18, 2012Gilles SimonMONTE CARLO, MONACO G. SIMON/F. Gil THE MODERATOR: Questions in French for Gilles. Q. Apart from those two games, maybe being difficult to wake up, it was a very good match. GILLES SIMON: Yes. I played very well. The conditions as they were today suit me well also. They are not too fast. The ball doesn't bounce too high. So I never feel I'm outrun, and I can play very long rallies. But playing at 10:30 is tough for me. It's difficult to wake up in the mornings (smiling). Also on clay, it takes longer before you can find your rhythm. Q. What went so well today? Did you have a better feeling on the court or are you better physically? GILLES SIMON: Well, as I said, I was covering the court a lot better. The opponent in that case has no solutions. This is what I have to do: run as much as I can, but also show that I can be aggressive so that the opponent knows he can't just play slowly and relaxed because then I can become dangerous. Q. What about your serve? GILLES SIMON: I have trouble with my serve these days. I know I can serve a lot better. But, anyway, it was better today than it was my first‑round match. I'm trying hard, but I just somehow can't serve properly right now. Q. Last time you won a match like this, you won the tournament. Is that a good omen? GILLES SIMON: Yes. But this is a typical clay‑court match. On fast surfaces you can have some luck on one or two serves, whereas here you can be better than your opponent, but if the rallies take place from the baseline, you can have these types of scores. But today I was more solid than he was. Tomorrow will be a different match. Q. Who is going to win in the match between your opponents? GILLES SIMON: Maybe Tipsarevic because he improved a lot on these type of matches that he can win. He's become much more consistent now. There's a long time he hasn't lost these type of matches. Q. Who would you prefer? GILLES SIMON: I have no favorite opponent for the next match. I just hope that I will be able to feel as good as I did today. I think I would prefer to play Montañes if I'm playing well because Tipsarevic can be extremely dangerous. When he starts hitting hard, sometimes everything goes in and it's tough. He's not only a defensive player, but he can be very dangerous especially once he's really into the match. Montañes is a different player. He's a typical Spaniard and knows how to be extremely patient. Tipsarevic is not a defensive player, he's an attacker. There's no doubt about that. He also has a very good serve, which is a pain. Q. Did Davis Cup on clay help you feel more comfortable? GILLES SIMON: Well, it did help. But the important thing for me, as I always say, is I need to feel good physically. When I feel good, as I did today, then I am able to go from defensive play to aggressive play very quickly, and then it is tough for my opponent to find a way of outrunning me. If I'm not able to run, then my opponent becomes more confident and it's not the same. So, of course, this preparation helped me. But the main thing is I feel good now with my game, and physically. Q. We've been talking a lot about being 27 years old lately. How many years do you intend to keep playing? GILLES SIMON: I think nobody is calculating a given number of years that they will play. The only thing I can say is that I don't feel as good as I was when I was 24. Before 24 I had no injuries. It was tougher after that. But I know I can improve a lot on my game still and that I have plenty of things I can do on the court. So for the time being, I'm not giving myself any deadline. Q. Would you like to play the quarterfinals here? It would be your first on clay. GILLES SIMON: I don't think people care because they only remember the one who wins the tournament. But personally I would be pleased to be able to play a quarterfinal on this surface. I might have a chance to make it tomorrow. Q. Are you thinking about a possible quarterfinal against Jo? GILLES SIMON: I take things match by match, and tomorrow will be tough. Of course, I've seen the draw. I know what comes after that. I'm not thinking about it. Anyway, if I want to be in the quarterfinals, it's not because of Jo, it's because I want to play my first quarterfinal on clay. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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