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BNP PARIBAS MASTERSNovember 1, 2013Richard GasquetPARIS, FRANCE R. NADAL/R. Gasquet THE MODERATOR: Questions in French. Q. The beginning of the match was all right, but after he became stronger, you went down, what happened? RICHARD GASQUET: A bit of everything. I wanted to be a bit better than I was tonight. I really wanted to do well. I'm a bit tire, but this doesn't explain everything. The race was long before getting to this stage, but I think tennis‑wise I could have played better. His level is impressive. His forehand bounces high on my backhand. It's very tough. He's a lefty. It's very tough to play him. But still there are things I could have done better today. It's extremely difficult. Q. In the second set you had double breakpoint against you and the crowd was trying to support you. Maybe you were trying to please them and you were tense. RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, that's a bit true. Yeah, a bit of tension. He didn't give away any point, making very few mistakes, and each point was difficult to make. It was getting harder and harder. I would have liked to have played a better second set, but I didn't succeed. But as I said, I was a bit tired in the beginning of the second set, and all this added up. The score was pretty tough on the second set for me. But his level of game is extremely high. Q. The beginning of the match was very interesting. The crowd got enthusiastic and you played well. Suddenly it changed. So what happened then? Were you frustrated? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, I was not furious. I didn't lose to the worst player, but I wanted to do better than I did. The first set was all right, but I lost 6‑4. I thought I could do better in the second set, but it's very difficult. He's extremely powerful. He never gives away any point. I need to serve better. I think sometimes I will play too short. It's up to me to improve. After, I got tense and I wanted to do better than I was doing. I got caught by the pressure and by his level of game. Q. You'll finish the season on a very good note. You will be in London. Is it magical for you? RICHARD GASQUET: Yes. Yeah, the season was extremely tough. I played more than 50 matches to get there, so the race was long and difficult ‑ especially the past weeks where I had to play five, six weeks in a row. But I needed to do that if I wanted to go there. It's not going to be easy in London because they are all very good players, and I will have to play extremely well from the first match on. Q. Of course you want to do well, but there is also everything around this competition with the setting and the organization. RICHARD GASQUET: Yes, the organization is extremely good, and it's going to be great. Tennis‑wise, I will be very strong and very good. This is the best you can find in the world. Q. And you're in. RICHARD GASQUET: Yes, but I'm No. 8. There are 7 before me that are extremely good players, so I will need to play very well. But anyway, it's a lot of pleasure. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy myself. It's great to be there. Q. Your opponent today, Rafa, had a very good season. Indoors, on hard courts, he had very few losses. What is your feeling playing against him on hard courts? Do you think he's better than previous years on that surface? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, he's hitting harder and harder, and now he's always hitting the ball earlier. This makes him even more powerful. I played him for the first time in 2005. He was already a great player then. But since then, he improved a lot in every part of his game. He has an enormous tennis level. Q. Indoors you were playing well. All the conditions were there. Maybe you could have, for the first time, beaten him. But we had the feeling he was playing even better than in the US Open this time. RICHARD GASQUET: That's what I thought, too. You know, winning that first match against him is going to be very difficult. Q. Do you really feel you have absolutely no solutions at all? You tried many things. RICHARD GASQUET: I can do better than what I did today, but can I win? That's a different thing. But I still want to make progress and go further. Winning a match against him before the end of my career is going to be extremely difficult. I would like to, but he's getting better and better. Q. In the US Open, you were hitting good backhands and he found a solution to that. He found the solution every time. RICHARD GASQUET: Yes. That's true, and his forehand is extremely surprising. It's so powerful. He's a very big player. I mean, he's incredible. Q. Is it the Himalaya? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, with my weapons, it's tough. I think you need to serve extremely well. You need a big serve against him or else you have to play like Djokovic who hits an extraordinary backhand hitting early or you need to have a very big serve or hit flat shots. But when you try to play from the baseline against him, it becomes extremely difficult. Q. Do you still have energy and stamina for London, or is it tough to keep going? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, right now I'm a bit tired, it's true. It was tough to be qualified for the Masters, but in London there will be no problems, I'm sure. I will have a lot of energy when I get there because I never play that tournament. It's only the second time I'm going to go there. It's very difficult to be there, so when you get there you shouldn't think about anything else and just go for it. Q. So going into London, what is your schedule now? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, I'm leaving tomorrow, tomorrow morning. Q. Jo will be the substitute in London. Do you think you can count on him, for example, to hit in practice and have some advice? Did you talk with him? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, yes, I'm sure he's going to hit with me. As to the advice, I'm sure we're going to play together from time to time. It's going to be nice to have him there. I'm not sure yet if he's coming. It will be cool if he's there. Q. Nadal is not an indoors player. That's what he says. But he proves he is today. RICHARD GASQUET: Well, he's better on clay, that's for sure. But he's extremely good indoors, too. He serves well. It's easier to beat him on hard court than on clay, but he is still impressive. Q. (In English.) Can you tell us about how you're feeling physically and mentally and what your expectation are for London next week? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, tonight I'm feeling a little bit tired. It's normal. Was difficult for me to get into the Masters. I should play a lot.  I won many matches recently, so that's why I'm a little tired. You know, I will arrive in London tomorrow and I will get a lot of energy going there, practicing there, because it's not usual for me to play these kind of tournaments. It's my second time, so for sure I have a big motivation. I think mentally and physically I will be feeling good when I be there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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