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BNP PARIBAS MASTERSOctober 29, 2013Richard GasquetPARIS, FRANCE R. GASQUET/F. Verdasco THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please. Q. At one set all, how did you feel and how were you able to win it? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, I felt bad. I had two match points and I was close to winning the match. There was a tiebreaker after that, and I thought it was very tough to lose that second set. Physically, it was tough, but I know I have experience and I'm able to win a third set like this. But it was difficult because I missed many break points. It could have turned around in his favor. I was lucky. Q. Are you surprised by yourself playing that kind of a match at the end of a season? RICHARD GASQUET: No. I had a good season. I wanted to do well in this tournament. I wanted to fight to the end, whatever happened. I would have been unlucky if I hadn't won that match today. The surface is quite fast. It's indoors, and I know it's more difficult for me. I prefer to play outdoors. It's tough for my game, but I want to go as far as I can. Q. Were you frustrated you couldn't play these last days? You were injured? RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, uh‑huh. I was worried because I wasn't sure I could play. Q. Did you think about it when you were playing? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, it hurts sometimes, but it's not very serious. I played two hours and 45 minutes today, and I saw that I could play, although I was not at 100%. It was tough to play a long match like this, and I'm happy that I pulled it out. It's tough playing Verdasco, too. Q. Are you always taken by surprise? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, he serves hard and he has one of the best forehands on the tour, in the world. He has an exceptional forehand. He was a top‑10 player. I know he is totally able of beating me. He has good weapons, and it was a complicated match for me. He was going to fight until the end. I knew that. He has a lot of talent. He played better than yesterday, too. I watched his match yesterday, and today I believe he played a great match. Q. A detail about the racquet. We saw you fiddling with your racquet. RICHARD GASQUET: Yeah, the tension was not right. It was not the one I had requested, so that's why I brought it back. There was a mistake from the umpire or from the stringer, I don't know. When you see that it makes you a bit angry, but it's not very serious. Q. Is it the same for you to play Jo or Nishikori? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, it's different. If it's Jo, it's Jo. We know each other very well. We are playing a Masters in France and he's a friend, so of course it's different. I can't say otherwise. But anyway, I had a good season. I'm very happy with what I did. I will not have a lot of pressure for that match. It's sort of a gift for me to be here. You know, I had good results, and playing the Masters is a good reward. But losing here against Verdasco would have been tough, so I'm happy to be able to play that kind of great match. Q. Are you playing the match to qualify for the quarterfinal here or for being qualified for the Masters? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, both. I mean, we played great matches in the past together. I tell you there is not going to be a lot of pressure, but we know each other well and we have known each other forever. We are going to try to play a wonderful match. Q. You should be relieved, but apparently you seem a bit upset. RICHARD GASQUET: No, it's just that I'm a bit tired. I played two hours and 40 minutes and the match was tough. Now I will go to see the physio. I'm going to recuperate. But everything is fine with me. Don't worry. Be reassured. Q. Playing a match that is almost a final on Thursday is something incredible, isn't it? RICHARD GASQUET: Well, Stan is playing tomorrow, too. If he loses to Lopez they might qualify, both of them. So with Jo, we are waiting. I didn't count, but it is possible. Q. (Off microphone.) RICHARD GASQUET: But he's able to do that. He has to win a lot of matches. Anyway, that match is an exceptional match playing each other at the end of the season like this. He missed a couple of months after Wimbledon, but I didn't miss anything. I played from the beginning to the end. It was tough. So for me, it's a reward just to be able to play such a match. Q. Do you feel now like an old, experienced player on the tour? RICHARD GASQUET: All the players that are better‑ranked than I am are able to win because of their mental strength with the crowd, so he's a good player. I'm happy I beat him. I think all the best players have even more experience than I have. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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