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ROLAND GARROSMay 30, 2014Ernests GulbisPARIS, FRANCE E. GULBIS/R. Stepanek THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please. Q. This is the first time in 24 slams you made the second week. ERNESTS GULBIS: First time in like seven years I have been in this room (laughter) as a participant, not a spectator. Q. Does it feel like that long? ERNESTS GULBIS: I'm back. It is that long. Last time I was playing quarterfinal. That was when I was 18 years old. Q. A lot changed since then, I imagine. ERNESTS GULBIS: A lot changed, but the basic stuff is the same (smiling). Q. How pleased are you with the way you played today? ERNESTS GULBIS: Today I'm very pleased. Today I served well. He had only one break point. Served, yeah, average, one to two aces a game. Any opponent is going to have trouble with that. I was surprised he didn't change up the return a little bit, but, yeah, the serve was working today, so that was the key. Q. And the fact that you played a tournament and won and came in here, a lot of people think when you win a tournament the week before you're going to be tired. But is having one day in between the matches the key? ERNESTS GULBIS: It helps a lot. And also, I was a bit tired when I came here, you know, but I had a tough first set against Kubot. He played well, but I wasn't just there, you know. It was good that I won the first round. Every match basically has been better, better physically and better game‑wise. Today was the best match in this tournament. Q. Why do you think it has taken you so long to be sitting in that chair again? ERNESTS GULBIS: You know why (laughter). Q. Well, maybe you just remind us, me. ERNESTS GULBIS: Well, I did a lot of bad decisions career‑wise. Maybe not even just bad decisions, but just not paying too much attention to the things what I do, you know, not paying too much attention how to treat my body, how to practice, how to ‑‑just overall, you know. Whenever I was in practice, whenever I was on the court or in gym or in the track, I always work hard. But the things around, surrounded that, the planning, too much up and down, not enough consistent work. Basically last two years it's been more or less the most consistent work which I did. Before that, you know, I had consistent, let's say, three months of work, but then again something happened or I got sick or went to Latvia and took stupid ten days off, you know, by not doing completely nothing. These kind of decisions, which were just wrong, you know. And now nobody even needs to tell me, tell me this, I know exactly what to do even in my days off, you know. That's the biggest difference. Yeah, thankfully it took me not longer time, you know. Basically I jumping in the last train. I'm 25, so this was my last opportunity to be really successful, I think, and I think I have good seven, eight more years to play in the top level. Q. Lately, and especially today, you have been really focused from first point to last point, no outburst, no racquet smashing, no nothing. Have you worked on it, or is it just coming with the win and the confidence? ERNESTS GULBIS: Just the way I play. You know, if I play like this, what kind of outburst can be there? You know, I felt everything good today. You know, I felt physically well. I felt not so much pressure as first two rounds, because the first two rounds I was clearly the favorite. Against Radek, he's experienced guy, of course I was also the favorite, but not so clearly. It takes a little bit the pressure out. So I didn't feel that much pressure. I felt relaxed. Next round if I play my chance, if I play Roger, it's going to be even less pressure and I think I'm going to feel even less relaxed and play even better. It's always like this with me. Q. Is there something in the French air or is it confidence, you won two tournaments and play here the first week amazingly? Do you have an explanation? ERNESTS GULBIS: I used to only win tournaments in USA and they asked me about USA air. It's just my state of mind. Now my state of mind is good (laughter). It's nothing about the air or ‑‑it's just, for me, doesn't matter, clay, hard court, indoor, outdoor, it's just when I get the vibe going, the winning streak, then I'm good. Q. When you think back to the times of bad decisions, do you regret that or do you think it's something you needed to go through? ERNESTS GULBIS: I don't regret it at all, because I think in a way I'm in a better position. Maybe not as a tennis player but as a person. Because I have been through up and down. Most of the guys who are on top now, they haven't been a lot in down. They haven't went back from playing quarterfinal from a Grand Slam asking for a wildcard in a challenger and not getting it, you know, playing qualifying in a challenger, you know. And the attitude, how it changes a lot, from everybody, you know, from the working stuff, you know, from the tournament, from the referees, from everything, you know. And I saw it. So now nothing can really, you know, blur my mind and my vision, you know. I'm not going to be now suddenly, you know, friends with everybody, you know. I saw the tough picture, you know. People like success. You know, okay. So I know everything about it. So I think in a way I'm in a better position. Q. You have two younger sisters that play tennis, as well. Are they going to be as good as you? When was the last time you played with hem? ERNESTS GULBIS: Hopefully they will not pursue professional tennis career. Hopefully. Because for a woman, it's tough. I wouldn't like my sisters to become professional tennis players. It's tough choice of life. A woman needs to enjoy life a little bit more. Needs to think about family, needs to think about kids. What kids you can think about until age of 27 if you're playing professional tennis, you know. That's tough for a woman, I think. Q. You and Cilic, Del Potro, and de Bakker, are all born one month of each other. Do you look at them sometimes or have you looked at them during your career and try and measure where they are and where you are? ERNESTS GULBIS: With them? No. Just in general with the guys who born in '88 or younger. But it was more when you're 20, 21 year old, and then you think about it. Now everybody is the same. Now everybody matured, everybody is more or less a man already. So, no, not anymore. Q. The other day you were saying that, you know, when you were younger and you were training in Germany and Novak was there that you were noticing how professional he was even at that young of age. So seeing that and noticing that, why weren't you as professional younger? ERNESTS GULBIS: (Smiling.) Why? I have no idea. How can I push myself to practice when I had so many different opportunities? I had my PlayStation. I had my TV (laughter). It was, no, no, it was just a part of my character, you know. I was never about the hard work at that age, you know. So also the upbringing in a way. My parents never pushed me. They always said, Okay, you're going to enjoy tennis until age of 11. I used to practice three to four times a week for one‑and‑a‑half, two hours maximum. My mother took me out of the court. I wanted to practice more, but she said no, no, no, you go to school, you do different stuff. I went to every practice with enjoyment, with fire in my eyes. That's what is a mistake probably for most of the parents when they push their kids at a young age. That's just not right. Okay, you have somebody like Novak who can take that, you know, from his parents, you know, who's gonna push him, but there is a lot of people who cannot. That's why he is where he is, you know. I had it just a different way. Q. If by any chance Roger wins, what's the game plan for Roger? ERNESTS GULBIS: I played him ‑‑yeah, I played him some while ago. Game plan? I don't want to tell all my cards. But I have a game plan. I know how I'm going to play him. I don't want to talk about it before the match. You don't need to be scared to do certain things against him, because most of the people they go on the court and they lose already the match before it has started. I can tell you that's not gonna be the case with me. Q. If it is Tursunov who just won the second set ‑‑ ERNESTS GULBIS: He won the second? Q. Yeah. If it is Tursunov, I know you won a doubles title at some point and you know each other very well. You would probably be the favorite in that match? ERNESTS GULBIS: We had a really tough match in Nice last week. I won 7‑6 in the third. I was down 5‑3 in the third set. He's playing really well. We have like small bets going on with ‑‑ not me but Dominic with Gunther, you know, with my coach.  Gunther said Tursunov is going to take a set as well. Dominic said he is going to win in three, Roger is going to win in three, but my coach is right. I was thinking the same. He's been hitting the ball really well. Q. To come back to your possible match against Roger Federer, are you, in your mind, are you a favorite in that match? ERNESTS GULBIS: At this moment, no, I wouldn't consider myself as a favorite. Roger will always be favorite against guys who are ranked lower than him probably. But I'm not scared of that match at all if I would have to play against him. I played him three times, I beat him once. I'm really confident. Favorite? No favorite. I lost interest in these kind of things. Who cares? You walk on the court. You play. That's what matters. Whatever is before and after, that's ‑‑not so important. Q. Just about playing ‑‑if it is Roger you'll be on Chatrier, does that kind of theater and court get your adrenaline flowing more than somewhere else? ERNESTS GULBIS: I have enough adrenaline on any court (smiling). We played in Nice. Again, it was raining. We played in Nice with Tursunov. On the court we had like 30 spectators and it was the same adrenaline, same everything, same willing to win. Maybe early in my career that would be important. Now, not anymore. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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