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ROLAND GARROSMay 26, 2014Benoit PairePARIS, FRANCE B. PAIRE/A. Falla THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please. Q. We have seen you struggling quite a bit over the season, and I was wondering, how do you feel? I know it's a sensitive topic, but how is your knee at the moment? BENOIT PAIRE: For the moment, it's okay. Since the beginning of the year, it was really difficult because some day was good; some day was bad. Now I'm really happy, because I can play no more since four or five days. Before I couldn't play. I try a lot of thing. I try injection 10 days ago, and for the moment it's working. I hope it will be the same for the next one. But for the moment I'm happy with my knee because I can play, and I can play full. Q. How do you feel mentally? Do you feel down sometimes or lost? You don't know exactly what's going on? BENOIT PAIRE: Yeah, it's a big problem with my knee, because every player who get this injury, no, it's never easy, because when you think it's good and you can play, maybe the day after you can't, and that is the most problem of this injury. But how I say, I can play no more today and for sure physically I'm really bad, but I try to do my best here. I am really happy to play Roland Garros. For me it's the most important tournament, and I couldn't miss this tournament. I'm really happy to be here. Q. Last week in Strasbourg Alize Cornet was really unhappy because she got booed by the French fans. I know you have had some tough times in the past, particularly Paris‑Bercy. Do you feel the fans can be a bit too demanding at times, particularly in France? BENOIT PAIRE: To play in France for a French player it's never easy. I think in Roland Garros is different because they support every time the French player. I think Paris‑Bercy is not the same public. But here every time I play in this court, Court 7, Court 1, Suzanne Lenglen, they support me and they want to win. We have to fight if we play Roland Garros. That's why before yesterday I didn't know if I gonna play or not, because if I go on court to Roland Garros, I know it's to fight. And I think if I'm bad here ‑‑because today was not a good match for me, but they support me and they were happy because we won. That's the most important thing to do in Roland Garros is to fight. Q. What's it like as a player when the crowd is getting on your back? Is that really hard to handle during a match? BENOIT PAIRE: For me it's helping me. (Speaking in French.) Q.Do you use it as motivation? BENOIT PAIRE: Yeah, for me, it's big motivation, because to play Roland Garros I have good memories here, and last year it was unbelievable when I played on Suzanne Lenglen Court, and people were supporting me and was fighting for me. And that's why I think for French player we have to do it here, and that's important. Q. But what about when the crowd are not being quite so nice? Do you just try and block that out and not think about it? What do you do? BENOIT PAIRE: (Asking for translation.) I don't know. I don't know. For the moment, I don't have a solution, but maybe next time. Because for the moment when they are not supporting me, in France it's never easy, and I don't know what to do for the moment. I don't have the solution. Maybe next year to Paris‑Bercy I will find it. THE MODERATOR: Questions in French. Q. It was a bit difficult at the beginning of the match and the two first sets. He won a break each time, so you were a bit nervous at the beginning of this match? BENOIT PAIRE: Well, as I said, I'm so happy I'm on a tennis court. The last months were very difficult for me. Mentally it was difficult to manage all of that. Lots of criticism. I was challenged. Many people were wondering why I was trying to play. My doctors were telling me to try and play, see how it goes, and it wasn't very pleasant for me to abandon ‑‑I'm not saying I'm 100% present on the court, but being able to play and fight is something I find very nice. Playing at Roland Garros there is a bit of pressure. I hit the ball very well. I have not practiced a lot, but the three last days were excellent. I had very good sparring partner with Julien Jeanpierre. I played well during my practice. During the match at the beginning it was slightly more difficult, but I was on the court and happy I won. Whether my tennis is good or not, I don't care. I'm so happy I win points, I win matches, and I'm playing here at Roland Garros. Even though it is court No. 7 it was wonderful. And then it's true it was a bit difficult for me. I was a bit nervous. My forehand was not all that good. But this is not the most important today. The most important for me was to be able to play. That's what I want to remember. Q. And with this injury, we know that it's going to be a bit more difficult if your opponents get a bit tougher. Do you have any objective? BENOIT PAIRE: Well, the objective is quite simple. Yesterday I didn't know if I would play today. So my objective is try if you can. Today my knee was okay. I could play what I managed to play, so I'm very happy. I have no objective. At the beginning of the season, I had this knee injury. I stopped for three months. I tried to be back in Australia, but then I had to stop again. I had some injections in the knee to try and stop suffering in the knee. So it's great being here. I enjoy every moment. And even if I lose three straight sets next match, I'm happy. It's already a beautiful victory. And I think I have the level to go very high, but I need to be able to channel my behavior. I thought about it, because I had time. It's true that the most important for me is to play tennis again and to be on a court. Q. On Roland Garros.com, some fans send questions that are not necessarily related with tennis, and they know that you love playing Pétanque and they'd like to know what you do. BENOIT PAIRE: Well, let's be serious about this. I had to stop for three months, and every day with my parents I would play Pétanque with, and I progressed quite a lot. I have my set of balls, and it's true, I played every night. It was nice. It kept me from thinking and from being sad, not being on the tour, because when you're not on the tour you're sad. And I watched matches on TV and I saw players winning in places I love like Acapulco, Montpellier, Marseilles. It was very difficult for me. So I had to find something to do, and my coach and my family was always behind me, which is good, because some people stopped backing me during that period. So it's true that I'm very good at Pétanque and I play with my left hand. Q. This pain in the knee, when it happens on the court, imagine next round you start suffering on the court. But it's Roland Garros you can't ‑‑you can't quit. BENOIT PAIRE: If it hurts, I stop playing. I'm happy to be at Roland Garros. I want to play my best. But if I start suffering, I don't want to take any risks, because next time it's surgery. One doctor told me not to play this tournament. Another one told me that I should play the tournament. So I took a risk. I accept responsibilities if something goes wrong. But if I feel the slightest pain, I will stop playing, because for me, well, this is the most important tournament, so I want to play well. But if I have suffered the slightest pain and the risk is that finishes my season, I don't want to take that risk. So I will take one day at a time. Q. One question: You were not very happy about the state of the court. Was it due to the fact you feared you might slide and hurt your knee, or do you think the court was a bit dangerous? BENOIT PAIRE: Did I say a swear word? Okay. Well, conditions were very difficult today. It rained, stopped raining, rained again. The courts are very slippery and difficult to play. For my knee, it's not the best thing because with the cold and slippery courts, it's not perfect, so I complained. But not that much, did I? Even though I sort of used swear words, not as many as I used to, and the courts are a bit difficult. But that's due to the weather, so you have to get used to it and adapt. No, but the courts are perfect. I mean, I have practiced three days here, and the conditions are absolutely perfect. I'm so happy I'm here. Everything is fine. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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