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QATAR EXXONMOBILE OPEN


January 5, 2015


Richard Gasquet


DOHA, QATAR

R. GASQUET/P. Andujar
6‑3, 7‑5


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  Well done, Richard.  Are you happy to have played a good match and won well?
RICHARD GASQUET:  Yeah, I'm happy, because it's the first match, first tournament in the new year.  It's always important to win, because two years ago I know I won here and I did a great season after that.  Finished in the top 10.  So I know in the start of the season you need to be fit and you need to be ready to win matches, so it's important for me, because, yeah, it's a big tournament.  Yeah, I need to win, to practice on my game and to find a rhythm on the court.  That's why I'm happy with the way I played.

Q.  Starting a new year well means the whole year may go better for you than last year?
RICHARD GASQUET:  Yeah, really hoping I can play better this year.  The most important for me is to be fit, because I had so much injuries last year and it's impossible for me to do great season when you are so  injured, because the other players play, they find their rhythm every week and it's too difficult.
So it's most important for me is to be fit this year and of course to get a better ranking than I have now.

Q.  Fitness okay now?
RICHARD GASQUET:  Yeah, I think it's okay.  Really, I need to work on my physical condition with the physio, with everything, but I think I'm still young.  So, yeah, I think I will be okay.  I hope to.

Q.  Is it hard to come into the first tournament of the year with any kind of firm expectations?  It's like, you know, not that long ago, but still you haven't played for a while matches.
RICHARD GASQUET:  Yeah, didn't play for a while.  Especially I finish with a loss against Roger in the Davis Cup.  It was tough for everybody to lose at home against Switzerland.
So, yeah, I had to practice.  After that I could do it.  And now I think I have no injuries.  I'm feeling okay.  I'm motivated to play, to be better than I am now.  I hope I will do a great season.

Q.  Just talk a little bit about you were serving for the match and dropped that game and then obviously came back real quickly.  Is that kind of a factor of the start of the season, maybe a little rusty here and there?
RICHARD GASQUET:  Yeah, these things can happen, but it's always difficult, because, you know, I wanted to finish 6‑3, 6‑4, and then it took a lot of confidence after winning that game, and of course I'm really happy because I managed to break him again after that, and I could finish on my serve at 6‑5.  It was important, because you never know what can happen if you are losing 7‑6 in a second set.  Everything can happen.  I'm really happy to finish in two sets.

Q.  You came to the net quite a bit, Richard, and you did well when you came to the net.  Is that something you're adding to your game?
RICHARD GASQUET:  Yeah, I think I need to improve that part of my game because everybody is playing well from the baseline.  So I need to be more aggressive to play a better game now.
I'm trying to practice every day on this part, and of course I have to do it in a match, and today it was okay.  So I have to do the same in my next match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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