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ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2017

Gilles Simon

Paris, France

N. BASILASHVILI/G. Simon

1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. What about your feelings during the match?
GILLES SIMON: Well, not bad. Not that amazing, though. But not bad. Not bad at all.

That's it. To answer your question, it's not bad.

Q. You won the first set, a bit of a special scenario, I think. Would you say that this was what puzzled you? You lost the first six points, and then you won six games in a row and he was so strong maybe? Is that the reason why you couldn't really play your game?
GILLES SIMON: Well, he started off very strongly with winners, and then he finished with winners, as well.

To start with, I was trying to be in the match and to fight for this match and see how long it would last. Then I wouldn't say I was the best player on the court, but then it was for me and then during the second one it was the other way around. During the second one he was up 6-2 and all the games could have been in my favor at the beginning of the sets, for instance. Well, I was very aware that I had won 6-1 and that would be tough.

You know, it's these few points that I missed. Otherwise it could have been another set.

Q. According to you, did you really think you could beat him in terms of pace or speed? He was so strong. Could you manage to do that? Was that a problem for you? Were you a bit too slow? I know you had some problems with your right-handed shots, and you were a bit on your nerves due to that.
GILLES SIMON: All of that, no, usually in terms of pace and speed I'm not that bad. During a rally, I can do that. But then the way he plays that's true, he takes a lot of risks, he hits all of the points, and he did that very, very well today.

So, yeah, we could do a lot better. We could get closer to the lines, that's true. But when? When? He would start hitting winners and big shots from the first point.

With my forehand, I could try and get into the rally again, but if it was backhand shots, it was more difficult for me to find the right trajectories or angles. It was difficult. And when I couldn't do this and couldn't manage, that's when he was up. That's what you saw, I suppose. I don't think this was the main problem. He was playing well. And then it was rather balanced during the second one and third one and then it turned around in his favor.

Afterwards, it was tough. He was totally relaxed during the third set. Each time was hitting the balls he was trying to hit for a winner. 75% of the time he was winning his points, so it was difficult for me to be on the right lines that I was aiming for.

Not easy to do, I can say. Not easy with a player who is so aggressive.

Q. It's been a few Grand Slams I think since Australia I think 2016 when it's been a bit more difficult for you to reach the second week. Is it because you're not as good as you were or is it because the level is going up, or is it special cases? How would you define this?
GILLES SIMON: Well, I'm just looking at the facts the way they are for the time being. What else? Each Grand Slam is different. It's not always the same. I don't know. Wimbledon, the second round against Dimitrov, is not perhaps the best draw you can think of. And then the US Open, I was really bad, that's true. I was playing so poorly during the second round.

It was different all the time. And then my ranking was going down, so Raonic in Australia, not a bad match. But third round, not easy to defeat him.

And today I think he played well. I was missing perhaps footwork to have longer rallies for him to go to, to longer rallies. I think the match he played was really good, clean.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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