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BNP PARIBAS MASTERS


October 29, 2013


Edouard Roger-Vasselin


PARIS, FRANCE

I. DODIG/E. Roger‑Vasselin
7‑6, 6‑4


THE MODERATOR:  Questions in French, please.

Q.  Can you explain what happened during the match?
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  Well, I'm rather disappointed because I was never able to play well in this tournament, and this is really upsetting.  I had a good week before.  Of course it's always difficult to follow on a good week.
But I was confident, I was feeling good, and for the seventh time here I really didn't play well.  I am extremely annoyed.  I have no excuse.  I was fresh; I was fit; I was confident.
Well, of course my body is a bit tired, but I really wanted to do well.  Maybe too much.  What disappoints me more than frustrates me is that again I played a bad match here.  I'm really upset.
Even before the match I was afraid this would happen, so maybe this explains why I am not able to let go.  I just can't play well on Court No. 1 here.

Q.  You also are thinking about reaching top 50?
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  No.  Oh, well, it's better to be top 50 than top 51, just for financial reasons, of course, but this doesn't explain why I played bad today.
My opponent played a good match, but I can't find any reasons for my playing so bad.  I tried to play my game, but it didn't happen.  It's like a permanent fight to remain focused.
After the third game already I was thinking, What am I doing here?  After that I tried to fight, but it's tough thinking all the conditions are there for me to play a good match and I don't do it.  I am very, very disappointed.

Q.  Did you think about this before the match?
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  Well, now I'm starting to think about it, yes.  Every time I'm thinking, you know, I hope this time I'm going to play well; whereas in other tournaments I just walk onto the court and go ahead with it.
I don't know if here the conditions don't suit me, if the ceiling is too low.  I don't know.  Maybe if I could win one match here I would feel better, but I just can't do it.
So it's disappointing.

Q.  How can you explain that French players all reach their best at 30 years old, 20 years old?
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  I don't really have an answer for that.  But as far as I'm concerned, I know that I am playing my best tennis a bit late in my career.  Maybe because physically I was not tough enough before, and I knew I would need time to be able to sustain very high‑level matches for a long time.
I was not able to do that four or five years ago.  I was able to do that for one match or two in the season, but not during the whole season.  Now I'm able to play better in a consistent way for the whole season.
I know that it is the daily work you can do that makes a difference, and it took me four or five years.  I don't know about the others.

Q.  I imagine after that loss and your being annoyed, you don't want to try to tell us what you think of this season for you.
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  Well, yes, it was my best season, but this ends in a negative note.  I'm still motivated because I have doubles to play.  I think it's a good tournament to play here.
And anyway, in singles or doubles I will reach my best ranking this year, so this season was very good.

Q.  And playing doubles with Julien?  Are you thinking about Davis Cup?
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  Not really.  A possible selection in Davis Cup means you have a very high ranking.  Of course my ranking is not that bad now.  I'm still a bit low and I think I can improve it, but in doubles Mika is better than I am still.
But why not in the future?  I have more chances of being selected playing with Julien than anyone else.  But of course if I end the year top 5 with my present partner, I might be selected, too.
I like my partner very much, but maybe it's nicer to play with a French player during the year so if ever in Davis Cup there are some injuries or something and we have to play, well, we would have some practice.
Anyway, it's a great partner to have for next year.

Q.  Apart from your ranking, top 50, do you already have the feeling you went a step forward now?
EDOUARD ROGER‑VASSELIN:  Well, not if I look at my match today.  But when I was watching top 50 players, I could see I was not far behind.  Since March I have been top 60, top 70, so I was not far behind.
And although I didn't totally change, it's something that makes you happy, and I will be able to play most tournaments, and the Masters 1000s, anyway, so I hope next year will be a good year.
But I think also that if I'm there it's because I deserve it.  In all tournaments I know I will have to play very good players from the start, so it's up to me to prepare well to make sure I have good results from the beginning of the year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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