Gael Monfils Interview -- Australian Open (Jan. 19)

Gael Monfils Interview -- Australian Open (Jan. 19)

R. GASQUET/G. Monfils
6-0, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

An interview with: GAEL MONFILS

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. A difficult match out there today.

GAEL MONFILS: Yes.

Q. How hard was it to prepare to play against a friend?

GAEL MONFILS: You know, it's easy, it's a friend. Before the match, I know he's my friend. Just, you know, before going to the court, say you're not my friend anymore, I have to win. That's it.


Q. Did you struggle to come up emotionally after your win on Wednesday night, the adrenaline from Wednesday night? Did you feel flat at all when you started?

GAEL MONFILS: No. I feel a little bit tired, but it was okay.
I think when I start the match, I have some difficulty to focus on the match. But he play well in the first set, so it was very fast.

Q. Is that what you put it down to, the first set? You put it down to him and how much pressure he applied to you?

GAEL MONFILS: No, not really. I think the first set, I wasn't there on the court. I don't know. I wasn't very focused on the match. That way it was fast.
At this level if you're not focused, it's going fast.

Q. Why do you think you were not focused tonight in that first set?

GAEL MONFILS: I don't know.

Q. You obviously fought back in the second set. Did you think that you had the momentum to go on once you had won that set?

GAEL MONFILS: Every time, you know. Till the last ball. But I think he plays a good tennis and he knows me. We're practicing each together maybe all the time, like almost all the time. So today he was better than me. That's only the reason.

Q. You said when you walked on the court, he was not your friend anymore. Richard spoke about holding himself back a bit almost out of respect for you being a friend. Did you hold yourself back at all?

GAEL MONFILS: Yeah, a little bit because I think I was not very, like, sure my emotion. He's still my friend, but I have to focus. I know he's not anymore my friend. It's the same like every match. I not let my emotion, you know, like when I really want, just a couple time, but not like I want. So it's difficult to address this.