An interview with: Gaël Monfils

Written by: Staff on 11th September 2010

An interview with: Gaël Monfils |

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In the tiebreaker, you didn’t score a point on your serve. What did you find difficult right there? How did that affect you the rest of the match?

GAËL MONFILS: I mean, I don’t think breaker like the key point. The key point was I think at 4‑2 for me. Then also when he break back at that time, I felt to be like very safe and let the wind play with my ball. I start to push a lot and to play like very ‑‑ made like some chip with my forehand, and did not use like the wind against or with.

So I think like ‑‑ I mean, my game drop at that point. Then the breaker, I mean, it was just a bad one. I mean, it was before ‑‑ I think before it was the key moment.

Q. When you hit that shot between your legs at 40‑Love in the first set, were you thinking, It’s 40‑Love, why not?

GAËL MONFILS: No, I think it was going too fast, and I was like leaning the other way. So the ball came, and I just stop and try to do it, because I think, Ah, I have enough time to do that or to do that, so I try between the legs.

Q. Have you played in windier conditions? Out on court it seems more blustery than it’s been this tournament.

GAËL MONFILS: That windy, never. But it’s good experience. I mean, I knew when it’s a little bit wind I get in trouble, but wind like this for me is very tough. I have a big swing, and as you can see, my adjustment is not that good sometime.

You have to make small step, stuff like that. For me, it’s like really hard to play with wind.

Q. To get to the quarterfinals here, that’s as far as you’ve come. Can you reflect on some of the positives that you can take away from the tournament?

GAËL MONFILS: I think the positive is only the result. I think my game was not that good, I mean, to the quarterfinal. I just play maybe once a good game against Andreev.

So I think only the result is positive. Then I try to find out a bit myself, so, yeah, the positive is only the quarterfinal.

Q. Did the conditions confuse you in how you wanted to play?

GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, exactly. For sure, because I was not expect that wind, and, also, I mean, then you can’t serve like you want. Then you cannot hit like you want. Sometime I was like really far, and the ball just drop and even go forward.

So it was tough. And then, yeah, I made a change completely the way I want to play.

Q. You had Thierry Henry cheering you on today in your box. You guys are close friends?

GAËL MONFILS: Yeah, yeah, we are close, you know, since long time. Now he’s in New York, so he try to enjoy the game.

Q. You’re obviously very talented, very athletic. Did you feel like you needed to maybe compete a little harder in the last two sets?

GAËL MONFILS: Ah, no, I think I compete, but the thing is with that wind you can really find my weakness. Like, you know, I’m very physical and speed, and now we need to be like very focused on every shot.

You cannot ‑‑ I mean, you have to think, I need to put the ball here and not too close. On this, I know I have to improve a lot. So sometime for me is very frustrating, so maybe you can say I not compete.

But for me, like play against me, I cannot use any skill. I can just try to push the ball and deal with. But I think at that time the talent for play in the wind, I don’t have like yet.

Q. Talk about Novak as an opponent. I mean, he’s 5‑0 against you. What do you need to do to beat him?

GAËL MONFILS: I think today was different because was tough condition, and obviously he handle like better than me.

But then every time it is very close. I think in the big moment I need just to be a bit more aggressive, I think. Then that would be the key, because we always close. I think he always be a bit more aggressive in a decisive point.

I mean, today it was like my mind was to do that, but obviously got to change the plan. For me, a good experience with wind, and ‑‑ I mean, was different.

I mean, on that I know like guys like Novak or whatever in top 10, they better than me. I need to improve a lot on other condition, extreme condition, I would say for me.

Q. Were you surprised how much he kept coming to the net?

GAËL MONFILS: Not really. You know, at this stage you just think like how I am gonna do to win one game even, because I was completely lost. Can’t serve, can’t really use my forehand. You run for what?

It’s windy, so you need to put the ball in. It’s tough for me to be very aggressive, so, I mean, he did the job.

Q. Do you think if conditions had been stiller it might have been a different result?

GAËL MONFILS: Ah, maybe. About the score, maybe. I think about the score, yeah. Will be for sure a different game, yeah, because that was not my game, for sure. I was play a bit like Santoro.

Topics: Andreev, Forehand, Gael Monfils, Good Experience, Good Game, Interview Questions, Key Point, Legs, Little Bit, Love, Match, Play Ball, Quarterfinal, Quarterfinals, Swing, Tiebreaker