TENNIS MASTERS CUP


November 12, 2008


Gilles Simon

SHANGHAI, CHINA

A. MURRAY/G. Simon
6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Have you heard about Andy Roddick pulling out?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah.

Q. What's your reaction to that? How do you think it affects your chances for qualifying?
GILLES SIMON: That doesn't change anything for me. I just have to win one more match. Even if it's not Roddick, if it's Stepanek that I have to play in two days, it's gonna be the same for me.

Q. Could you give us a view into next season going into 2009? How you see it panning out for you? And, of course, given the financial crisis, whether it has any concerns.
GILLES SIMON: Well, I didn't start to think about the next season. I just know that I want to play better in the slams. That will be my first goal. And then to stay in the top 10 players.
After, I don't know. I didn't think about it yet.

Q. In today's match you had the same chances to break, but you wasted too many chances. Why?
GILLES SIMON: Well, I don't know. I just missed all the opportunities I had today. Even if the score is tough for me, 6-4, 6-2, it was a long match, so that was a fight.
But, like you said, I missed all the opportunities I had. I could come back to four games all, and I missed some easy shots. Then it was the same in the second set: 1-0, three more chance to break, and I missed it again. So that's why I was really nervous at the end of the match.
But when you play these kind of players, it's never easy because he never miss a shot, so you have to play a good point to finish the game. I don't know how many unforced errors he did today, but should not be that much.
I really have to do every point. I have to play a winner shot to win every game, and I didn't manage to do it.

Q. Since Andy Roddick dropped out of the tournament, you'll be playing with Stepanek. Do you think that will be much easier to play with him compared to Andy?
GILLES SIMON: Well, I have a bad memory the last time I played against him. It was in the first round in Roland Garros. And, well, I don't know, it was 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, something like this, so it won't be easier for me (smiling).

Q. Can you just talk about the level of tennis that Andy Murray is playing at the moment. How well is he playing?
GILLES SIMON: How is he playing? He's defending every time, all the time. Plays always in the court, never outside. He's playing so slow.
But still he has a good serve, so it helps him in the important moments. But I know the way he play, because I play the same way a little bit. So I know what I can do to win against him. I just didn't manage to do it today.
But he's in good shape and he's really confident because he played -- he didn't miss anything. When I had the chance to come back, he didn't give me any point. And with that level, of course, he's really hard to defeat.

Q. From Love-4 down in the first set, did you change anything to break back? Did you change anything about your game, or did you just execute it better?
GILLES SIMON: Well, the first set was really hard for me because I lost the two first games. They were really important because it was long. We played very good tennis during those games, and finally I lost the first fight of the match.
Then I was a little bit lucky to come back, because it could be five games to love for him, and finally I played better. My tactic was better. I was not playing too fast. I was playing slower.
But then when I decided to accelerate, I just gave everything. I could do the difference like this. In the four first games, I was playing just like he wanted: right-left, right-left, with a good rhythm. But then it was difficult to surprise him. I did that better at the end.
But finally, like I said, I missed some easy shot when it was 4-3, Love-30 on his serve. That's why I lose that set.

Q. This is the first time you have played in the Masters Cup. Is the feeling different than playing in other tournaments like Grand Slams or other Masters Series?
GILLES SIMON: Well, for me it's the same because I'm discovering new sensation. It was already the same in Madrid when I played the semis and then the final. It's a nice feeling to play here because the stadium is wonderful. I'm playing good. I'm playing the best player in the world, so that's why I'm playing tennis (smiling).

End of FastScripts