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#1 ·
Hamburg, 14 May 2005



Press Conference with RICHARD GASQUET

Gasquet vs. Rochus 6:1, 6:1





Q: Congratulations. It must be a wonderful feeling to get into a Masters Series final?

A: I speak really bad in English (laughs). Yes, I am so happy to be in the final in Hamburg. It’s incredible. For me to play a final against Federer it’s a dream.



Q: It must be a dream for an 18 year old to go into a final against a player with such quality and class and have a winning record against him.

A: Yes I won in Monte Carlo but it was an upset for me. He is the favourite tomorrow, but I will play a great match tomorrow. I will do my best and we will see. But I will be very happy to be in the final.



Q: Has it been difficult to play seven matches and do you feel tired?

A: Yes, I was tired, but Rochus was more tired, I think. Tomorrow I will forget that because it’s the final. It’s very important to play a final against Federer for me. I will play a great match.



Q: What are your memories of the match in Monte Carlo?

A: An incredible match. I am thinking all days about this match. It was incredible to win against him. I don’t realize it today. But tomorrow I have to play another match against him. But I’m not the favourite. So, I will play a great match and I’m happy to be in the finals. It’s a great result for me.



Q: Does it help that you have had 3 matches that have gone reasonably quickly?

A: Yes, it was quick, but I played great tennis. It’s incredible to win three matches like this. I have energy for tomorrow I think.



Q: Because that’s going to be important for the best of five.

A: Yes it’s really important. It’s difficult for me to play five sets. But it will be great. I will have a lot experience after this match.



Q: How many 5 set matches have you played?

A: One but it was on grass court not on clay. I think it’s difficult for me.



Q: Do you like this court because it’s usually regarded as very slow?

A: Yes, it’s slow. But I like this court because it’s slow, I can play good tennis on this court. When I play good, I can play on every court I think.



Q: The weather forecast suggests that it might be cooler tomorrow, maybe a little rain which will make it even slower. Will that help you?

A: Yes, I think because if it’s slow it will be good for me. I think Federer doesn’t like slow courts. I don’t know. I prefer to play him on a slow court.



Q: Is clay your best surface?

A: No, I don’t know because I can play on hard court, grass. I don’t know.
 
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#4,180 ·
Halle, 13 June 2013, victory against Melzer, 6-3 6-1.

Q: It’s been a few days before your first match? How do you feel? How was the time off for you?

GASQUET: I feel great. I came here on Sunday. I had three days to practice. I knew it’s important to be here, to prepare for Wimbledon. And I really want to play well. I practiced well. The first match was difficult but I played really good.

Q: Would you consider grass your best surface? Your best Grand Slam is always at Wimbledon?

GASQUET: I don’t know if it’s my best surface but I know I can perform on this court. I know I play well on this court, I know I play well in Wimbledon. So, for sure it’s one of my best surfaces. But every match is tough and difficult. I’m trying to do my best.

Q: How do you pick Halle over Queens?

GASQUET: It’s nice to come here. Long time I didn’t come. I played Queens many years but I remember great memories from this court. I played Davis Cup against Tommy Haas, I won. I did a good match against Federer on the centre court. I played a couple of great matches here. So, I really wanted to come back. The tournament organisation is perfect, the roof is very good. It’s a big tournament. That‘s why I’m here.

Q: What do you think how far you can go this week?

GASQUET: I can go far for sure. I can lose too. Every match is difficult as I said. Maybe tomorrow Florian Mayer. I lost to him last year in Wimbledon. He’s a tough opponent on grass. It will be difficult. But I’m here to win, to try my best I can do. I will try to do the best match I can, to fight 100%, then we will see.

Source: http://www.gerryweber-open.de/gwo_e...-Gasquet-after-his-win-against-Juergen-Melzer
 
#4,181 ·
Halle, 13 June 2013, victory against Melzer, 6-3 6-1.

Q: It’s been a few days before your first match? How do you feel? How was the time off for you?

GASQUET: I feel great. I came here on Sunday. I had three days to practice. I knew it’s important to be here, to prepare for Wimbledon. And I really want to play well. I practiced well. The first match was difficult but I played really good.

Q: Would you consider grass your best surface? Your best Grand Slam is always at Wimbledon?

GASQUET: I don’t know if it’s my best surface but I know I can perform on this court. I know I play well on this court, I know I play well in Wimbledon. So, for sure it’s one of my best surfaces. But every match is tough and difficult. I’m trying to do my best.

Q: How do you pick Halle over Queens?

GASQUET: It’s nice to come here. Long time I didn’t come. I played Queens many years but I remember great memories from this court. I played Davis Cup against Tommy Haas, I won. I did a good match against Federer on the centre court. I played a couple of great matches here. So, I really wanted to come back. The tournament organisation is perfect, the roof is very good. It’s a big tournament. That‘s why I’m here.

Q: What do you think how far you can go this week?

GASQUET: I can go far for sure. I can lose too. Every match is difficult as I said. Maybe tomorrow Florian Mayer. I lost to him last year in Wimbledon. He’s a tough opponent on grass. It will be difficult. But I’m here to win, to try my best I can do. I will try to do the best match I can, to fight 100%, then we will see.

Source: http://www.gerryweber-open.de/gwo_e...-Gasquet-after-his-win-against-Juergen-Melzer
That's it RICHARD! ALLEZ!
 
#4,182 · (Edited)
Post match interview after losing to Djokovic in Montreal:



N. DJOKOVIC/R. Gasquet

6-1, 6-2

An interview with:

RICHARD GASQUET

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. It was even tougher than you expected? That's not the sort of match you wanted.
RICHARD GASQUET: Of course not. It was very tough. I did everything I could, but he did everything better than I did. Today my bad serve made me sink, my backhand didn't seem to work, while his backhand was extremely fast.

Q. Yesterday you showed that you had a fighting spirit turning the match around. How about today?
RICHARD GASQUET: Today it was Djokovic. Nishikori is a good player. Djokovic is No. 1 in the world. The score might have been a little bit better if I had been able to serve better, but he is incredible. He is the player who impressed me most since I've been playing tennis. He plays extremely fast.

Q. And what about Federer or Nadal, they don't seem to give you as much trouble?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yes, indeed. They give me fewer problems. He's a lot stronger than I am on both sides, and he hits the ball very flat. My backhand doesn't give him trouble at all, and it's a weapon I need and often use against other players. He also serves very well.
As far as my serve was concerned, today I didn't have very much of a reference to serve well. In fact, it was a catastrophe.

Q. But you had a plan with your coach?
RICHARD GASQUET: The plan was to hold the line. I believe it didn't work very well today (smiling).

Q. During the past six matches you played against him, you didn't win a single set. Is there a sort of block against him for you?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yes, I believe so. His game bothers me a lot more than the game of the other three top players. He's the most difficult player to play for me.
He has an extremely fast backhand and very good returns. For me, he's the strongest player. Could have improved the score a little bit, but it all went so fast.

Q. Apart from that match, you played a good tournament here.
RICHARD GASQUET: Yes. I'm happy. Yeah, I was able to beat good players. I made it to the quarterfinals. But I'm very disappointed about the match today. Seeing that I was totally harmless on the court is tough.
But if I had been told before the tournament that I would play Djokovic in the quarterfinals here, I would have signed up for it.

Q. What about the balls? Many players complained about them.
RICHARD GASQUET: They are extremely bad balls. As soon as I arrived here, people talked to me about it. It's quite rare, but it's really the first time I've seen balls that are as bad. They are flying. They are too light. They're quite difficult to control.
But this has nothing to do with my loss today.

Q. After the loss against Wawrinka, you seemed to have lost your energy somehow.
RICHARD GASQUET: No, it's okay. I played a very good match yesterday. Of course, that loss against Wawrinka didn't help. But I'm just starting the season. We'll see how I play in the US Open.

Q. So we can say this match was only a Djokovic phenomenon?
RICHARD GASQUET: I believe so. Maybe I can play a little bit better in the beginning of the season than I'm playing now, but I had pretty good results. I didn't go past the third round in Wimbledon, though.
Of course, today I lost 1-2. I believe I won't be the only one during the season.

Q. Istomin apparently did a little bit better than you did against Djokovic.
RICHARD GASQUET: I can't tell you why. For me, Djokovic is the most difficult player.

Q. If Raonic makes it to the final here, you will be out of the top 10. What does that mean to you?
RICHARD GASQUET: Well, he played a very good tournament. I tried the best I could. I was quite consistent during the year. But being out of the top 10 will not change my life.
Anyway, I'm very happy with my victory yesterday, just the way I played that match. I'm happy I was able to make it to the quarterfinals for the beginning of the season. This is a mistake. What he meant is: after the summer-break.

Source: http://www.rogerscup.com/men/english/interviews.php
 
#4,183 ·
Thanks for posting that, Puschkin.

It's hard to get a feel for the tone of the interview without seeing or hearing him, but just from the words it sounds like he knew before the match he would lose badly to Djokovich, is not too concerned about his top 10 ranking, and that he's very happy with his tournament overall. I'm quite surprised to hear him say all of those things - maybe it's just the way I'm reading it, or maybe he's playing things down in the interview.
 
#4,184 ·
It's hard to get a feel for the tone of the interview without seeing or hearing him, but just from the words it sounds like he knew before the match he would lose badly to Djokovich, is not too concerned about his top 10 ranking, and that he's very happy with his tournament overall. I'm quite surprised to hear him say all of those things - maybe it's just the way I'm reading it, or maybe he's playing things down in the interview.
But if I had been told before the tournament that I would play Djokovic in the quarterfinals here, I would have signed up for it.
This phrase made me think along similar lines, as if he was not ready for more than a QF, but I don't know why.
 
#4,185 ·
Yes, I completely agree with you. I was a bit disappointed to hear him say that, but then again I don't know what his situation is.
 
#4,186 ·
Richard is quoted in a short article from L'Equipe.

Richard Gasquet, n°1 français de cet US Open en l'absence de Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a bien lancé son US Open avec une victoire solide face à l'Américain Michael Russell (6-3, 6-4, 6-2). Une bonne mise en jambes face au 92e joueur mondial et une copie quasi parfaite si ce n'est un peu de relâchement à partir de 4-1 dans le deuxième set. Son prochain tour face à Stéphane Robert, 150e joueur mondial, devrait lui permettre de poursuivre tranquillement sa montée en puissance. Son objectif reste le même : de nouveau passer cette barre des huitièmes de finale.

"Aujourd'hui ça n'a pas été si facile, face à un adversaire jamais facile à jouer, et j'étais content de mener deux sets à zéro. Les conditions étaient difficiles. Je suis content de mon jeu : j'ai bien retourné, j'ai bien servi, je n'ai pas commis d'erreurs stupides. Physiquement je me sentais bien aussi."

Atteindre les quarts ce serait bien pour moi et je pense que j'en suis capable» Devenir le n°1 français de cet US Open ne change en revanche rien à la façon dont il aborde le tournoi : "Franchement ça ne change rien du tout si ce n'est que je suis tête de série n°8. je suis déçu que Jo ne soit pas là et j'espère qu'il va revenir le plus vite possible. Mon but c'est d'aller le plus loin possible, le reste c'est anecdotique. Atteindre les quarts ce serait bien pour moi et je pense que j'en suis capable. Mais il y a des bons joueurs aussi en face.» Gasquet n'a jamais affronté Robert mais : «On le connaît un peu moins mais c'est un très bon joueur. Il prend la balle tôt, il n'est pas facile à jouer et mérite son 2e tour ici. Il n'aura rien à perdre donc je vais devoir faire un bon match. Il est dangereux. Je suis favori, la pression est de mon côté mais j'ai l'habitude."

Carole BOUCHARD, à New York

Web source: http://www.lequipe.fr/Tennis/Actualites/Gasquet-commence-bien/395924

I think this is the translation: (please correct me if this is wrong...) :)

Re: Russell, R1.

" Today it was not so easy against an opponent who is never easy to play, and I was happy to lead two sets to zero. The conditions were difficult. I'm happy with my game, I returned well, I served well, I did not commit any stupid mistakes. Physically I felt good too. "

Re: French expectation and the whole tournament.

" Frankly, it [Tsonga's withdrawal] does not change anything at all except I'm seeded No. 8. I am disappointed that Jo is not here and I hope he will come back as soon as possible. My goal is to go as far as possible, the rest is anecdotal. To reach the quarter finals would be good for me and I think I'm capable of that. But there are also good players to face"

Re: Robert, R2 (Richard has never played him before.)

" We know him a little less but he is a very good player. He takes the ball early, it is not easy to play and deserves his second round here. He has nothing to lose so I'll have to make a good match. It is dangerous. I'm favourite, the pressure is on my side but I'm used to it."
 
#4,187 ·
"Si je fais quarts ici, je ne vais pas non plus sauter au plafond. Ni pleurer de tout mon corps ! Mais je serais heureux"
I found this on rgnet, and I think it is so typical Richard, all the desire and passion are hidden within himself.

If I make the quarter here, I will neither jump over the roof, nor cry with all my heart, but I will be happy.
 
#4,189 ·
New article and quotes after his win against Stephane Robert from L'équipe:

Richard Gasquet a su se faire violence quand il le fallait. La tête de série n°8, qui n'a pas caché que la chaleur du jour lui avait causé beaucoup de soucis, a eu le dernier mot face à un Stéphane Robert auteur d'un gros match (6-3, 7-5, 7-5). Le battu du jour avait d'ailleurs pris le meilleur départ en menant 3-1 dans la première manche et a globalement semblé prendre bien plus le jeu à son compte que son rival, se procurant notamment 10 balles de break dans ce match. Mais le 9e joueur mondial a su élever son niveau de jeu dans les moments importants et se servir de sa plus grande régularité.

L'heure était donc au soulagement de s'en être sorti assez rapidement du côté de Gasquet : «J'ai eu un début difficile, breaké un peu vite donc ça tend un peu. Après je domine un peu. Mais dans les deux derniers sets il a énormément de balles de break qu'il ne fait pas et j'ai souffert parce que je courais beaucoup et il jouait super bien. Il ne ratait pas, prenait la balle tôt donc franchement c'était dur et je ne me suis pas amusé. En plus il faisait une chaleur... (il a un début de crampe et rigole) Non mais ça va, je suis en forme !» Le n°1 français en l'absence de Jo-Wilfried Tsonga a reconnu qu'il avait sans doute été un peu trop attentiste sur cette rencontre : «J'ai plus à perdre que lui, c'est donc moins facile d'arriver et de faire des points gagnants. Lui n'a rien à perdre donc il joue bien. Le court est assez petit, pas terrible et je préfère avoir de plus grands tours. Lui est dans un relâchement total, c'est pas facile.»

Ce qui ne sera pas non plus une partie de plaisir, ce sera son troisième tour face à l'imprévisible Dmitry Tursunov. Le Russe est revenu en grande forme et mène en plus 5-2 dans leurs confrontations. Mais Gasquet est bien décidé à voir au minimum les quarts de l'US Open alors il faudra bien passer l'obstacle ''Dima'' : «J'ai beaucoup perdu contre lui. Il a un jeu difficile mais je pense que je suis tout de même favori et je vais tout faire pour gagner ce match. Je suis déjà content d'avoir gagné celui-là parce que je pense que j'aurais pu faire plus que trois sets.»

Ce qui n'aurait pas forcément été une bonne nouvelle pour ses nerfs si on en croit le warning pris pour un vilain bras d'honneur en fin de troisième set : «J'étais un peu énervé de prendre deux aces comme ça... Je n'étais plus moi-même.» Mais à qui était-il fait ce bras d'honneur ? «A moi-même ! (rire général) On est souvent con quand on joue au tennis. Je préfère ne pas me revoir, je devais être très laid (rire). Je n'étais plus moi-même et il vaut mieux parce que sinon ce serait grave.» A l'expérience, Gasquet s'en est donc sorti et il est également satisfait d'avoir résolu ses problèmes à un pied (infection). Donc tous les voyants restent au vert avant de passer au révélateur Tursunov.
Carole BOUCHARD, à New York


About the game:
"I had a difficult start, he broke really fast so I was a bit tensed. But in the last sets he has so many BP he doesn't make and I suffered because I ran a lot and he played very well. He didn't miss, took the ball early so it was very difficult and I didn't enjoy it. And it was so hot! (He starts to have a cramp and laugh) but that's okay, I'm in shape!

He did mention he thought he had been a little bit too passive during the match: "I had more to lose than him so it's less easy to come on court and make winning shots. He has nothing to lose so he plays well. The court is pretty small, not very good and I prefer big courts. He was totally relaxed, it's not easy."

About Tursunov:
"I lost many times against him. He has a difficult game but I still think I'm the favorite and I will do everything to win. I'm still happy I won this one because I think I could have made more than 3 sets.

He also took a warning for doing a middle finger in the 3rd set (well a "bras d'honneur" => if anybody know how to translate this in English...):
"I was a bit mad to take two aces like that... It was to mysef! We're often stupid when we play tennis. I don't want to see it, I probably was very ugly! (laugh) I wasn't myself and that's probably better because it would be bad!"

And last, apparently his infection (foot) is better!
 
#4,190 ·
New article and quotes after his win against Stephane Robert from L'équipe:
:wavey: Thanks Karine - that is great! Thank-you for the translation. :)

He did mention he thought he had been a little bit too passive during the match
Thank goodness he realises. ;)


He also took a warning for doing a middle finger in the 3rd set (well a "bras d'honneur" => if anybody know how to translate this in English...)
Thanks for that - I didn't see this. Google translate says it means "the finger" - which sounds about right. ;) Usually it's called "giving the finger" or "giving the bird". (I have no idea why...)
 
#4,194 ·
I've not heard of it before either. Maybe he's only bringing it up now that it's not a problem any more?

Would love to think that might have contributed to his recent poor serving stats... but still only 58% today. :(
 
#4,195 ·
There's an interview with Richard in today's L'Equipe. Does anyone have a copy which is bigger than this, please? It is too small to read... :(

 
#4,203 ·
The end of the article indicated "Christine Thomas" so I assume she was the interviewer.
Thanks - I didn't see that.

Is gasquet getting a hard time for the dog answer? I thought there were many others to tease him about. I personally agree about the easy life of a well-loved dog.
Yeah, the French version of Huffington post had a dig and quite a few comments were flying around twitter. But what the hell...? He won in 5 sets, so who cares.... YAY!!!! And he sounds happy in the interview, which is all I really care about.

Thanks again for the translation. :)
 
#4,204 ·
#4,205 ·
Hi - there's an interview with Richard in L'Equipe today. Does anyone have a copy which is bigger than this please? This one is too small to read. :(

 
#4,207 ·
Thank-you, once again, Soulage!!! :worship:

If you ever need any British newspapers posted here, please just let me know. :)
 
#4,208 · (Edited)
Had a go at translating this interview ^^^ whole thing now here. :)
(Feel free to correct any mistakes etc.)

From L'Equipe: Monday 9th September 2013

Sitting quietly at the bar of the hotel before taking, at 19 hours, his plane for Paris, Richard Gasquet discusses the U.S. Open, his game and his desire, and his goal of reaching the WTF at the end of year.

Red cap worn backwards, tracksuit and smile, he looks serene and a bit mischievous. The day after his defeat against Rafael Nadal, it was fair to go for a drink with his friends: Party is a little too strong a word. He was a little tired.

INTERVIEW

Looking back on your fortnight. What state of mind were in you when came to New York?

- Nothing amazing. I did not play too badly in Montreal, where I won two matches after a long break. In Cincinnati, I have not had much success playing Isner in the first round. I arrived here with four matches. That was not fabulous, but I was not bad either. The confidence was there. Jo (Tsonga) did not come and I found myself in the top 8 seeds. This is important. It changes a lot because otherwise, I could play Nadal or Djokovic in the 4th round. And, then, I would have been in Paris for some days. (Smile)

At what point did you feel that things began to come together?

- In the match against Raonic when I saved a match point. It was a big game, we played 4hours 40, and it made me go to another level in the tournament. Mentally and physically, it was hard. He is a very good player and I think he will really play very well in the future. Beating him gave me confidence.

Do you think your victory against Ferrer took its source in this (Raonic) game?

- Confidence grows with every match. But winning by saving a match point against Raonic made me come to Ferrer in a better way. Tennis is played with a lot of confidence after you win matches like that.

What image will you keep of this U.S. Open?

- My victory over Ferrer in the QF on Central in New York, it was not bad. The emotion is really strong. Yesterday (Saturday, SF) when I go inside the court, I felt that match is a little different. You could feel the weight of the Grand Slam and being closer to the final.

What is the difference between this and the QF of Wimbledon in 2007?

- In 2007, I was more into being carefree/ careless (in his play, I think). Since then, I have gone through some very hard moments, we had to rebuild. This is not the same (as 2007). Here, it was pretty constructed. I have not played extraordinary well. I played well, I was very solid. Against Roddick, I was in a state of grace.

You went through two five-set matches in three days. Did you already feel that pushing your limits so far?

- Two matches in five sets like that, it hurts. Especially facing two of the best players in the world. I can well measure the big performances of Nadal or Djokovic, who do it tournament after tournament. It is difficult to recover day after day. Yesterday (Saturday), I had a little less energy. There was a general fatigue.

Do you recover better than you did three or four years ago?

- Yes, I have more experience. Age helps that. You make less mistakes. Physically, I had a big tournament. For three or four years, I train very regularly physically. I'm stronger, it helps me recover better and to better prepare. I can only get better. From year to year, I feel better. But managing it is hard. I had no margin to manage (energy) against Raonic. Really I had to give a hundred percent.

Given the evolution of increasingly physical tennis, to exist, the only way was to improve the plan?

- When I started in 2005, it was not the same at all. We saw no physical trainers or physios like today. The players just had a coach. This is totally different from today. The physical part is dominant.

You were accompanied here by Riccardo Piatti. How would you define your relationship with him?

- He knows tennis very well. He has a lot of experience, most notably with Ljubicic. There is a lot of listening, it is very easy going.

He started to learn French?

- It's been twenty years since he lives in Monaco and he does not speak a word. (Smile) We both have a little English summary, we do not talk a lot. It’s maybe why it works not bad finally (laughs) It's that, the key! For it to work well with the results, he must not talk too much (laughs). At the same time, it is not wrong. At least, he has the essentials. It's always a bit the same words.

Do you feel that your game evolved?

- My game evolved well. I'm trying to advance in the court, I need to go even further. I have held both physically and mentally. I did a really great tournament. But when you get in the semis, you have to beat Djokovic and Nadal to win the tournament. I'm not there! There remain two amazing players. When you're in the semis, you can say you're close, but there are still two players that can hurt you.

Exactly, the game forward, you have talked a lot about ...

- (He cuts in) We talked about that a lot, especially. (Smiles) Especially that. We have spoken about that ... I quickly stopped! (Laughs)

You need to do violence to play the game like that? It demands more energy?

- No, it takes me more energy to run behind the baseline of the court. The concern is that we must strike a balance between being too attacking and too and too defensive. I have been more likely to defend than attack, but to win very big matches and Grand Slams it comes down to the guy who takes his chance more than the other.

Where is your comfort zone?

- It is far. (Smiles) It is near the tarpaulin. The tarpaulin is sometimes too close. (Laughs) It would even be in the grandstand. In fact, I have built a solid game since I was young. But it is clear that I must succeed in playing forward to cross an additional step. This is closely related to confidence. I managed to do it here. For example, Nadal did much better now than in the beginning. He attacks much, much more than before, and that helps him.

Can you work hard on this in training?

- Of course. When there is a short ball, you have to go. You must punish the ball and not leave it in an exchange. We see it with Nadal. When the ball is in the middle of the court, you do not see it again. With the top players, you do not see the ball come back again. Apart from Murray, who waits from time to time, the best players attack strongly. With players a little less strong, it is not the same. With the victories, you automatically feel better. You cannot win big matches by waiting. Facing the top ten, there is no choice.

Will there be a “before” and “after” the U.S. Open?

- I have not discovered tennis at the age of 27. I was ranked 7th in the world when I was 20, I made Wimbledon semis, and I’ve been playing a long time. This is the first time I won two matches in five sets back to back, and I saved a match point against Raonic. This has been a big tournament for me, but I don’t think it will be one time. I hope I will play much better after the U.S. Open. This is a continuation. I am 9th in the world, so I'm very able to do a semi-final in a Grand Slam. I am very motivated for the future.

Exactly what is your program?

- I'm going to have four or five days off, then it will be the Asian tour with Bangkok, Beijing and Shanghai. After, I will play Moscow, Basel and Bercy. I have six tournaments in a row. I would like to do well at Bercy. I did not play well last year and I think I have the ability to do well there.

Your goal is the Masters in London?

- It would not be bad. I am clearly in the race. There is a good lively end to the season. I feel good. I can take my chances and I will do everything to get there. I'm not far away. I hope to finish at the Masters, this is the goal.
 
#4,209 ·
Thanks for the translation, DBR! Looking forward to part 2: the part about Piatti is hilarious; also being "close to the tarps". At least he has a sense of humor about it...

P.s. the backwards cap is back! Maybe it never left.

P.p.s. I'm surprised he said he's going to Basel. That's a lot of matches right before WTF (I'm of course optimistic he will make it.)
 
#4,210 · (Edited)
...the part about Piatti is hilarious; also being "close to the tarps". At least he has a sense of humor about it...
How much fun is Richard sounding at the moment? He's cracking jokes all over the place. So great to see. :)

It's so funny he and Piatti speak in English. I love that quote from Piatti in the NY times piece. "We don't understand each other but it works!" And the tarpaulin stuff is really good too.

Seriously though, I'm glad Richard made good progress with being more aggressive at the USO because he's been with Piatti 2 and a bit years now - one of the very best coaches in the world. I mean Djokovic wanted him full time, but Piatti wouldn't abandon Ljubicic!!!

When I saw Tsonga had split with Rasheed it got me worrying how long Piatti might be around if there wasn't much progress this year. But getting into the top 10 at the end of last year, and now this SF, well they are big stages of progression. You'd think this would be enough to keep them together next year. ( Fingers crossed!!!!)

P.s. the backwards cap is back! Maybe it never left.
I was surprised by that! Haven't seen any new cap pics for a long time. But Perez Hilton tweeted the sock throwing video a couple of days ago ... Maybe Richard was in disguise. ;)

P.p.s. I'm surprised he said he's going to Basel. That's a lot of matches right before WTF (I'm of course optimistic he will make it.)
Insane schedule, but I think they're all going for it to try and get to WTF. Saw some Federer fans talking about Roger adding Bercy to his schedule too. They're all trying to cram extra points in. I'm sure if Richard has a good run at one of the bigger tournaments and his WTF ranking looks good he might take a week off somewhere.

He really has a lot of ATP main ranking points to defend though, going into the end of the season. Nearly twice as many as Stan. :eek: Federer and Tsonga have even more though.

The Top 10 and WTF rankings are going to get very interesting over the next couple of months. :eek:
 
#4,213 ·
it would be weird if Tsonga takes Piatti considering he's breaking with Rasheed because of the language barrier. (although I personally think it's because of the overtraining. Monfils was constantly injured under Rasheed as well.). And wouldn't Jo want somebody full time?
Oh no, sorry... I didn't mean that Jo would take Piatti, I just meant that coach-player partnerships break down if there isn't good/ regualar progress. And seeing Tsonga split with his coach made me think about the length of time Richard and Piatti have been together and what they've achieved.(in their view, not mine... I love them working together!)

Before the USO, Richard was kind of stuck at the 4th round stage of Grand Slams (R3 at Wimbledon wasn't great) and the whole "coming forward" thing kept being mentioned but didn't seem to be happening. I think I was starting to worry that without a real sign of progress, one of them would reconsider things.

But I'm not worried now, after all the brilliant progress that's been made at this USO. :)

By the way, totally agree with you about Tsonga - I'm sure it's because of the training/ injuries.
 
#4,215 · (Edited)
Gasquet, la métamorphose

Six ans après sa demi-finale à Wimbledon, Richard Gasquet a égalé son meilleur parcours en Grand Chelem en intégrant le carré d’as de l’US Open. Une perf’ qui, au fond, n’a rien de surprenant. Car depuis 3 ans, l’ex-surdoué au mental fragile s’est métamorphosé en un tout autre joueur. Pas à pas, étape après étape. Voici comment.

Etape 1 – De grands noms, tu t’entoureras

S’entourer des bonnes personnes est une des clefs de la réussite. Trouver de la stabilité auprès d’elles en est une autre. En recrutant Riccardo Piatti, puis Sébastien Grosjean, au cours de l’année 2011, Richard Gasquet prend un risque. Pour la première fois, il s’adjoint les services d’un entraîneur qui ne parle pas français. Et, pour la première fois, il choisit de travailler avec un duo de coaches, ne craignant pas les effets néfastes du double discours. Pari gagnant ! La science du jeu du professeur italien, ex-mentor de Novak Djokovic et Ivan Ljubicic, associée au vécu du joueur marseillais redynamise la carrière de Gasquet. L’objectif du duo d’entraîneurs est clair : redonner un visage offensif au jeu trop attentiste du Français. Jour après jour, match après match, le garçon se fait violence. L’évolution prend du temps. Mais à Flushing Meadows, quand il assomme la mobylette Ferrer en frappant plus de 50 coups gagnants, Gasquet comprend que ses efforts ne sont pas vains. « Mon jeu évolue bien », se réjouit-il dans L’Equipe. « J’essaie de bien avancer dans le court, j’en ai besoin si je veux aller encore plus haut. » Sûr que Piatti et Grosjean l’y aideront.

Etape 2 – Physiquement, tu travailleras

Se sachant incapable de tenir réellement la distance des cinq sets et encore moins d’enchaîner les combats marathons, Richard Gasquet accepte, en 2010, d’entamer un travail physique en profondeur. Prêt à faire les efforts adéquats, le Français renoue avec Paul Quétin, préparateur ambitieux et exigeant. Les séances sont plus longues, plus dures, plus intenses. Courageusement, Gasquet s’y plie. Et cela paie. Début 2013, après s’être astreint à une grosse préparation hivernale, l’ex-garçon aux épaules tombantes débarque métamorphosé en Australie. « Je ne l’ai jamais vu aussi fort physiquement », se réjouit Piatti. « Il est rapide, affûté, véloce. C’est flagrant dans ses déplacements et dans la rigueur de ses pas d’ajustement. » Sur le court, Gasquet récolte enfin les fruits de son travail. Il s’impose à Doha en gagnant une finale au physique contre Nikolay Davydenko, atteint les huitièmes à Melbourne, gagne encore à Montpellier, puis se hisse en demi-finale à Miami. Du jamais vu pour lui. Preuve ultime de cette métamorphose physique, Richie-jambes d’acier fait plier Milos Raonic, puis David Ferrer au cinquième set dans la chaleur de Flushing Meadows. On nous l’a changé. Et en bien !

Etape 3 – D’attitude, tu changeras

Souvenez-vous du Gasquet qui souffle, grimace, ronchonne, baisse les épaules, la tête, puis les bras. Ce Gasquet qui se crispe dans le money time et renonce quand le score l’accable ou que les jambes le lâchent. Comparez-le, désormais, au Richard de cet US Open 2013. Oui, c’est flagrant. Le Gasquet 2.0 n’a rien à voir avec le précédent. Et il n’y pas de miracle là-dedans. Car, depuis 2010, le gosse de Sérignan n’a cessé de faire évoluer son attitude. Autrefois timide et réservé, le Français s’est transformé en combattant, capable de bondir de rage, les deux poings serrés, et même d’haranguer la foule de centraux pleins à craquer. Dans les moments difficiles, Richie a également progressé. Car s’il lui arrive encore de grimacer, c’est dos à l’adversaire et déjà tourné vers le point suivant. « Il a radicalement changé d’attitude », affirme Mats Wilander dans L’Equipe, en 2011. « Aujourd’hui, il préfère que le point soit à lui et moche, plutôt que beau et perdu. Grâce à ses efforts, il gagne des matches qu’il aurait autrefois lâchés. Et l’attitude fait tout. » Deux ans plus tard, les progrès sont encore plus flagrants. Tête haute, le Français accepte le combat, quel que soit le score, l’adversaire ou les circonstances. Même mené deux sets à un par Milos Raonic, même rejoint à deux manches partout par David Ferrer, Richard Gasquet est capable de gagner. Oui, l’attitude fait tout.

Etape 4 – De tes échecs, tu te relèveras

« Ever tried, ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. » C’est écrit sur le bras gauche de Stanislas Wawrinka. Depuis le 3 juin 2013, c’est aussi inscrit dans la mémoire de Richard Gasquet. Ce jour-là, le Français a disputé le plus grand match de sa carrière à Roland Garros. Atteignant un niveau exceptionnel, brillant de courage, le Français passe tout près d’un quart de finale Porte d’Auteuil. Mais, après 4h15 de jeu, c’est bien Wawrinka qui s’impose, 8 jeux à 6 au cinquième set. Malgré tout, il y a de quoi se réjouir. Car, pour la première fois, Gasquet a perdu ce combat en homme. Jusqu’au dernier souffle, le Français s’est bagarré, s’accrochant coûte que coûte à l’espoir d’une victoire. « Je ne peux pas donner plus que cela. Je suis allé au bout de moi-même. Ma tristesse est immense, mais c’est le tennis. Il faut rebondir. » Gasquet ne croyait pas si bien dire. Trois mois plus tard, à Flushing Meadows, c’est bien lui qui allait renverser Milos Raonic après être passé à un point de la défaite. « En toute fin de match, j’ai repensé au cinquième set perdu contre Wawrinka. Je me suis dit : « Pas deux fois. Ce match-là, il est pour moi. » Apprendre de ses échecs. A New York, Gasquet n’a pas atteint la première finale de Grand Chelem de sa carrière. Mais il s’est prouvé qu’il avait le jeu pour battre Rafael Nadal. « Essaie, échoue. Peu importe. Essaye encore, échoue encore. Mais échoue mieux. » Ou comment résumer l’US Open 2013 de Richard Gasquet.

Etape 5 – Ambitieux, tu te montreras

Bien installé dans le top 10, à nouveau présent dans les derniers carrés des Grands Chelems, Richard Gasquet peut viser haut. Et il le sait. « Je suis neuvième mondial, je suis donc largement capable de faire une demie en tournoi majeur. J’espère que je vais maintenant encore mieux jouer après cet US Open. » A court terme, le Français vise une qualification pour le Masters. Actuellement neuvième à la Race, il bataillera avec Stanislas Wawrinka et, certainement, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga pour décrocher sa place à Londres. « Je suis dans la course. Je me sens bien. Je peux jouer ma chance à fond et je vais tout faire pour y aller. » A plus long terme, Richard Gasquet n’affiche pas encore clairement ses objectifs… Mais lisez entre les lignes. « Je sais que je dois continuer à faire évoluer mon jeu vers l’avant. J’ai plus tendance à défendre qu’à attaquer, mais les victoires dans de très gros matches et des tournois du Grand Chelem se jouent là-dessus : le mec qui prend plus sa chance que l’adversaire finit par l’emporter. » C’est un peu plus clair, là, non ?

Source: http://www.welovetennis.fr/blog-redaction-grandchelem/73898-gasquet-la-metamorphose

Lots of praise. :D
 
#4,216 ·
probably not something enTIREly tennis related, but still gasquet related that was quite random....

http://www.welovetennis.fr/insolites/74127-hanouna-challenge-gasquet

if i understood correctly, a radio host was talking about how a recent study revealed that sportspeople have less than optimal dental hygiene....and so he called up his acquaintance gasquet to clarify. gasquet apparently claimed he's never had a cavity, and the radio host asked him to pretend to brush his teeth during the last change of ends during his match tomorrow, if he is leading the match, of course.

thank goodness ATP video channel has decided to broadcast matches from beijing from tomorrow!!! maybe we may see gasquet being doing a little PSA during the match?

...just a little silly reprieve before we get more tennis news about gasquet soon !!
 
#4,217 ·
gasquet apparently claimed he's never had a cavity
I can believe that... his teeth look incredible in a lot of pictures.



the radio host asked him to pretend to brush his teeth during the last change of ends during his match tomorrow, if he is leading the match, of course.

thank goodness ATP video channel has decided to broadcast matches from beijing from tomorrow!!! maybe we may see gasquet being doing a little PSA during the match?
I will be looking out for this... ;) But how will he know which is the last change of ends!?!?
 
#4,218 · (Edited)
I know lots of people who have never had cavities. It's quite common now with the use of sealants on permanent teeth early on. I think some parents even ask for sealants on baby teeth.

Gasquet does have nice teeth and despite the pressure on him, he doesn't seem like a bruxer (unlike Gulbis). Could use some whitening though - but that's probably my values being skewed by being in California and NYC.

Thanks for bringing this up, Tami. I've always been curious how players handle these "housekeeping" responsibilities. When do they see dentists, doctors - ophthalmologist /optometrist, dermatologists...- hair stylists, etc. How do they maintain their house/apt while they're traveling - personally I'd want my place cleaned before I arrive and after I leave at the very least.
 
#4,219 ·
Next year he says Davis Cup will be one of his main goal that Buenos Aires is still bitter. He wants a revenge


Coupe-faim

Gasquet-Tomic, c’est aujourd’hui. France-Australie, ce sera fin janvier. Et l’an prochain, la Coupe Davis sera la priorité des priorités du Biterrois.

PÉKIN –de notre envoyé spécial

ENTRE le Mozart de Sérignan et le triple vainqueur de l’Orange Bowl, on pourrait débattre à l’infini de génie précoce et de starisation hâtive. Quand on lui rapporta avant-hier l’histoire de Richard G., neuf ans, en couverture de Tennis Magazine et de ce surnom pompeux (Wolfgang Amadeus…), Bernard Tomic, bientôt vingt et un ans, a éclaté de rire : « Mozart !? Ah oui, quand même ! C’est vrai qu’on a des parcours assez similaires. » Et puis, se projetant sur le match, l’Australien s’est d’un coup moins marré. « Richard, je le trouve dur à manœuvrer. O.K., il a ce talent spécial, ce revers mais il est aussi très physique. Il ramène beaucoup de balles. Je n’aime pas son jeu. Il ne me convient pas. » Ce n’est pas tous les jours qu’on entend quelqu’un vanter la dureté physique de Gasquet. Qui sait ? Peut-être qu’après Wawrinka à Roland-Garros, après Raonic et Ferrer à New York, une vieille étiquette est en train de se décoller. Peu à peu.

Cela dit, il n’est pas certain non plus que Gasquet adore le jeu de Tomic. La preuve : « Bernard m’a battu cette année à Wimbledon (7-6, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 au 3e tour). C’était incroyable comme il avait bien servi. J’avais pris un paquet d’aces (19). Il sent très bien le jeu. Cette année, il a eu quelques soucis avec les histoires de son père. Mais lui c’est un gars sympa, très marrant. J’aime bien parler avec lui. Plus tard, il sera dans le top 5. » En attendant, il est 55e. « Que » 55e.

Si la tentation est immense de lier la saison fadasse du fils au casier judiciaire du père, Bernard, lui, y résiste. « J’ai percé très jeune mais j’avais encore pas mal de choses à apprendre : la programmation d’une saison, la régularité… L’année prochaine sera très importante pour moi. C’est pour ça qu’il faut que je m’entoure de la meilleure équipe. C’est possible que j’engage un nouveau coach (son père étant suspendu par l’ATP et par la FIT jusqu’à mai prochain, minimum). Après Bercy, avec mon père, on va s’asseoir, réfléchir et voir quoi faire. »

Gasquet : « J’ai une revanche à prendre sur ce qui s’est passé à Buenos Aires »

Pour Gasquet, l’an prochain, c’est tout vu : « Ma priorité, ce sera la Coupe Davis. J’ai connu beaucoup de sensations fortes sur le circuit et j’ai envie d’en connaître des fortes en Coupe Davis. Envie de vivre ce truc à fond. J’ai une revanche à prendre sur ce qui s’est passé à Buenos Aires en avril. » Ah  ! Regrette-t-il son forfait de dernière minute, que certains de ses coéquipiers avaient eu bien du mal à avaler à l’époque ? Aurait-il pu serrer les dents et tenter le coup ? « Rien à voir. Avec ma cheville, c’était impossible de tenir cinq sets sur terre là-bas. Je n’avais aucune chance. Je parle de revanche contre le sort. Parce que Buenos Aires, ça m’a fait mal. »

Entre Gasquet et l’équipe de France, ça n’a pas toujours été un beau roman ni que de belles histoires. Il y a eu des coups de foudre (Halle 2006) et des psychodrames sévères (Winston Salem 2008). Des « je vous aime », des « nous non plus ». Et maintenant, voilà que le soldat Gasquet déclare la Coupe Davis priorité de son année 2014. Rien que ça. Après l’assurance que le taulier Tsonga ne ferait pas l’impasse sur le premier tour l’an prochain, la lettre de motivation du numéro 2 national ira droit au cœur du capitaine Clément.

Il ne reste plus qu’à se mettre tous d’accord sur la surface à choisir pour recevoir (bien mais mal) Hewitt, Tomic et les autres. « Pour moi, ça ne fait aucun doute qu’ils vont nous prendre sur terre, assure Tomic. Je serais très étonné du contraire. Mon bilan en Coupe Davis sur terre est très bon. Mais contre la France, ce sera compliqué. »

Refroidis par une double jurisprudence – finale à Nice 1999 contre les Australiens et quarts de finale 2012 à Monte-Carlo contre les Américains –, les Français peuvent-ils se détourner de la terre battue, surface clairement la moins favorable aux deux meilleurs Australiens ? « On n’en a pas parlé entre nous, dit Gasquet. Ce serait logique de les recevoir sur une surface lente. Qui peut être la terre. Ou un dur assez lent.»

FRÉDÉRIC BERNÈS
 

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#4,221 ·
Thank-you, once again, Soulage. :worship:

Davis Cup, though!!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Why can't his main priority be to try to seriously challenge the top 8, get into the 5-8 ranking, and push for great results in the Grand Slams, Masters Series and WTF?!?!?

After his best season for years, seriously... his goal is the Davis Cup?!?!?!?

He played like a God in Miami, then Buenos Aires wrecked him for over 3 months... ruined most of his clay season. I know he loves France and wants to do well for the team, but this feels like too much extra tennis/ travel/ emotional investment when the season is already exhaustingly long.
 
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