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2013 Fall Season, Regroup! Allez!

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#1 · (Edited)
Happy New Year to everyone!

Here we go again. 2013 Season begins...This year a new adventure for Gilles as he's going solo. Hopefully, he's healthy and ready. I'm preparing for another roller coaster ride as long as the ride isn't too bumpy for the stomach ;).

First stop, Brisbane.

(1) Andy Murray (GBR) vs Bye
Tatsuma Ito (JPN) vs Qualifier
Radek Stepanek (CZE) vs (WC) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
(8) Martin Klizan (SVK) vs Denis Istomin (UZB)

(4) Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) vs Bye
Julien Benneteau (FRA) vs Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)
Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs Qualifier
(5) Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs Marinko Matosevic (AUS)

(6) Florian Mayer (GER) vs Santiago Giraldo (COL)
(WC) Benjamin Mitchell (AUS) vs Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Qualifier vs Alejandro Falla (COL)
(3) Gilles Simon (FRA) vs Bye

(7) Jurgen Melzer (AUT) vs Qualifier
(WC) Matthew Ebden (AUS) vs David Goffin (BEL)
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs Brian Baker (USA)
(2) Milos Raonic (CAN) vs Bye

Allez Gilles!
 
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#980 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

yep i agree! I just hope he's not reading all the nasty stuff people are writing about him after DC :mad:
btw 2day he lost his dubs match with Nicolas. That's a pity cos it was not broadcast anywhere and i would have loved to see them play together at least in a match...oh well
 
#982 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

Well, in typical Gilles Simon fashion as of late, he crumbled under the pressure of serving to stay in the first set at 4-5 down and was broken to lose the first set thanks to an easy regulation backhand that he netted and then a forehand he pushed wide. It's not looking promising that he's going to even make it out of the 1st round of a tournament he's practically owned in years past. I hope he can find a way to turn it around in the second set but I kinda doubt it.
 
#991 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

Somehow I mistaken the start time and only manage to turn the stream on at the last game of the first set, which he so generously gave away. After that, I dare not to watch, so just kinda followed the scoreboard. Serving out for the match, I almost suffocated myself. Thank goodness he won, at least the losing streak is over.
 
#992 · (Edited)
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

Well I'm glad Gilles won to avoid the opening match defeat at a place where he has done his best, but that opening match didn't paint a pretty or convincing picture. For one, I think Gilles benefited, although barely, from a pretty obviously tired looking Jarkko who has played a lot of tennis recently. Two, he continued to make poor decisions on the court and most disturbing of all, he needed a rub down from the trainer in the third set. This is a guy who used to be able to go and go and go like the energizer bunny. He lost first round in the Masters in Monte Carlo and had plenty of time to regroup and recover from DC by now and he's already needing a rub down? I think it might be fair to assume that without a coach he may also not be training as hard or as much as he should be.

Bottom line. I'm glad he won today and I hope he can keep willing himself further in the tournament, but this new coach he's going to announce can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned and I hope he will be able to get through that stubborn head of Gilles and whip him back into shape both mentally and physically because he's a hot mess right now.
 
#995 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

I was watching a little bit of Monfils and Brands just now, and I walk out and walk back in and the match was over? what happened there? Monfils retired, I guess.

Well, not sure if I'm happy or not. I dragged a Monfils/Simon match, but I fear Brands :lol:. There're some players Gilles had played and lost their first ever meeting and for some reason, those losses had deeper marks on me, Brands' was one of those. I hope Gilles can manage. I saw Monfils returning his serve at like right in front of the bleacher, probably 5 meters away from the baseline. I hope Gilles won't do that. Good luck next round.
 
#996 ·
So glad the streak is over :yeah: :woohoo: , it was great that he didn't gave up after losing the 1st, and I saw him playing more or less good, good consistency many times. IMO it's a quality win, specially on the mental side (. 12/16 BP's saved :yeah: ), and also bcoz it was vs Jarkko, who was getting a lot of wins lately ( Raonic, Delpo..). Now Brands, 1-1 H2H, Gilles winning in Rotterdam in straights, I think he can win, but the german will definitely tough. I hope his physical problems were nothing but fatigue, butbhe mentioned in an interview after MC that he was't feeling great physically so i don't know.
 
#998 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

I watched the entire match live. Very good, high qualify, fun match. Typical good (but not excellent ;) ) Simon's match :p Audience gave Jarkko standing ovation as he left the court. He fought to the last point. Both players were good sportmanship giving each other points when there were bad line calls. Good to see two of the most likeable guys on tour playing at high level.

Starting slow, hot opponents, grinding them down, returning everything, serving OK (although he couldn't find first serve when serving for the match). The draw looks pretty good now.

Yes, the thigh-rubbing at the end of two-hours is worrisome.
 
#1,000 · (Edited)
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

Thanks Soulage, for the article.

Not a French speaker here, but I run it thru translator, and maybe adjust a word here and there, not much. Some of them I don't quite get the full meaning, so maybe others who are more fluent can improve the translation, appreciate for any help.

BUENOS AIRES, ROCA PARK, April 7, 2013. - For Gilles Simon, tennis is also a source of reflection. He dissects everything, much analysis and, most importantly, do not forget to practice self-criticism. In Bucharest, as in Buenos Aires in the Davis Cup.
This is the Caption to the picture, which really quite put the article in essence.

Here, I regress

GILLES SIMON, who believes that his game is deteriorating day by day, comes with disconcerting frankness of his season.

Another one of those simonesques matches that begin with throbbing rallies to finish breathless thriller 2 h 40 '. For Simon, Nieminen is "a pain in the ass." It is almost certain that the Finns think the same of him. And when the two marathoners who do not let go clash, it gives 215 points stewing (including more than a dozen more than thirty shots), with narrow strikes and sparkling counters, boredom and bravery . Came close to be led 6-4, 2-0, while Simon has led the third set before saving four balls 5-5 on serve. It may be seen where the effect Bucharest, who allows Simon to come here the course of five consecutive victories, after an early season landed badly fitted. "In this game, it was so much better in terms of concentration, movement or backhand ... "Still, one of those games, that the French himself posed questions, as so often in recent months. Winner of matches often grimy, crushed in the boiler of the Davis Cup in Argentina, Gilles Simon needs a complete reformat. That is why he will soon bring in a new coach, six months after abandoning its collaboration with Thierry Tulasne.

"HOW DO YOU come to the conclusion that you need a new coach?
- Because my game deteriorates, simply. Faster than I thought. There are things that I cannot resolve. The service, for example. Backhand, I do not feel too good either. At first, when I found myself alone, I had to make small corrections that I could find. But, I feel that it becomes more difficult.

- You can really lose your game like that?
- You lose it gradually. You make a wrong move, and usually you have someone who as soon as makes you the little correction. While there, I automate something that is not good, especially as I was focused on something else such as detachment or intentions, being calmer, etc.. When I failed, I was on: "You not angry, stay cool", that on the technique itself. At some point, you do not manage to get out.

- Do you regret having left a few months alone?
- No. I wanted to be alone because I needed to be alone, and I could play match more relaxed and loose before games. It helped me make my choice, to go there and not be able to blame but myself. When I'm all alone, there is no one there who annoy me or to tell my life! This is also why at Indian Wells, when I played against Paire (I think he meant Lorenzi), I fired some members of my family, I felt I became again crazy ...

- It has the air of a complicated mess ...
- It's a long struggle for me, but I have grown enormously. Yes, I played matches catastrophic, but much less in terms of attitude.

- But you lose anyway ...
- Here, I regress, it happened slowly. I'm more relaxed, yes, it at least allows me to make game like in my trainings ... not great. At one point, with Thierry (Tulasne, his former coach), I felt like doing more things in training but not in match. I was too tense, I had too many injuries. Here, there are things that I can no longer do.

- That's quite a balance to find, tell me!
- Beyond the casual that I had less pain, it was also linked to the fact that I trained a lot less. Four hours of care per day, one hour on court ... But that's why playing long matches, it became hard. When I played Gael (in Melbourne), I cramped, at 6-4, 6-4, while I have never cramped in my life! For me to keep progress is to retrain me harder. My game is really in a bad state.

- The fight against the tension that seems to undermine you, it comes from where?
- The only concern I have is this: when you stop, you feel like you did the max of what you can do. I'm tense because I think I can do better than what I do. Nico (Mahut) said: "You, you're montrous, you're always between the tenth and fifteenth in spite of your service or your volley." Yeah, I gotta be the guy with the most room for improvement. I feel ...

- You would need something to relax?
- It's very simple. I was world number six, I want everything to be fifth. And I am convinced that this is possible when I see Berdych and Del Potro. They have another career than me, another public image, but when I play, I'm not afraid at all. I do not feel less safe, you got to look at our face-to-face (against Berdych 5-2, 3-3 against Del Potro).

- Is it not a big title that relieve them?
- It's the other direction. As Ferrer - I relax, I'm playing well and I'm fifth, which is less tense than before when he farted the shot and he insulted his coach. Same for Berdych, it is not crazy as before. It's good. I'm just more relaxed than I am actually air. You comment on my remark in Davis Cup after the match against Monaco. "You said that you were tense, but it did not show ..."

- It was also a surprising frankness to recognize being tight to the point of having a block against Monaco on Friday ...
- I've never hide. The guys take it as a negative thing, "Ah! he was afraid, him ... "Yeah, it's just normal! It's extraordinary to come without fear. I admire these guys, even if there are few. Sunday's game is a hundred times better. Against Monaco, it was disgusting. Yes, it happened in my head. I was not able to be released. Against Berlocq, I am more relaxed about what I can be. I play four hours without pain everywhere. The next day I was fine, no soreness, nothing.

- For you, so there is not a Davis Cup effect?
- It's just that I do not play well enough. He was more attacking, more accurate, more consistent. There were too many times when I felt that I was missing, not because I was tense, but because I was more at that level.

- But how to explain the fifth match on Sunday is less hard to deal with that on Friday at 1-0 for France ...
- On Friday, the first game. On Sunday, the second. This is the same reason that only the first round at Roland, you are more tense than in the second. In the beginning, there are the unknown, people, location, noise. And when you're used to, you feel like you're there.

- You're really not like everyone else!
- I observe in relation to what I do. On Friday, I see that it is not enough. I arrived on Sunday, I go knowing that it is impossible to go by simply putting it in the court. Must go, must strike. And it's much easier for me.

- And yet ... Are we so easily recovers a defeat in such a game?
- I'll leave it always easy, it is better also because I have not gained much ..

- It is a strength ...
- I really do not care what people will say and what will happen. I know what I did. Friday, I was wrong, on Sunday, it was all balls, me. And I pass quickly thereafter.

- Even if you have a bad run ...
- Yes, but I have a good series against by in tournament finals. Series, it stops. I very badly in Grand Slams, and I ended up making knockout everywhere. "Piol" (Cedric Pioline) lost in his first final, and then it is balanced. In fact, it is the others who are trying to put you in doubt.

- But it is a blow to lose his place in Davis Cup!
- I do not occult. That's what I said at the end of the weekend: "Is what it is for me" And the only answer that comes, that is obvious, that takes you all the questions you can ask yourself: "Anyway, it's not my decision." I'm playing, the captain knows my stats. If he says at one point: "It is for you to go," is that he thinks it's me who will win the point. "

Franck Ramella

-----------------------------------------------

BUENOS AIRES, PARQUE ROCA, 7 AVRIL 2013. – Pour Gilles Simon, le tennis est aussi source de réflexion. Il dissèque tout, analyse beaucoup et, surtout, n’oublie pas de pratiquer l’autocritique. À Bucarest, comme à Buenos Aires en Coupe Davis.

Là, je régresse
GILLES SIMON, qui estime que son jeu se dégrade de jour en jour, revient avec une franchise déconcertante sur son début de saison.

Encore un de ces matches simonesques qui commencent par des rallyes lancinants pour finir en haletant thriller de 2 h 40’. Pour Simon, Nieminen est « un casse-couilles ». On est à peu près sûr que le Finlandais pense la même chose de lui. Et quand s’affrontent deux marathoniens qui ne lâchent rien, ça donne 215 points à l’étouffée (dont plus d’une dizaine à plus de trente coups), avec des frappes étriquées et des contres étincelants, de l’ennui et de la bravoure. Passé tout près d’être mené 6-4, 2-0, Simon a conduit tout le troisième set avant de sauver quatre balles de 5-5 sur son service. Il faut peut-être voir là l’effet Bucarest, celui qui permet à Simon de passer ici le cap des quinze victoires consécutives, après un début de saison terrienne mal emmanchée. « Dans ce match, c’était tellement mieux en termes de concentration, de déplacement ou de revers... » Encore un de ces matches, donc, où le Français se pose des questions, comme si souvent ces derniers mois. Vainqueur de matches souvent crapoteux, broyé dans la lessiveuse de la Coupe Davis en Argentine, Gilles Simon a besoin d’un reformatage complet. C’est pour cela qu’il va très prochainement faire appel à un nouvel entraîneur, six mois après avoir abandonné sa collaboration avec Thierry Tulasne.

« COMMENT EN ÊTES-VOUS arrivé à la conclusion qu’il vous fallait de nouveau un coach ?
– Parce que mon jeu se dégrade, tout simplement. Plus vite que je ne le pensais. Il y a des choses que je n’arrive pas à régler. Le service, par exemple. En revers, je ne me sens pas trop bien non plus. Au début, quand je me suis retrouvé seul, j’avais des petites corrections à faire que j’arrivais à trouver. Mais là, je sens que ça devient plus difficile.

– On peut vraiment perdre son jeu comme ça ?
– Tu le perds petit à petit. Tu fais un mauvais geste, et d’habitude, tu as quelqu’un qui te fait aussitôt la petite correction. Alors que là, j’automatise quelque chose qui n’est pas bon, d’autant plus que j’étais concentré sur autre chose comme le détachement ou les intentions, le fait d’être plus calme, etc. Quand je ratais, j’étais plus sur : “T’énerve pas, reste cool”, que sur la technique elle-même. À un moment, tu n’arrives plus à t’en sortir.

– Vous regrettez d’être parti quelques mois en solitaire ?
– Non. Je voulais être seul parce que j’avais besoin d’être seul, et j’arrivais à jouer mes matches plus détendus et détachés qu’avant. Ça m’a bien aidé de faire mes choix, d’y aller et de ne pouvoir m’en prendre qu’à moi-même. Quand je suis tout seul, il n’y a personne avec qui m’énerver ou raconter ma vie ! C’est d’ailleurs pour ça qu’à Indian Wells, quand j’ai joué contre Paire, j’ai viré quelques membres de ma famille, j’ai senti que je redevenais fou...

– Ça a tout l’air d’un chantier compliqué...
– C’est un long combat pour moi, mais j’ai énormément progressé. Oui, j’ai joué des matches catastrophiques, mais beaucoup moins au niveau de l’attitude.

– Mais vous perdez quand même...
– Là, je régresse, c’est arrivé doucement. Je suis plus détendu, oui, ce qui me permet au moins de faire en match comme dans mes entraînements... qui ne sont pas super. À un moment, avec Thierry (Tulasne, son ancien coach), j’ai eu l’impression de faire plus de choses à l’entraînement, mais pas en match. J’étais trop tendu, j’avais trop de blessures. Là, il y a des choses que je n’arrive plus à faire.

– C’est un sacré équilibre à trouver, dites-moi !
– Au-delà de la décontraction, si j’ai eu moins de douleurs, c’était aussi lié au fait que je m’entraînais beaucoup moins. Quatre heures de soin par jour, une heure d’entraînement... Mais c’est pour ça que jouer des matches longs, ça devenait dur. Quand j’ai joué Gaël (à Melbourne), j’ai crampé à 6-4, 6-4, alors que je n’ai jamais crampé de ma vie ! À moi de garder les avancées et de me réentraîner plus dur. Mon jeu est vraiment dans un mauvais état.

– Ce combat contre cette tension qui semble vous miner, il vient d’où ?
– La seule inquiétude que j’ai est celle-ci : quand tu t’arrêtes, tu veux sentir que tu as fait le max de ce que tu peux faire. Je suis tendu parce que je pense que je peux faire mieux que ce que je fais. Nico (Mahut) me dit : “Toi, t’es monstrueux, t’es toujours entre dixième et quinzième malgré ton service ou ta volée.” Ouais, je dois être le mec avec le plus de marge de progression. Je le sens...

– Vous auriez besoin de quoi pour vous détendre ?
– C’est très simple. J’ai été numéro 6 mondial, je veux tout faire pour être cinquième. Et je suis persuadé que c’est possible quand je vois Berdych ou Del Potro. Ils ont une autre carrière que moi, une autre image dans le public, mais quand je les joue, je n’ai pas peur du tout. Je ne me sens pas moins fort, il n’y a qu’à voir nos face-à-face (5-2 contre Berdych, 3-3 face à Del Potro).

– Ce n’est pas un grand titre qui vous soulagerait ?
– Ça va dans l’autre sens. Je me détends, je joue bien et je suis cinquième, comme Ferrer, qui est moins tendu qu’avant quand il pétait les plombs et qu’il insultait son coach. Pareil pour Berdych, il n’est pas fou comme avant. Il est bien. Moi, j’ai juste l’air plus détendu que je ne le suis réellement. On m’en a fait la remarque en Coupe Davis après le match contre Monaco. “Tu as dit que tu étais tendu, mais ça ne se voyait pas...”

– C’était d’ailleurs d’une franchise étonnante que de reconnaître être tendu au point de se bloquer le dos contre Monaco le vendredi...
– Je ne me suis jamais caché. Les mecs le prennent comme une chose négative : “Ah! il a eu peur, lui...” Ben oui, c’est juste normal ! C’est extraordinaire d’arriver sans avoir peur. Je les admire, ces gars-là, même s’il y en a peu. Le match de dimanche est cent fois meilleur. Contre Monaco, c’était dégueulasse. Oui, ça s’est passé dans la tête. Je n’ai pas réussi à être relâché. Contre Berlocq, je suis au plus détendu de ce que je peux être. Je joue quatre heures sans avoir mal partout. Le lendemain, j’étais bien, pas de courbatures, rien.

– Pour vous, il n’y a donc pas un effet Coupe Davis ?
– C’est juste que je ne joue pas assez bien. Il fallait plus attaquer, être plus précis, plus régulier. Il y a eu trop de moments où je sentais que je ratais, pas parce que j’étais tendu, mais parce que je n’ai plus l’habitude de le faire à ce niveau-là.

– Mais comment expliquer que le cinquième match du dimanche est moins dur à aborder que celui du vendredi, à 1-0 pour la France...
– Le vendredi, c’est le premier match. Le dimanche, c’est le deuxième. C’est la même raison qui fait qu’à un premier tour à Roland, tu es plus tendu qu’au deuxième. Au début, il y a de l’inconnu, les gens, le lieu, le bruit. Et quand tu as l’habitude, tu as l’impression que tu y es.

– Vous n’êtes vraiment pas comme tout le monde !
– Je le vois par rapport à ce que je fais. Le vendredi, je vois que ça ne suffit pas. J’arrive le dimanche, j’y vais en sachant que c’est impossible d’y aller en se contentant de la mettre dans le court. Faut y aller, faut frapper. Et c’est beaucoup plus facile pour moi.

– Et pourtant... Est-ce qu’on se remet si facilement d’une défaite dans un match pareil ?
– Moi, je m’en remets toujours facilement, il vaut mieux d’ailleurs parce que j’en ai pas gagné beaucoup...

– C’est une force...
– Je me fous réellement de ce qu’on va dire et de ce qui va se passer. Moi, je sais ce que j’ai fait. Vendredi, j’ai été mauvais, le dimanche, on a tous les boules, moi le premier. Et je passe vite à la suite.

– Même si vous avez une mauvaise série...
– Oui, mais j’ai par contre une bonne série en finales de tournoi. Les séries, ça s’arrête. J’ai très mal commencé en Grand Chelem, et j’ai fini par faire huitièmes de finale partout. “Piol” ( Cédric Pioline) a perdu d’abord dans ses finales, et puis ça s’est équilibré. En fait, ce sont les autres qui essaient de te mettre un doute.

– Mais c’est un coup à perdre sa place en Coupe Davis !
– Je ne l’occulte pas. C’est ce que je me suis dit à la fin du week-end : “Est ce que c’est fait pour moi ?” Et la seule réponse qui vient, qui est évidente, qui t’enlève toutes les questions que tu peux te poser : “De toute façon, c’est pas moi qui décide.” Moi je joue, le capitaine connaît mes stats. S’il me dit à un moment : “C’est à toi d’y aller », c’est qu’il pense que c’est moi qui vais gagner le point. »

Franck Ramella


__________________________________________________________

Typical Simon style itw, he laid it all out there. This is why I like him so much, he's always clear of his own thinking and has no trouble articulate them for anyone who cares to listen.
 
#1,002 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

All of this stuff he's talking about is exactly what I saw on the court against Jarkko and why I said it didn't paint a very convincing picture while most were saying it was a good match and this interview was before the tournament even. He's a mess right now. I'm most disturbed by his failing conditioning and I don't mean injuries. He's starting to break down way to soon in a match physically and it's exactly what I figured. No coach there to tell him to practice harder and longer. He's spending more time with a physio instead.

It's infuriating to see him do things like against Jarkko when he's got him backed up all the way to the back of the wall almost in a rally and then instead of coming in he hangs back behind his own baseline and lets Jarkko work his way back up to the baseline and eventually win the rally over and over and over again making it take way longer than it had to for him to barely pull out the win. Like I said, this new coach can't come soon enough. Gilles is in desperate need of a tennis makeover from top to bottom.

In the meantime, I hope he will be able to find a way to scrape out a win on sheer will and determination yet again over Brands today.
 
#1,004 ·
Re: 2013 Spring European Clay Season, Allez!

Gilles almost bageled Brands.:D He's definitely firing on all cylinders this morning. He's being aggressive. Coming forward on short balls without hesitation. Serving well and making few unforced errors. So far much better than his match against Jarkko, but that could still change. I wish the way he's playing right now was the norm and not the exception these days. Hopefully he can take out Brands in straights and save some energy.
 
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