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~~Articles & Interviews about/of Gaël~~

50K views 468 replies 62 participants last post by  n8 
#1 ·
#281 ·
And the rough translation of the 2nd part:

What does Manicom give to you you hadn't before?
- 1. I'm not afraid anymore to get injured since he started to take care of me. 2. He was introduced to me by my father to give me a direction. They're always in touch and Philippe is putting my mind at ease, he's protecting me. I heard people say he might give doping substances to me. He never told me to take anything. My father isn't going to bring me into the hands of a dangerous guy. He isn't crazy! My parents ordered a counter-inquiry about Philippe, though, and they didn't find anything.
Don't you think that getting closer to him made you drift away from Champion?
- I don't know. But I'd like to thank the Team and Thierry. I'm not an ungrateful person.
After your first collaboration with Champion, you worked with Pier Gauthier, then Olivier Delaître, then Tarik Benhabilès, then back to Champion. All this in 2 years. And now you're going to change again. Why this unsteadiness?
- It is derogatory to put it like that. It makes me look like a capricious person who throws coaches away like tissues. And it's not true! Each coach has been an extraordinary plus for me. Everytime I've changed, I was aiming at even more. And it's the same this time again. I never leave just for the sake of leaving people. I've never made errors and I've never had any regrets. It always was the right person for me at the right time.
But do you understand that this divorce might be of concern one month after having reached the semi-final of Roland-Garros?
- Yes, some people must think: 'That's it, we've lost him again'. Some people even think I don't care about being a champion. People often speak for me and I used to keep quiet. I've decided this had to change and that's why we're here today. I don't want people to think anymore that I'm a puppet. I know what I'm doing. I'm stunned when I hear people say I'm an unmanageable kid, a lazy swine who is ruining his career and is easily influenced. My ultimate goal is to become a really great tennis player.
Don't you think you'll have to settle down with a coach to improve?
- Listen: I'm young, I'm used to change coaches all the time and I've been doing quite well so far. I started with my father, then Richard Warmoes, then the FFT, then Luigi Borfiga, then Guillaume Marx, then Olivier Delaître. I'm not afraid to change.
You pulled out of Bastad on Monday. What was the problem?
- I sprained my left ankle in training in Sweden on Monday morning. I was running to get a dropshot, my foot got stuck in a hole and I twisted my ankle. I really hope I'll be able to play in Toronto in 2 weeks.
And how is your shoulder which forced you to pull out of Wimbledon?
- It's doing better and better. I still can't serve at 100%, but not far away anymore.
Do you know who is going to be your next coach?
- I have different possibilities: some new ones and some old ones. I won't stay for 1000 years with that person, but I know I'll make the right choice. I want to play well in Toronto, Cincy, the USO and especially at the Olympics. That is a dream.
Which is the profile of this coach?
- Somebody with a lot of energy, who believes in me, in my ability to go very far. Somebody who is leading me the hard way. I need a leader. Whose views really rock.
Is it possible he won't be French?
- Yes, that's a possibility.
Brad Gilbert?
- Yes, I have thought of him. But there are other options too. At least two other foreign coaches. But I prefer not to give any name yet.
Everybody is sure you'll go back to Benhabilès...
- The good thing is that we already know each other. I love him, but I haven't taken any decision so far. I'm thinking about it.
 
#283 ·
Ce mec a quand même de sérieux soucis... ça tourne pas rond. Alors qu'on le croyait devenu plus raisonnable et mûr depuis sa demi-finale, alors qu'on pensait qu'il avait appris de ses erreurs, eh ben non, il remet ça et vire son staff... :rolleyes::eek:
Je sais pas si son égo est démesuré, s'il a tendance à prendre très vite la grosse tête, à vouloir toujours mieux, à se trouver trop fort pour se traîner Champion et Barbarin comme entraîneurs, mais ça craint... Champion a dégagé Paulo comme un malpropre pour être avec Gael, quel gachis !
Maintenant, les noms annoncés, Benhablies, Brad Gilbert...ça changera rien à son problème. Il faudrait déjà qu'il change d'entourage ! Qu'il consulte aussi éventuellement...
 
#286 · (Edited)
That's an interesting comparison with Golovin.
And yes, I wish he would listen less to his father, but that's a long shot.
As for the rest, even if I really can't stand all this Manicom BS, I think it's good he leaves the Lagardère Team for many reasons, so I don't really mind the new change of coach. I think it's better for him to stay a bit away from the French tennis circus, he's way too touchy and independent for that.
I'm not surprised by his reaction ("Nobody is allowed to comment on my decision, nobody!" etc.), I also thought they shouldn't have said that publicly when I read the article in L'Equipe last time and I was expecting some clash.

There is a full page in the JDD today about his "guru" Manicom! :eek:
Here's a screenshot, I hope you can read it, I can't change the zoom (maybe it's on the JDD website too):
 

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#287 · (Edited)
First the interview of Manicom ("I'm not his guru"):
He says he has nothing to do with the split, even if some people have accused him. He just did his job. He was ready to work with the Lagardère people, he even praised their job.
The staff was distrustful, but it's normal since they're not used to his methods: acupuncture, tuina, chinese massage, moxibustion. They don't really know him.
"Q: They wonder why you never even tried to have a look at Gaël's medical file...
A: (Hesitation) We went directly to Gaël's place with his father and we started to work on his adductors. In the end he was able to play Roland-Garros. As for the doctors of the Team, they haven't tried to know either what had happened when they saw him play."
He was hurt by the doping accusations coming from people around Gaël.
"Q: It looks like your role, or your influence, goes beyond the medical aspect.
A: I'm not a witch doctor or a magician. One can't fool Gaël Monfils, you know. I'm not his guru. But I give him serenity and strength. The ying and the yang. Gaël immediately felt something."
Gaël isn't seeking his advice for his new coach, Manicom lets him take his decision. He doesn't think it's an error to take a new coach, even though Gaël was criticized for it. Things happen for a reason. "Gaël is a 'flower of the future'. Not like Nadal who already is fully developed, or even overdeveloped. I'm from the US sports world, you know. There is a lot of talk about Gaël over there, he's respected. Shaquille O'Neal even asked me if he could come to see him play. I actually do with Gaël the same job I already did last summer with Shaq who made me a proposition I couldn't refuse. I had promised to my family that I would spend the summer with them then. But my kids told me after RG: 'Daddy, you can't let Gaël alone, what is happening is great'. They met him. They already adore him as much as I do."
 
#289 · (Edited)
And here is the summary of the not so nice article: :devil:
Manicom has a Master of oriental medicine. His "patients": Lenny Krawitz, Julio Iglesias, Bob Marley's mother and Kassav. His big reference in sports is Shaquille O'Neal, but the Team Lagardère is a bit suspicious about that. As soon as Manicom arrived in Paris, they investigated about him and asked Grosjean who often works with the medical staff of the Miami Heat. Grosjean went to Manicom during RG and told him: "How come I've never seen you there?"
Manicom also wanted to see Tsonga in Paris: "I can help him to avoid surgery", he was saying. "You know his problem?" Manicom: "No."
The Lagardère doc about Manicom: he claims he's able to do everything. A real doctor doesn't monopolize a player, he shares the informations. Manicom completely isolated Gaël. "I've already seen that in sports. It tends to a guru role. And if Manicom was competent, he would have spared Gaël the shoulder problem."
A medical test made after Roland-Garros had shown that Gaël was "biologically tired". The docs told him to reduce the training sessions. But just before Wimbledon he spent one hour practicing his serve at full power. Manicom was on the court. Not Champion.
Manicom denies having any secrets, says he even treated Barbarin and Champion and means Champion was feeling much better after that treatment. Somebody from the Team Lagardère: "Thierry found a needle in his neck half an hour later, he was bleeding!" As for Barbarin, he needed 6 weeks to recover from his muscle strain, which is just the normal recovery. They call Manicom a "darts player" at the Team Lagardère.
Is he dangerous? "As soon as somebody is acting on his own without any openness, one can imagine all sorts of abuses."
 
#292 ·
I read this article, and ...this guy is is not "clean". :(
Gros baratineur et vantard qui a eu son diplôme dans une pochette surprise... :rolleyes:
Seb Grosjean en espion, trop fort :lol:
 
#293 ·
He has a new coach!
Monfils a choisi Rasheed
Le demi-finaliste de Roland-Garros sera désormais entraîné par l’Australien Roger Rasheed, ancien coach de Lleyton Hewitt.

AU PETIT JEU des devinettes, il fallait se méfier des apparences. Samedi, Gaël Monfils avait embarqué dans un avion, traversé l’Atlantique et déballé ses bagages à Miami. Miami, Miami... mais oui, mais c’est bien sûr ! Le demi-finaliste du dernier Roland-Garros, en quête d’un entraîneur depuis sa rupture avec Thierry Champion et l’entité Lagardère il y a treize jours, venait de nous aiguiller sur la piste qu’on savait la plus chaude. La Floride, c’est là où travaille Tarik Benhabilès, son ancien coach qu’on allait pouvoir nommer bientôt, la main à couper, son « ancien futur coach ».
Problème, tout le monde n’est pas Sherlock et cette piste n’était que coïncidence. « Gaël est là-bas parce que Philippe Manicom (son kiné personnel) a un pied-à-terre sur place et que c’était l’endroit parfait pour s’acclimater à la chaleur avant les tournois de Toronto et de Cincinnati », corrigeait Dominique Cordier, l’attaché de presse de Monfils. Mine de rien, nous n’étions pas tout à fait bredouilles. Indirectement, nous avions confirmation que Monfils jouerait bien à Toronto la semaine prochaine, ses bobos à l’épaule droite et à la cheville gauche étant désormais « cicatrisés ».
Il ne manquait plus qu’une pièce au puzzle : le nom de l’entraîneur mystère. C’est Roger Rasheed, alias « pas n’importe qui ». Australien, né à Adélaïde voilà trente-neuf ans, Rasheed est essentiellement connu (exclusivement connu ?) pour avoir été le coach d’un p’tit gars d’Adélaïde comme lui, Lleyton Hewitt. Les références du monsieur ne sont pas à traiter par le mépris, même si on ne peut pas s’empêcher de remarquer que, pendant la période Rasheed, juin 2003-janvier 2007, Hewitt a certes disputé une finale à l’US Open (2004) et une à l’Open d’Australie (2005), mais est aussi passé de no 1 à no 20 mondial. Du déclin d’un des meilleurs joueurs des années 2000, Rasheed n’est peut-être pas coupable, ni même responsable. Mais il se trouve que sur son CV il n’a pas d’autres références d’entraîneur à faire valoir. Le milieu s’est d’ailleurs souvent interrogé sur ses compétences, lui reprochant d’avoir trop pensé à faire faire de la gonflette à Hewitt au lieu de réformer son jeu.
Dans les archives de la banque mondiale du tennis, le dénommé Rasheed Roger n’a pas non plus laissé un souvenir impérissable. Au début, il a été présenté comme un grand espoir sur son île (phénomène de précocité, il s’était qualifié à seize ans pour l’Open d’Australie en 1985) et, à la fin, on parlait de lui comme d’un bon garçon trop souvent blessé et qui n’avait jamais percé, son meilleur classement, 192e en mai 1992, en attestant. Ces derniers temps, « R. R. » donnait dans le commentaire télé pour Channel 7 et fit parler de lui cette année en divaguant à l’antenne sur le petit short moulant de Venus Williams.
« C’est un mentor »
Ce n’est évidemment par cet argument qui a séduit Monfils. « Moi, je voulais entendre un autre discours, nous disait hier l’actuel 35e mondial. Ce qui m’a attiré, c’est d’abord qu’il est celui qui a fait Hewitt (c’est un peu exagéré, on l’a vu). C’est donc quelqu’un qui a l’expérience du haut niveau, qui est très branché sur le physique et c’est un mentor, un type avec un gros caractère. Je l’ai contacté personnellement il y a dix jours et, depuis, nous avons régulièrement échangé. Tout de suite, il a été emballé par le projet. Je lui ai parlé de trois axes : travail, travail et objectifs. Les objectifs, c’est d’abord d’être très bon aux Jeux Olympiques et, pourquoi pas, de finir l’année dans le top 15. »
À ce stade, trois questions s’imposent. Question 1 : après avoir beaucoup papillonné ces vingt-cinq derniers mois, passant de Thierry Champion à Olivier Delaître à Tarik Benhabilès à Pier Gauthier, puis de nouveau à Thierry Champion, Monfils considère-t-il Rasheed comme un intérimaire ? « Pas du tout !, assure-t- il. Notre contrat court jusqu’à la fin de l’année mais nous sommes d’accord pour une association à long terme. Il sera avec moi à Toronto, Cincinnati et à l’US Open. Idem pour la saison indoor. » Que Rasheed soit le père d’une fille de dix-neuf mois, que sa base australienne soit à l’autre bout du globe ne seraient pas, selon Monfils, matière à problème. Question 2 : pourquoi avoir opté pour une première expérience avec un coach étranger, sachant que Monfils n’est pas à proprement parler anglophone ? « Mais non, je me débrouille très bien en anglais ; c’est juste que devant les journalistes je n’ose pas trop. Que Roger soit australien n’a eu aucune influence sur mon choix. C’est un entraîneur qui peut me faire avancer, c’est tout ce que je vois. » Question 3 : Rasheed a-t-il donné son feu vert à la présence de Manicom dans la future structure ? « Oui, répond Monfils. Ils se sont parlé au téléphone et tout est en ordre. » Voyons voir maintenant si Monfils va hurler des « Come on ! », le cri de guerre du Hewitt triomphant.
FRÉDÉRIC BERNES
 
#294 · (Edited)
A summary (the article is quite negative - it's from L'Equipe, btw):

Since he left for Miami on Saturday, everybody was thinking he would work again with Benhabiles who is based there. But it was just a coincidence, his agent (Cordier) said he went to Miami only because Manicom has a house there and it was the perfect place to adapt to the heat before Toronto and Cincy. The agent also confirmed he will play Toronto since his shoulder and his ankle are fine.
Then Gaël announced yesterday that he has chosen Rasheed. The journalist stresses Rasheed is only known for having coached Hewitt in the past, which might sound great, but Hewitt went from #1 to #20 in the time when he was coached by him. People on the circuit have often wondered about his coaching skills and say he focused too much on the fitness (Lleyton gained a lot of muscles at that time) and not enough about developping his game. Hewitt is his only credential. He hasn't done anything as a player either. He's only been in the news lately for his embarrassing rambling on TV about Venus Williams' shorts.
Gaël: "I wanted to hear something new. What appealed to me is the fact that he has 'made' Hewitt [it is not really accurate, as we saw at the beginning of the article]. That means he knows the top level, he's very plugged into the physical side and he's a mentor, a guy who has a character. I contacted him myself 10 days ago and we've been in touch since then. He was immediately thrilled by the idea. I told him about the 3 main directions: work, work and goals. The goals being to be really good at the Olympics and, why not, to finish the year in the top 15."
The journalist raises 3 questions:
Is Rasheed going to be another temporary coach? "Not at all! We have a contract for the rest of the year only, but we agreed on a longer collaboration. He will be with me in Toronto, Cincy and at the US Open. Same for the indoor tournaments." The journalist points out Rasheed has a 19-month-old daughter and is based in Australia, but Gaël means it won't be a problem.
Why pick an English speaking coach since Gaël is not exactly bilingual? "I get by fairly well in English. I just don't feel too comfortable in front of the journalists. The fact that Roger is Australian didn't influence my choice. He's a coach who can help me to make progress, that's the only important thing for me."
And is Rasheed OK with the presence of Manicom? "Yes. They called each other and everything is fine."
 
#297 ·
De rien! Do you have Canal+ Sport, Bullibulle, will you be able to watch that "Sujet Gaël Monfils" tomorrow? I'm wondering what it might be. 20 minutes, that's about the duration of the last Canal+ report about him, but it would not be the best timing to broadcast again something about his collaboration with Champion.

I can't wait for Toronto to start, the news about Rasheed sound exciting to me, I'm glad he has for the first time a non-French coach.
I'll have to take a look again at my "Hewitt: the other side" DVD, I don't even remember if Rasheed appears in it (I just remember boring stuff like Lleyton fishing and Lleyton playing baseball and Lleyton doing the shopping...)
 
#298 ·
I don't have Canal + Sport Truc, but I think that at this hour, it is in "clair" (not encrypted), and that also I will be able to see the report. I will tell you the subject of this report if I am able to see it. It is indeed perhaps a repeat broadcast of the report which one knows. Well, we see tomorrow ! ;)
 
#299 · (Edited)
First comments of Rasheed:
L'entraîneur de Monfils voit grand
Roger Rasheed est optimiste. Le nouvel entraîneur de Gaël Monfils ne tarit pas d'éloges à son sujet («Il a une couverture du terrain incroyable, c'est un contorsionniste. Il est unique, surtout au ralenti !») et devine de grandes choses pour lui : «Entrer dans le Top 5, gagner un Grand Chelem est largement dans ses cordes. Cela dépendra juste de sa capacité à devenir régulier et à pouvoir enchaîner semaine après semaine. C'est ce qui le sépare pour l'instant des tous meilleurs.»

Pour autant, l'ancien coach de Lleyton Hewitt ne veut pas précipiter les choses et précise qu'il «est inutile de se mettre la pression en ciblant tel tournoi ou tel classement.» Rasheed semble pour l'heure impressionné par le mental du Français et souligne qu'il a été «bluffé» par un joueur capable de lui-même téléphoner à un entraîneur pour l'embaucher : «Normalement les joueurs passent par les agents. Là c'est lui qui a pris les choses en main et j'avoue que ça m'a séduit. J'ai eu d'autres offres mais je cherchais d'abord quelqu'un avec du caractère.»

Le technicien sent Monfils «prêt à s'investir dans quelque chose de solide» et «part sur du long terme (car) pour réussir, il faut un travail de longue haleine. La plupart des grands champions bénéficient d'un encadrement stable. Gaël le sait.» Cette nouvelle collaboration ne fait donc que des heureux, surtout dans la famille de Rasheed. «Je vais venir à Paris. Ma fille va adorer !»
http://www.lequipe.fr/Tennis/20080720_100016_l-entraineur-de-monfils-voit-grand_Dev.html
But maybe there is an English version somewhere since it was an interview in English?

He's very laudatory, means Gaël is unique and his movement is incredible. He definitely has the potential to win a Grand Slam and enter the top 5 if he improves his consistency, that's his problem right now.
He's impressed Gaël called him in person to ask him if he was interested to coach him. The agents do that job usually. Rasheed had other propositions, but he was looking for somebody with a big personality and found very appealing that Gaël takes the situation in hand.
He will come to Paris with his family ( :scared: - I hope Gaël will stay with him for a while then!)
 
#302 ·
Longer version of the interview of Rasheed:
http://sport.france2.fr/tennis/atp-wta/45080890-fr.php
But nothing really interesting.
He will come to Paris and Gaël will go to Australia during the Australian summer in order to be well prepared for the Australian Open unlike many other players.
Rasheed will be with Gaël on all the tournaments.
He's only interested in a long-term collaboration and even though Gaël often changes coaches, he thinks that Gaël really is motivated this time since he took the initiative in contacting a foreign coach.
He doesn't mind the presence of Manicom if Gaël believes in it. Lleyton also was working with outside people and Rasheed didn't mind.
 
#305 ·
We post most of the stuff about the Olympics in the Beijing thread, there already are a video, some pics, news, etc.:
http://www.menstennisforums.com/showthread.php?t=129316

Here's the summary of the article in L'Equipe about Gaël's first impressions:
JO - Tennis - Monfils : «C'est extraordinaire»

Toute l'année, il parcourt le monde. Toute la saison, il part glaner ses points ATP, saute d'avion en hôtel en club. Mardi, Gaël Monfils s'est posé au village olympique et il savoure comme un junior, assis dans le vestiaire de Roland-Garros à côté de Roger Federer. Dans sa tenue olympique siglée France et d'un autre sponsor que le sien, le demi-finaliste 2008 des Internationaux de France a les yeux de Chimène pour les Jeux Olympiques qu'il vit pour la première fois : «Le village m'a marqué. Voir tous les sportifs, l'ambiance et l'ampleur des Jeux, je trouve cela extraordinaire. J'ai vu Tyson Gay, cela m'a fait plaisir. J'ai rencontré Dirk Nowitski, Pau Gasol, ce sont des idoles. J'adore voir comment cela se passe, échanger avec eux, voir ce que les Jeux Olympiques représentent pour eux.» Comme la plupart des champions français, il a vécu son apprentissage à l'Insep où tous les sports se côtoient et cet environnement multisports lui rappelle à la puissance 1000 ses "jeunes" années.

Pour les sceptiques sur la motivation des joueurs de tennis lors des JO, il suffit juste de regarder Gaël Monfils. Ses yeux brillent comme un enfant devant une vitrine de Noël à l'évocation du village. Chacun connaît son goût pour les sports US, mais Gaël Monfils aime le sport en général et se nourrit de toutes les rencontres. Au village olympique, il est servi. Levé tôt mercredi en raison du décalage horaire, il est sorti discuter avec d'autres athlètes. Peu importe qui, il a juste envie de profiter et de partager. «Cette semaine, je vais aller voir des sportifs pour parler avec eux, voir ce que les JO représentent pour eux et aller voir les sportifs d'expérience comme Olivier Girault (Ndlr : capitaine de l'équipe de France de hand). Je l'aime beaucoup, avoue le Français. On avait un peu parlé ensemble à Paris, je vais essayer d'aller le voir dans la semaine pour lui parler un peu, cela va me faire du bien.»

«Il faut gérer l'excitation»
Parce que l'émerveillement ne doit pas tourner à l'aveuglement, Gaël Monfils ne veut pas perdre de vue son objectif : «Honorer le drapeau français pour la première fois, cela me fait plaisir à 100%. Mais ce que je veux vraiment, c'est ramener une médaille à la France. J'en ai les moyens. L'objectif est fort pour moi, mais je mets la barre encore plus haute parce que je représente la France.» Pour réussir son pari, il doit donc digérer ses problèmes gastriques, en bonne voie de guérison, qui l'ont contraint à l'abandon contre Tommy Haas à Cincinnati et rester centré sur la compétition qui débute dimanche. «Le plus dur sera de gérer l'excitation. Sur le terrain, il ne faut pas avoir envie de trop bien faire, de vouloir trop représenter les couleurs françaises. Il va falloir être entre les deux. Mais c'est extraordinaire, c'est beau et je ne vais pas lâcher, prévient la "Monf" qui se voit bien également avec une médaille en double aux côtés de Gilles Simon. Je sais par exemple que je ne suis pas encore prêt à 100% aujourd'hui, mais j'ai déjà envie de jouer. Je sais qu'il faut que je m'entraîne bien pour arriver au top.»

La concentration sera donc un élément clé à plusieurs niveaux. Le 42e joueur mondial doit maîtriser ses émotions à l'extérieur et contenir son physique dans des conditions difficiles avec beaucoup d'humidité et de fortes chaleurs étouffantes. Toujours très -voire trop- généreux dans l'effort, Gaël Monfils doit maîtriser ses fameuses glissades et surtout se montrer agressif pour éviter l'usure physique. «Les conditions ne sont pas faciles, il fait hyper lourd. On transpire super vite et énormément. Les balles ne sont pas super, elles s'usent très vite et le rebond est très haut, énumère le Parisien qui est épaulé par Cédric Pioline, responsable du haut niveau masculin à la Fédération, pendant ses JO. Ce sont des conditions que je peux aimer, mais on n'a pas trop le droit d'avoir des sautes de concentration. Il va falloir que je me concentre énormément.» Après avoir rêvé au village, Gaël Monfils veut donc rêver sur le terrain. Quand il avoue qu'il connaît le même état d'excitation qu'avant la demi-finale de Roland-Garros. Ca promet !
Sophie DORGAN, à Pékin
http://www.lequipe.fr/Jo/breves2008/20080806_140828_monfils-c-est-extraordinaire_Dev.html
 
#306 ·
He's looking like a Junior sitting next to Federer in the lockerrooms of RG for the first time and sounds so excited about meeting all the other athletes. He says he saw Tyson Gay, he met Nowitski, Pau, Gasol, they're all "idols". He loves to watch everything, talk with the others, feel what the Olympics mean to them.
Like most of the French tennis players he has been at the INSEP when he was young and the INSEP also gathers all sports, so this "multisports" atmosphere reminds him of that period of his life.
If some people sometimes question the motivation of the tennis players for the Games, they just need to look at Gaël Monfils. His eyes are bright with excitement, like a child at Christmas. His passion for US sports is well-known, but he also loves sports in general. He says he'll try to meet as many people as possible during that week, for example the captain of the French handball team. "I like him a lot. We talked a little bit in Paris, I'll try to see him again this week, it will do me good."
But he must be careful not to get blinded by his excitement and to focus on his goal. "I enjoy at 100% playing for the 1st time for the French team. But my real goal is to win a medal for France. I can do it." He can see himself winning a medal in doubles with Gilles too [:lol: Well, faith can move mountains, so maybe it can make Gilles volley too!]
He'll need to get rid of these gastric problems which have been bothering him since Cincinnati though [sounds like he's still not completely OK!]. He knows he isn't completely ready yet, but he's eager to play.
The conditions are tough: very humid, very hot, he sweats so much. The balls aren't great, they wear out very fast and the bounce is high. "These conditions might suit me, but I can't afford too many lapses of concentration. I'll need to be extremely concentrated."
He'll be coached by Pioline during the Olympics.
 
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