Guy interview (taken today,18 november) for once a not boring interview!
Q: Guy, which impressions leave you your players these last weeks?
The assessment is rather positive, whether it is into simple or double. I saw very good things, few bad. I was optimistic before the tournament of Bercy and I left the POPB while being to it very as much.
Q: Guy, You know your players very well. Did you still learn from the things on them at the time of a tournament like BNP Paribas Masters?
Of course, I saw new things with Bercy! I saw a Sebastien Grosjean more offensive. I saw new compositions of double with sequences which I liked, of the very interesting things. Thus yes, I learned still much.
Q: How do you explain the good results of your players these last weeks? Can one speak about effect Coupe Davis?
Partly. I think that the carrot of the Davis Cup at the end of the season is something of positive for them. They want really to deserve their place and to put the maximum of confidence on their side. I as believe, to return to the performances of Sebastien Grosjean to Saint-Péterbourg, or Fabrice Santoro in Madrid, as they are boys who, today, are at the top of their game. They are complete, have retreat, experiment. They are morally rather sure them and that is seen, that pays in match. As for Paul-Henri Mathieu, it is the explosion of a young talent until one waits for a long time. There, it is appearing in a way crashing to pieces at the great day. For Nicolas Escudé, it is some formidable share which it made a success of in Bercy, because it is a manner for him of finding the confidence which was perhaps lacking to him, following its wound with the abdominal ones. The victories which it obtained with the POPB are likely to completely reassure him on his level of play.
Q: The other side of the coin is that they played all much lately. Don't you fear that they are somewhat blunted?
At all, because I believe that there is a very good timing. None of them disputes Masters. Egoistically, compared to "my" Cup Davis, finally rather compared to my team, I would say that it is a good. They played all much, but they could profit, after Bercy, of time to be on holiday and nothing to make whole, to put the racket on side and ressourcer as well physically as morally. Following that, they could take again the drive on their premises, quietly, to crescendo give the foot to the clamp and to tackle the training course of preparation while being to block from all points of view. Thus on the contrary, I believe that the timing is really very, very good.
Q: The choice of surface for the final seemed very delicate. Is this the most difficult choice that you had to carry out since you are a captain?
Not. On each meeting, I have choices difficult to carry out. It is that there, surface was not obvious to choose, precisely because owing to the fact that there is in our team of the boys with very different styles of play and who take a lead in very diverse surfaces. For a given moment, it was necessary to slice and the majority of the players had profit of cause. While knowing that the Russians will be probably less dangerous on clay than on hard.
Q: Did you have to slice personally?
With final, it is me which announces it, but they are the players who are concerned. These is thus the choice and their decision which are most significant, not mine.
Q:Since announced it to you, you regretted, would be this only one time, this choice of the beaten ground?
At all!
Q: Contrary to last year, you will dispute the final in France. The pressure to be supported will be much more significant. Isn't this a handicap?
To play home has advantages and disadvantages, as well as playing outside. The advantage which one has today is that one will have the public behind us, but also that one disputed the three preceding meetings on our premises. One thus grew louder and louder with this public! One cannot say only one is likely to be caught a cold shower, because of a contrast which would put pressure to us. Not, one plays like that since the beginning of the season, it is rather positive.
Q: How will you protect your team from this pressure?
I believe that I do not need to protect it. This team is autonomous, each one knows what it has to do, each one has its place, all the roles are well defined. As for the media pressure, it is good, necessary to the stake. It contributes to the fact that the boys will transcend themselves, to produce a very good tennis. They will be some share in their bubble to optimize their play and their qualities, but they are completely serene. They have trade. All!
Q: Do you have already a precise idea of the team which you will align?
Not, I have images, I think of things which could go. But I did not stop my choices. I will not lie you, my team is already made to 90 %
Q: you play on clay,so it means that Escude wont play single
Nicolas Escudé has thus very, very few chances to be retained into simple. If I had chosen a fast surface, that would have been the surface of Nicolas above all. Thus the miracle solution does not exist. Most significant will be the capacity of the ones and others to produce their best tennis of Friday at Sunday. It is what that one will gain or lose this meeting. Surface is not, in fact, that a detail.
Q: Where are you of your experiments in double?
I had five players in quarterfinals in Bercy! And three in the final! It is an assessment than positive more. I will not complain. My team however is not made yet.
Q: Were you surprised by some players?
Not surprised because I know their intrinsic value. But to see, in new teams, the quality of play which they were able to produce, it is very encouraging for the continuation. Not only for the final against the Russians, but also for next year.
Q: what do you think of the Russians?
They are players stronger than us on paper. They have a more eloquent prize list and are able, I think, to beat us with regular on all surfaces. Now, to make the perfect meeting of A to Z, knowing that there will be five matches to play, and that physical freshness will have its word to say, that Kafelnikov had very poor results on clay these three last years, it will not be obvious for them. The probability of seeing the Russians carrying out the perfect match is thus weak! If, contrary, on our side, one makes a match meticulous person, one arrives at our signal, one must be able well to annoy them, even to beat them. One will do everything so that that occurs like that.
Q: Did you already notice weaknesses at your adversaries?
Yes, of course! Not much because it is nevertheless not of Charlots! But I detected axes of work. In Bercy, I even saw gaps in the play of Safin, of the things which one will exploit.
Q
o you have the feeling which the Russian team is strongest that you had to face under your capitanat?
Not, I do not think who it is stronger than Australia last year. I think that that will be the same style of meeting as in Melbourne. If one wants to beat the Russians in Paris, it same tennis should be produced. But the ball is in our camp, more than in theirs. The meeting will rest above all on our forces.
Q:a thought about Llodra?
I've phoned him 3 days ago and he found my selection logic.there are no faves here,it plays who deserves it.