Nice-Premium: What has happened since your victory at the Bucharest tournament last fall?
Gilles Simon: It was part of last season, which was a good year. It was encouraging especially since I played well in important matches, even though I lost them. My goals for 2008 were therefore clear, to keep the momentum going. However, my start hasn’t been good. During the tournaments in Australia, it was tough despite a good Australian Open. Then, I made it to the quarterfinals in Marseille and the semifinals in Rotterdam. With that, I thought I would be seeded in Indian Wells and Miami. But each time, I was unlucky. I was 33rd in the technical ranking (the ranking that establishes the seeds for a tournament). In addition, I was also unlucky. Thus, I had registered for a challenger between the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments, but the registration had to be confirmed before 6 PM. The problem is, I lost my match against Mikhail Youzhny at 6:03 PM. So, I had to wait more than a week before I could compete again.
N-P: Let’s go back to the start of this year. What do you remember from the match against Nadal at the Australian Open?
G.S.: I was tense and tight against Nadal. In the first round, I win in four hours against Bobby Reynolds, a match I’m very happy with. Then I beat Rainer Schuettler, even though I wasn’t playing well and had no feeling. And then comes the third round against Rafael. I felt no pressure but I regained my feeling. I was leading 5-2 in the first set, and I tensed up. I wasn’t able to convert the break points, just as at 5-3 and the following game. I eventually lost 7-5 in the first set after two games that seemed very long. I quickly went down 4-0 in the second set then came back into the match. I lost 6-2 and then it was 3-3 in the third. That’s when I crumbled, finally losing 6-3. It was a tight, good match and an excellent experience.
N-P: Then, there were very good results in Marseille and Rotterdam.
G.S.: During the first tournament, it was a good point. At the end of the match against Djokovic, I had a huge cramp in my abs (laughs). The next round, against Paulo (Paul-Henri Mathieu), was very tough. In the Netherlands, I play two very good matches against Lopez and Tipsarevic before winning easily against Gabashvili. The problem is that in the semifinals, I ran into a bus (laughs). I play against an overpowering Soderling (6-2/6-1). I rarely saw myself so dominated. I felt like he was just hitting aces and winners. It’s the kind of match where you have no regrets because the guy across is too strong.
N-P: How did the first two Masters Series in Indian Wells and Miami go?
G.S.: I was starting to feel good. I was 29th just before Indian Wells but other players had good results so I wasn’t seeded. Also, because of a poor tournament in Zagreb, while I should have favored Dubai. Finally, I lost in the second round in California so I could well prepare for Miami. The problem is that I did not have an easy draw and I failed against Ancic in the first match.
N-P: And then there was Estoril in Portugal, last week.
G.S.: This time I had an open draw but I injured my back against Cipolla. It’s irritating especially since today (Sunday) the pain returned during my training with Marat Safin.
N-P: You’re playing a qualifier (Ramirez-Hidalgo) before maybe facing Federer in the next round. Will you think about it during your match?
G.S.: No. Playing against a qualifier is always difficult especially in a Masters. They are all very well ranked, between 50th and 70th. They know how to play tennis. It’s not a walk in the park. However, it remains a good motivation knowing that I can play against Federer. I hope indeed to be fully geared up against him like I was against Nadal in Australia.
N-P: If you face him, you will have played against the top three players in the world in four months, and not just in the first round. Few players can boast that. Are you proud?
G.S.: Yes, but also it’s one of the two in the Top 10 I have never played against, along with Blake. It’s motivating especially since he is world number 1. I’m eager to face him. Against Agassi, I never played, and yet we were one round from meeting but each time, either he or I did not advance. It’s one of my regrets, like not having played Hewitt, Safin, or Henman in competition. Fortunately, I have already challenged Gaudio, Moya, or Ferrero who are former world number 1s. That’s great.
N-P: You also had the chance to be in the French Davis Cup team as the fifth man against Romania in February. What do you remember from it?
G.S.: It’s a good experience to watch, to be there and to see how it goes. I tried to observe as much as possible. It was nice, there was a good atmosphere. However, I do not know what happened in the United States so I will not comment.
N-P: In a month and a half, it’s Roland Garros. Is it still a special tournament for the French?
G.S.: All the French want to play well in Paris but it’s not a goal for everyone as it’s not necessarily the right surface, such as for Michaël Llodra or Nicolas Mahut who prefer Wimbledon. For me, it remains a goal and I hope not to be injured. If I’m seeded there, so much the better otherwise it’s not very serious.
N-P: Especially since there are the Olympics in August.
G.S.: My goal is to go there. I know it will depend on the clay as it’s the four best French players after Roland Garros who go there. I hope my back will leave me alone. For now, it’s good.
N-P: Finally, what is your goal for 2008?
G.S.: I want to climb the rankings. If I’m 30th at the end like today, that’s fine but I’m supposed to be in a dynamic so the real goal is to make it to the top 20 with a title.
