I'm quite anxious about the quarterfinal match between Rafael Nadal and Gilles Simon tomorrow. As I'll be heading back to KL tomorrow I could be missing this match.It's interesting to read Gilles' interview especially on how confident he is on taking Nadal. Here's an excerpt of that interview.
Q. Do you have some specific tactics in your mind if it's Nadal?
GILLES SIMON: Yes. I have to run five hours to win. I have no choice (laughter).
Usually I think that it's easier to play against them because you really know what you have to do. You just have to do a perfect match to win. If it's not perfect, you lose.
It's easier when you get into the court. It's easier to stay focused on the match because you know that every point is important.
Well, just have to be perfect to win. So I prefer to play in that way.
Q. How different will you feel facing Nadal again perhaps in this tournament compared to last year when you faced him here? You've changed a lot as a player. How different is your approach now mentally maybe?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, the approach is different because I just did it once, so it's easier for me. When you get into the court, you just want to win always. Last year when I played against him, that was not this already.
I wanted to play a good match, but when I had a chance to finish the first set finally, yeah, I didn't play to win the match. I was just enjoying to be on the court, playing beautiful points, but that was it.
This time it's gonna be different because I just want to win. I don't care about my level.
Earlier today, Gilles took a break to do AO promo photo shooting at the southern star wheel.
(Images by Fiona Hamilton/AFP/Getty Images)
