TENNIS 2014 ROLAND GARROS – 26th of May 2014. B. Paire d. A. Falla 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. An interview with Benoit Paire.
Q. We have seen you struggling quite a bit over the season, and I was wondering, how do you feel? I know it’s a sensitive topic, but how is your knee at the moment?
BENOIT PAIRE: For the moment, it’s okay. Since the beginning of the year, it was really difficult because some day was good; some day was bad.
Now I’m really happy, because I can play no more since four or five days. Before I couldn’t play. I try a lot of thing. I try injection 10 days ago, and for the moment it’s working. I hope it will be the same for the next one.
But for the moment I’m happy with my knee because I can play, and I can play full.
Q. How do you feel mentally? Do you feel down sometimes or lost? You don’t know exactly what’s going on?
BENOIT PAIRE: Yeah, it’s a big problem with my knee, because every player who get this injury, no, it’s never easy, because when you think it’s good and you can play, maybe the day after you can’t, and that is the most problem of this injury.
But how I say, I can play no more today and for sure physically I’m really bad, but I try to do my best here. I am really happy to play Roland Garros. For me it’s the most important tournament, and I couldn’t miss this tournament. I’m really happy to be here.
Q. Last week in Strasbourg Alize Cornet was really unhappy because she got booed by the French fans. I know you have had some tough times in the past, particularly Paris Bercy. Do you feel the fans can be a bit too demanding at times, particularly in France?
BENOIT PAIRE: To play in France for a French player it’s never easy. I think in Roland Garros is different because they support every time the French player. I think Paris Bercy is not the same public.
But here every time I play in this court, Court 7, Court 1, Suzanne Lenglen, they support me and they want to win. We have to fight if we play Roland Garros.
That’s why before yesterday I didn’t know if I gonna play or not, because if I go on court to Roland Garros, I know it’s to fight.
And I think if I’m bad here because today was not a good match for me, but they support me and they were happy because we won. That’s the most important thing to do in Roland Garros is to fight.
Q. And with this injury, we know that it’s going to be a bit more difficult if your opponents get a bit tougher. Do you have any objective?
BENOIT PAIRE: Well, the objective is quite simple. Yesterday I didn’t know if I would play today. So my objective is try if you can.
Today my knee was okay. I could play what I managed to play, so I’m very happy. I have no objective.
At the beginning of the season, I had this knee injury. I stopped for three months. I tried to be back in Australia, but then I had to stop again. I had some injections in the knee to try and stop suffering in the knee.
So it’s great being here. I enjoy every moment. And even if I lose three straight sets next match, I’m happy. It’s already a beautiful victory. And I think I have the level to go very high, but I need to be able to channel my behavior.
I thought about it, because I had time. It’s true that the most important for me is to play tennis again and to be on a court.
Q. On Roland Garros.com, some fans send questions that are not necessarily related with tennis, and they know that you love playing Pétanque and they’d like to know what you do.
BENOIT PAIRE: Well, let’s be serious about this. I had to stop for three months, and every day with my parents I would play Pétanque with, and I progressed quite a lot. I have my set of balls, and it’s true, I played every night.
It was nice. It kept me from thinking and from being sad, not being on the tour, because when you’re not on the tour you’re sad. And I watched matches on TV and I saw players winning in places I love like Acapulco, Montpellier, Marseilles. It was very difficult for me.
So I had to find something to do, and my coach and my family was always behind me, which is good, because some people stopped backing me during that period.
So it’s true that I’m very good at Pétanque and I play with my left hand.
