Julien Benneteau Monday Press Conference

J. BENNETEAU/O. Dolgopolov, Jr.
64 57 62
 
An interview with: JULIEN BENNETEAU
 
 THE MODERATOR:  Questions in French.

 Q.  So what about this match?
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Well, this match, you know, it was the first time on clay court.  The conditions were not very good.  It was very windy.  So it's not always the best conditions.
 The level of my game was also not the best.  My opponent actually did fight to win.

 Q.  Is it harder to play on clay court?  At one point it was a big problem.
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Yes, it's hard to be consistent, to play as one should, be patient, and also to try to be aggressive sometimes because you can't be patient and you can't stay behind the line all the time.
 This transition from hard to clay court is hard, for players like me, who play indoors.  I have to strike the right balance.  Of course, one week to play is not the best conditions to be at the top to play in a match.

 Q.  How long did you train?  A week?
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Yes, one week.  There's one day where I didn't play, I couldn't play.

 Q.  Did you have a physical problem?
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Yes.  I had an inflammation in the knee.  I was lucky that it didn't stay.  It was a little inflammation that appeared.  It requires time and preparation and practice.
 But everything's okay now.

 Q.  But now everything is okay?
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Yes, everything is okay.

 Q.  Are you as happy to play on hard court as you are on claycourt?
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Yes.  It changes.  It requires a lot of work.  You have to be ready physically and mentally.  You have to know when you have to try something, to be efficient.  The way of thinking is different.  The way of playing is different.  The way you run is different.
 I don't know.  I would agree with what I read in the article in L'Équipe.  I agree the ideal would be 10 to 15 days of practice so that physically you can adjust and work on it and just spend time on the court.
 A bit of a nuisance is that it's Monte Carlo.  It's a great tournament.  It's wonderful.  You can't avoid it, so it's hard, yet you have to play well.

 Q.  The next one will be a real test.
 JULIEN BENNETEAU:  Yes.  I don't even know.  Did I play against him?
 It's true, he's a real specialist.  He's a real clay court player.  It will be difficult.  But it's good to have a real test very quickly.  I have to prepare as much as I can and find solutions to win the match.  So I have to be much better than I was today in my capacity to play on this court.  I have to change my rhythm.  I have to create rhythm.  That's the way I can actually try to win against him.  We'll see tomorrow.
 
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