A complicated start to the season: two defeats in two matches
“I played my first match of the season, in Brisbane, the only one brought forward to Sunday, barely 48 hours after my arrival in Australia. With this tight timing and the problems I encountered with my hamstrings, I had struggling to regain my feelings Today, I feel that the training is finally becoming qualitative. I have acclimatized to the heat and the speed of the surfaces. My level is good, but it remains to be translated into a match. if the form returns to good time.”
Should we already be worried about David Goffin?
His ambitions at the AO and his first round against Benjamin Bonzi (ATP 70)
“Benjamin regained good sensations at the end of last season. He had several successes on the Challenger circuit and even won the ATP 250 in Metz. He is a complete player, fast, who hits hard and the hard is his surface favorite. I’ve always come out on top against him but we can’t say it’s an easy draw. In a Grand Slam tournament, each match is a bit unique, especially in the first round. , I hope to start well, but every match is tough in a Grand Slam and it’s difficult to plan ahead. We can play three or five sets and that affects recovery.”
The qualification of Gauthier Onclin
“I followed his journey and we had the opportunity to meet here in Melbourne. I’m obviously happy for him, because he had to hang on after a difficult period last year. He finished the season by delivering good matches in $25,000 It wasn’t easy, but he narrowly got his ticket to qualifying. Qualifying for his first Grand Slam tournament is always a special moment. “
“There are still great things to be found”: Gauthier Onclin’s challenge against Reilly Opelka in the first round of the Australian Open
His prediction for the Australian Open
“For me, the favorite remains Jannik Sinner, even if we haven’t seen him yet this season. We had a glimpse of Novak Djokovic in Brisbane, he is not yet at his best but he is still Novak. Alcaraz hasn’t played yet either, and this surface, which is quite fast, suits him less, even if he is capable of everything. We must also always pay attention to Alexander Zverev, who remains the world No. 2. , like Daniil Medvedev arriving late in Melbourne after the birth of his child, it will be difficult.”
The victory of Gaël Monfils, 38, in Auckland
“Physically, with age, it becomes more and more difficult. Not so much in terms of physical abilities but rather in the risk of injury, recovery and the sequence of matches. In a match, I don’t think that a 38 year old player is less strong than a 25 year old player (Editor’s note: the Frenchman beat Zizou Bergs in the final). The real difficulty is to reproduce your good performance several times during the week, as Gaël did. I hope to relive it and win a title in the future.”
Despite his defeat in the final in Auckland, Zizou Bergs was full of confidence before the Australian Open: “The players view me differently”
His post-Melbourne deadlines
“The time for registration is coming and we will have to make choices. After the Davis Cup weekend (February 1 and 2)there are several possible choices in view of the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells which will be the next big event with that of Miami in the process. In the preceding weeks, there are ATP 500s, including two in Doha and Dubai. But I could very well go to Acapulco, too. What is certain is that I do not want to overload this period before Indian Wells because I want to arrive in the United States in good shape before attacking the clay court season which will arrive very quickly.”
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