T. HAAS/J. Chardy

7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

An interview with:

JEREMYCHARDY

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. What is it that you regret with this match?

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, I'm really sad I lost. What I regret most is my serve.
It was difficult for my serve. My shoulder was hurting. It was tough. It was
difficult. When I can'tuse my first serve, it's difficult.

It's not the type I'mused to playing. Yet it's a nicechallenge. I'm rather
proud of what Idid. I fought till the bitter end. I didn't want to give in. I
never gave in. I always believed I could win. Unfortunately, he had many
break points perset, so I'm not used to that type of thing. I'm a bit
disappointed.

However, there are positive aspects as faras my game is concerned. For
instance,I've seen that on all surfaces, I can adapt my game. I can play well
almost on all surfaces.

My game plan works on all types ofsurfaces, and that's very positive.
It'sgoing to give me more trust, more confidence, rather, in the future.

Q. Duringthe fourth set, you were leading 3 to 1 and we thought, this is it.
This is the turnaround, and then you lost 10points in a row. What happened
during thisthird set?

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, me, too. When I was up 3 to 1, I felt he was notfeeling
that good at that moment, and I thought he was panicking, so I seizedthis
opportunity. I played my best eachtime. Since he was not feeling good,
Iwanted to show him I was really on the court.

So he tried to servebetter, and he had fewer first serves, and this gave me a
number of freepoints. That's when I broke him.

But then what happened is that I made anerror when I served. I was up 3 to
1,and I wanted to have a variety of serves. My first serve was never okay, so
I should have had more differentserves. I should have served andvolleyed
more. Unfortunately, I justwanted to bother him with my serve, but that was
not good enough.

I was not serving well enough, notstrong enough. That's what Iregret. I
should have served morestrongly and more serve and volley types of serves,
because otherwise he tookthe initiative when he would return the points or
the balls. That's what I regret. I was not serving well, yet I felt that
Icould have won from the baseline. I wasfeeling good from the baseline,
physically, that is. I'm a bit disappointed.

Q. Whendid you start feeling this pain in your shoulder?

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, yesterday it started. My shoulder was hurting. This
morning when I was practicing it washurting a lot, so I don't really know.
Idon't know where it's come from. It'sonly when I serve that it hurts a
little. I don't know why. I have noexplanation so far.

I think that, you know,what I'll remember from this match is that physically
I still have toimprove. There's a lot I could dophysically, because, you
know, a Grand Slam is tough for me. It's two weeks, and you have to be fit,
youhave to be ready. You shouldn't feel anytype of pain. Your body has to
betotally fit, the shoulders, the hips.

So that's what I've still got to workon. I'm happy to realize this, because
Iknow there's still room for improvement.

So this is what I'll do. I'll draw a number of lessons from thistournament,
and I now have new working objectives.

Q. Wouldyou say that this pain has impacted your game? You were trying to hit
more forehands.

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, of course it had an impact. I realized my serves were
not reallygood. It's good for those who servewell, because that's free
points, and that's a big advantage during amatch. And I realized this
today,because when the first serve is good, then it's easier to have a good
forehand.

But if it's only secondserves that you serve, then you want to play more from
the baseline, and thenit's a different style of game.

But this is the way it is, you see.

Q. Duringthe first two sets, it was difficult for you to play correctly with
yourforehand, and then throughout the match, would you say that you've
enjoyedthese different rallies?

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, during the match, you see, I was quitefrustrated,
because I was not as fit as what I wanted to feel, you know. On the court I
wanted to win, like anybody else. I don't like losing. I hate losing. So I
tried to find solutions to win.

And then, yes, Ienjoyed a number of things on the court. Like I was fighting
for each point, and even though I was down two sets,I was a break point late.
Yet I wantedto fight for it, which is what I did.

And then I attacked more than usual. It's a bit of a pity I was not coming to
thenet more often. I should have done thison all the short points. I should
havetaken the ball more quickly, and then end the point closer to the net.

However, I enjoyed playing on thecourt. I have the impression I fought tothe
very end of the match, and that's the most important thing.

Q. You'revery clear-sighted in terms of tactics. You've not played enough
different types of points. You've not volleyed enough. So does that mean that
what you miss atpresent is more experience, even though, of course, it's
always easy to saythis after a match. But, you know,tactically, you were not
good enough?

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, yes. Sometimes. I need to improve onthis, because when I
don't feel good enough, it takes me too much time to beback into the match.

So that's what I'vebeen working on. I want to improve thisthing, because, you
know, when you reach the highest levels, when you're notreally into the
match, then you lose many points in a row. So one has to be really open-eyed
on thecourt to change your tactics quickly.

If you want to beat the best, defeat them,you have to change the tactics
immediately. When they find the right tactics, they know what to do, and this
is whatthey're going to do till the end of the match. So this is what I've
decided to work on, to imitate them and, in turn,change my tactics and do the
same against the players who play better than I do.

Q. Yourcoach said you were a bit nervous because there were loads of
expectations onyour shoulders. Did you feel thispressure during the
tournament or during the match?

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, I was nervous. I've always been nervous with the
firstmatches during the tournament. When Iwas on the court, I was nervous. I
thinkI managed this aspect of things and I'm rather satisfied.

I was really eager toplay again here, the French Open. Iwanted to play well,
and I've gone through two rounds, so this is okay. I wanted to have more of
these rounds.

But I'm satisfied. Since the beginning of the year, I can tellyou I'm
satisfied with my season, and I want to look ahead. I want to look at the
positive aspects only,and then later on, I'll see what I can improve,
because, you know, I have tofocus first on the positive sides, and then I
look at the negative sides.

I'm satisfied with my tournament,yet I know there are many points I have to
improve on. That's a goodthing. It's good news, because, youknow, my ranking
today, I don't want this ranking to be my best ranking. I still want to
improve.

I can improve an awful lot. I want to go further in the Grand Slams,
sothere's a lot I have to work on still.

Q. Iwanted to ask a similar question. Iwanted to ask you a question about the
10 points you lost in a row in thefourth set. Is it because it is Saturdayand
you thought, I have to react? Butthen you couldn't?

JEREMY CHARDY: No. Onthe court, I was not thinking about the fact that it was
live on TV. There are so many things you have to thinkabout when you're on
the court. I didn'tcare about TVs.

At the end of the thirdset, that's when I was really into this match. I was
really well-focused on my game, the things I had to do. But I didn't feel
that good physically. I was looking for more energy in me. I wanted to be
more focused. I wanted to find more physical energy andshow my opponent I was
here on the court. Who knows? Who knows? I really believed I could win till
the veryend. I thought I could win this match infive sets.

So I never gave in. Never. And even when I lost, I thought I could have still
won the match.

Q. Didyou think you would stop or retire during the match because your
shoulder washurting?

JEREMY CHARDY: No, not here. Not in Roland. It could have hurtmore. I would
not have retired. No, not on the court. I would have gone to the very last
point tofind solutions to win.

No, retiring? Well, maybe another tournament, but not here,not in France.
Never.

Q. I have the impression that sometimes you were trying to look into
youreyes, your opponent's eyes. You werestaring at him on a number of points.

JEREMY CHARDY: Well, sometimes, yes. When I don't feel really good, like
today. Well, yesterday, sometimes it happened, aswell yesterday. Well, you
know, tennisis like a fight. If you can't find thesolutions with your game,
well, try and find solutions elsewhere.

I wanted to show him Iwas there on the court, as well. I wasnot afraid of
him. It can work. If this works, I'll do it. All solutions are good to win,
you see. So I had to find all that I could to win thismatch. Sometimes, it
was an eye combat,as well as a mental combat against the opponent when I
don't feel thatgood. Yeah, sometimes it happens.