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I Want Play Even Better Now: Simon

Such was his form that Simon, who reached a career high ranking of six in January, 2009, was able to beat the top three players—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — in 2008.

The 2009 Australian Open quarter-finalist spoke to Khaleej Times on the eve of the men’s event of the 2010 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Q. Last year when you came here, you were in the top 10. Now after coming back from an injury, how long will it take for you to reach the top 10 again?

A. It’s difficult to say right now. I am just trying very hard at the moment. I want to be even better than what I did before the injury. It’s just a question of playing the tournaments, you know. Maybe, by the end of the season, I will be back to the top 10 again. But the main thing for me is to get back my top game, my confidence. That will be the hardest thing to find back.

Q. Do you have to change your playing style to avoid such big injuries 
in future?

A. No I think I will be fine. When you play so many tournaments, you really don’t get time to work on your game, or to change your style. You are between tournaments, playing and resting. So you don’t get time to work on your game. I think I had some weakness on my leg. I was not powerful enough. Now I have done a great job in the first three months. Hopefully I will be able to play the full season.

Q. Last year you reached the semifinals here. Does it give you the confidence to do well again?

A. It’s always nice to play in tournaments where you feel confident. I was in the semifinal last year. I played a great match against Novak. Yeah, I lost the three-setter. But that’s tennis. I will try to have another great 
tournament here.

Q. How far can you progress here this time since you have just come back from a big knee injury?

A. It’s not easy to talk about it before a tournament. You know sometimes when I hadn’t felt good before a tournament, I ended up winning those. And there were times when I played so well and yet I lost in the early rounds. But the thing is I know that I can play better than what I am playing right now. I need to be ready. I need to practise more. I need to be ready to run everywhere. I will just take one match at a time. I am just looking for the first one. I will try my best.

Q. You have beaten top players. You have beaten Roger Federer in one of the Masters events even after losing the first set. Do you play better once the match progresses? Are you a 
slow starter?

A. I find it difficult to play at my best when I start. Whenever I have played the very best players, more often than not I have lost the first set. But I do manage to come back. When you play against players like Roger and Rafa (Nadal), it’s not easy to play your best tennis at the beginning of the match. The thing is even after losing the first set, I still feel good as I know that I can play my best tennis in the second set. So I tell myself ‘let’s play the match now’.

Q. So what are your goals for the 
season?

A. My main goal will be to be back in the top 10. I want to be ready for the Slams. I have just reached one quarter-finals in the Slams. So I will try to do better than that.

Q. Who was your idol?

A. I have always been a Michael Chang fan. He was a small player. I liked his game. He was quite clever on the court. He gave me the strength to play because I was also a small player when I 
was a kid.

Q. Chang was like you. He was a fighter who never gave up? Did you like that quality?

A. Yeah, he never used to give up. When you look at him, he was less powerful than his opponents, you know. But he always found solutions to win matches. That was very impressive. He was playing against players who were far more powerful than him, and yet he was the winner.

Q. Which Grand Slam title you would like to win the most?

A. Rolland Garros.