Melbourne (AFP)

Despite a match that gave him "want to break everything" and a tactic decided with his coach that he applied "to the letter" even if it destabilized him, Gaël Monfils eliminated Thursday the Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic (124th) in the second round of the Australian Open.

Q: How do you explain your bad start to the match?

A: "I was a little tense. I rushed because I didn't warm up well. I needed to serve a little more so I stayed, I did not go to sit down to cut two seconds and I put the tactical plan in mind. I went straight to the match. I stressed myself a little bit. I started the match very badly with two double faults, it went very quickly. I didn't have the opportunity to break it down. I wanted to break everything on the first game. I was frustrated but it's part of the game and things I'm trying to manage better. I'm working on it, so I'm happy to have managed to do it today and to have proven that I could do it. "

Q: You were serving abnormally slowly today, only 163 km / h on average. Was it wanted?

A: "It was completely tactical. I followed the plan to the letter, even too much. I had to make first balls as second and even almost only second. Against Karlovic, the slower we serve, the less he returns. At one point I was serving too slowly, he was doing forehand shifts, he knew where I was going to serve, I went too easy, I wanted to be precise and I lost my rhythm. I couldn't do a simple kick at all because I just wanted to put it in the field. "

Q: How are you feeling before this 3rd round?

A: "The first two matches are atypical, but all I can see is that I was physically good. I was moving well. I covered my field well. I was fairly frank with my forehand. was not a rally game. I was sure of my physique and I was sure to stay in my strategy. I figured if I didn't win in three sets I would do it in four sets , or five. I sprained my wrist a little but it is not worrying, I have turned cannonballs. It happens to play with physical glitches, but with adrenaline it is fine. "

Comments gathered at a press conference

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