"I didn't have the ranking to play (the main draw) and I was lucky to get an invite, and then I was lucky to play some tennis that I hadn't played in a long time" , underlined the French after his defeat 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 against the 23rd world.

He is all the more proud of it as he was able to demonstrate to his sons, present in the stands and who had not seen him play for a long time, that he had been a great player.

"They thought my tournaments were ending quickly lately," smiled the 37-year-old who announced on May 7 that he would end his career at the end of the season.

"Obviously it's not the game I wanted to do, but I'm glad I played it against Marin. If I play Isner, it's horrible, because there's no exchange If I play a Frenchman, there is no atmosphere. Marin, it's great: he's a player I adore", assured Simon who had before this duel a record of six victories in seven matches against the Croatian.

"Always ahead"

"It's now 6-2, I'm still ahead!" Rejoiced the Frenchman.

On a Philippe-Chatrier court bathed in sunshine and almost full, each of his points provoked a clamor.

But there were too few (7 winning moves against 42 for Cilic) for the public to lose their voice.

Frenchman Gilles Simon, during his third round match against Croatian Marin Cilic, on May 28, 2022 at the Roland-Garros tournament JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

A louder clamor arose when Simon won his first game of the game, on Cilic's serve, trailing 6-0, 2-0.

An ola was then triggered at the change of ends when Simon won his second game of the game, again on Cilic's serve to come back at 5-2 in the second set.lo

"Gilles must have the best stats for games won after being behind, so I knew I had to stay focused until the end," Cilic said.

But Simon was never able to turn the game around.

"I'm sorry for Gilles, but I'm very happy to have played like that", added, in French, the Croatian who will face in the round of 16 the world No.2 Daniil Medvedev, impressive since the start of the tournament, who hasn't lost a single set yet.

Croatian Marin Cilic, during his third round match against Frenchman Gilles Simon, on May 28, 2022 at the Roland-Garros tournament JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

Voltarene, Doliprane, morphine

"I asked him in the locker room if this was his last tournament and I was relieved when he told me he would play again," added Cilic.

The former world No.6 decided to leave the circuit at the end of the year because his body is no longer able to keep up.

He returned to this subject on Saturday before leaving the Central: "I am at three Voltarene and six Doliprane before the match, after that I only have morphine left", he joked.

Frenchman Gilles Simon, after his defeat against Croatian Marin Cilic, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, in the 3rd round of the Roland-Garros tournament, May 28, 2022 JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

"I will put everything I have left until the end of the year hoping to relive that," he concluded.

Three times, he reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros, without managing to go beyond (2011, 2013, 2015).

He had his best Grand Slam result at the 2009 Australian Open and 2015 Wimbledon by making it to the quarter-finals.

Winner of the 2017 Davis Cup, he has to date 14 titles and 500 victories on the circuit.

© 2022 AFP