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Gael Monfils's next opponent won't be easy to beat. On Monday the French player will face Rafael Nadal, with who he lost 12 matches on 14 times. Nadal's tactics will be clear, accoeding to Monfils: 'He will try to play his game, make me move and play backhands as much as possible.
For me it will be important to get free points on serve. It will be very tough, everyone knows that Rafa is a legend and a warrior that practiced much before coming here. When I hear "Rafa is not Rafa anymore", I say that you need to be careful when you say it.
You cannot disrespect him, he marked tennis history. I will try my best against him.'
Grigor Dimitrov entered the court at Midnight to play Richard Gasquet. How it felt to play so late? 'A lot of thoughts can go through your head around that time', Dimitrov said. 'The past couple of days I've been going to bed pretty late just to get the feel going to bed late.I don't fall asleep if the match goes on. But again tonight, I'm just happy I finished in straight sets and I didn't have to waste more energy or more time on the court. For sure a match like that, it helps me. I helps me to have more confidence, to feel better on the court, more secure in my shots.
Just a lot of positives. Take a lot of positives out of that match. The first couple of matches were so-so in my opinion. To be able to come tonight and step up against a player like Richard, it means a lot to me, gives me good credit.
In the same time I just need to focus now, just need to keep the same line, just control what I can.'
Asked if he will be requesting a later start on Monday, the Bulgarian player replied: 'I'm not one of those guys that go, Can you please play me at 1 a.m.in the morning, whatever. Whatever time. I really don't care. I wouldn't think they're going to put us early to play anyway just because of my match and Denis's match. Getting ready for that one.'
Milos Raonic after the match won in four sets against Gilles Simon: 'I had a rough last 48 hours, bad fever.I didn't come here yesterday. I just slept pretty much all day. Yeah, everything was aching. Just sort of those kind of symptoms. But I got my energy up today much more. I can sometimes get winded a little bit quicker. But that's improving.
Obviously right now the most important thing for me is I can manage my tennis if I can just have my full capacity and I can figure out tennis throughout the matches. The most important thing for me right now is just to get myself a full capacity or as close to it as possible.
' Speaking about the match won, Raonic said: 'I was controlling things.I'm up a break in the third. Then he started playing a bit more aggressive. I became a little bit too passive. Then I sort of got that back on my own terms, had sort of a little bit of a deja vu, didn't hold right after I broke again.
But I was able to get back on sort of and just close it out. So I have to be happy with that.'
ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal: 'It was my day, this win is very important for my confidence'
