Q. Who's your conditioning coach, and are you paying him enough?
GILLES SIMON: It's Paul Quétin. He works with the French Federation. Yeah, we did a great job. I always be a good runner, so...

Q. You've had to do a lot of running in the last two weeks.
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, but I run more the next few weeks again.

Q. He started out hitting some very big shots and was giving you some trouble. Seemed like at a certain point you started just keeping the ball in and letting him make mistakes. Was that part of what you were looking at?
GILLES SIMON: Yes, because Marin is a very good player. He has a huge serve and a good return. Then when you play fast he just play on the baseline. He's hitting the ball so hard also.
But when you play slowly we could say that he missed some easy shots because he just doesn't manage to finish the point himself. He need the speed of the opponent. That's why he had a very good start. He played three very nice game.
Then I just wanted, yeah, to put the ball inside on the backhand five, six, seven, ten times. But I didn't want to change that, because sometimes he's a little bit impatient and he's trying some shots he shouldn't try and giving some points.


Q. Is that part of what happens when you're a younger player in terms of impatience and in terms of not quite having your shots down?
GILLES SIMON: No. I don't think it's because he's young. I mean, maybe he can do something to change this. He will never have a big forehand like González or Andreev. He's going to keep the same forehand.
But maybe if he comes more often to the net, if he's coming - not every time - but, yes, one point he come and one point he stay, then for the opponent it's harder.
But he's just playing from the baseline and he never comes to the net. Even when you're far from the ball you just put the ball inside and you run, you run until he miss.

Q. I know you have you've been playing a lot of tennis over the past two weeks, but have you been able to sit and reflect about what's it's been like to be on the greatest run of your career?
GILLES SIMON: I mean, I didn't realize yet what is happening. I'm just so confident I want to win every match, even if I'm tired. I know I'm playing very good at the moment, so I want to try to win the more match I can to have the better ranking at the end of the week.
Because you know, when you play tennis, sometimes after you can be injured or something like this and the confidence just go away like this.
So I'm just trying to play with this and to win all the match I can.

Q. James Blake has just lost. You'll be playing Nicolas Kiefer. What do you know about him?
GILLES SIMON: Nicolas is a good player. Can be a surprise, but not a big surprise that he won today, because was maybe No.4 in the world. He was injured, but he played some good tournaments this year. He played semi in Hamburg, so it will a hard match like usual.
But, yeah, I just give -- I just hope that we are going to play a great match with a great fight. Even if I died on the court, yeah, I just give the maximum tomorrow.

Q. What does it say about the men's tour right now that in this tournament, which is a very tough field, that it's two unseeded players on one side of the semifinal?
GILLES SIMON: That mean that finally the level between all the player is very close. The last two years it was always Roger and Rafa. Last year is Djokovic, and every time the three same players in semifinal and final.
But this year it's starting to change a little bit. That mean that they are very good players still. Yeah, I mean, they're the champions. But if they are not playing their best tennis they can lose the match. That's only what I mean.

Q. Has the wind been much of a factor in the play the last two or three days or so?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, I think.

Q. Has it affected the forehand or the backhand side more or the serves?
GILLES SIMON: I don't know. All the game. I mean, everything is better, so...
There is not one shot.

Q. I meant the wind.
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, yeah, I know.

Q. Just the same?
GILLES SIMON: No, just the same. I don't even feel the wind. Never. I know there is some but it's not too much, so doesn't affect my game for the moment.

Q. How tired are you right now, or how tired were you when you started the match? What kind of a night did you have last night?
GILLES SIMON: Right now it's difficult to walk. But like usual, with a good massage and some stretching and a good rest, tomorrow I'll be a new guy.

Q. When do you feel the fatigue? You seem to get on the court and you find another gear. When do you feel the fatigue: before and after or just after?
GILLES SIMON: Every time. I am playing with this every time. But like I said, when you are tired, that mean that you won some match. Or if you are tired at the first match, that's not good for you.
But if you win nine match in a row like this, even if you are tired you play with the confidence. The confidence is more important than to be exhausted at the end of the point.

Q. When is the last time you felt this tired, or have you ever felt this tired?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, I remember, of course. The last time it was my first match in the Australian Open against Massu. I won 6-4 in the fifth. First time I play fifth set. Yeah, they have to carry me to the locker room. I couldn't walk.

Q. What do you do to rest? Watch TV, a movie, read a book, just go straight to sleep and wake up when you have to?
GILLES SIMON: Yeah, I try to sleep a little bit when I'm back at the hotel. Every time I'm playing first match, so I have to wake up early.
Then there is nothing to do. I mean, I finish the match, with the press, the massage, the stretching, everything. When I'm finally done with this it's already 8:00, so just have dinner.


(via ASAP Sports, photo/Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Gilles Simon - Toronto 25. July Interview