Lucas Pouille – Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously you came late from Marseilles. How was the turnaround for you? How did you feel today?

LUCAS POUILLE: Well, I mean, the tournament was good. It was a good week. I arrived yesterday around 8:30 or 9:00, so couldn’t get used to the condition, but, yeah, today I think I was solid enough to win. I’m very happy with the win.

Q. I think last year you were in quallies. This year you’re the No. 7 seed. How different is it for you?

LUCAS POUILLE: Well, I guess it’s going to be like this for a few months (smiling). I mean, I hope so, for a few years.

Well, I mean, it’s good. It means I had a good year. I had a lot of victories and all this stuff. Yeah, obviously I’m very happy to come back here this year.

Q. I think in Australia you were a bit injured, right? It was your foot?

LUCAS POUILLE: Yeah.

Q. How did that go? When did it get better?

LUCAS POUILLE: It started to get better when I arrived in Japan for the Davis Cup in Tokyo.

Yeah, I started to practice, I don’t know, beginning of February or something. So now it’s all behind me, and I’m trying to look forward.

Q. A lot of people say it’s not always easy to manage injuries and manage things so that you’re peaking for the big tournaments. Is that something you’re maybe learning or you learned something from that experience?

LUCAS POUILLE: Well, we always learn, but obviously it was not easy to get injured second match of the year after good preparation.

I tried my best. I mean, we tried our best with my team to get ready for Australia. It was not possible.

But now we did all we have to be ready here and for rest of the season. I’m very happy.

Q. I know you have a place here, but when you’re at this tournament, do you stay at the hotel here or stay at your place?

LUCAS POUILLE: Yeah, I stay at the hotel, especially because I arrived yesterday night. I didn’t want to go at The Marina, and we never know with the traffic. So it’s better to stay here.

Q. What are some of the things that you like doing in Dubai?

LUCAS POUILLE: Jet-ski. We went in the desert a lot. December, it was very nice. Make some kind of buggy. Yeah, this kind of stuff.

I wanted to make the sky dive, but it was not possible (smiling. My coach…

Q. Are you allowed to? I don’t think you are.

LUCAS POUILLE: I’m not sure I’m allowed, but I really want to do it. So maybe next year.