On the occasion of this 28th edition, some of the players who have made the tournament famous agreed to share their memories of the final. On Sunday 22 February 2015, Gilles Simon defeated his friend Gaël Monfils to win the tournament for the second time.
Gilles Simon: "A great pride
"I was worried about this match because physically I was very tired. I had reached the quarter-finals in Montpellier, then the semi-finals in Rotterdam. During the week in Marseille, I had some tough matches. I was tired when I reached the final against Gaël, who was playing very well. I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep up with the level of tennis and physical fitness.
Winning the first set, which was very close and very long, made me feel better. But I had to let the second set go because I had to recover. In the third set, I remember breaking very early and then being broken right away. From that moment on, he was dominating me, he was the best on the court. But I held on to my serves until the tie-break. I continued to be dominated, I was tired and then I dropped a big forehand winner in the tie-break. I feel like that was the point that turned the match around. I remember it because I let go of my arm and I felt it had an effect on him. He must have thought: " Here, it can still come ". Something is happening to recreate doubt and stress in him.
Our matches are always difficult because Gaël is very strong. Our playing styles are similar in the sense that we are not afraid of physical combat. So every time, it's long. For me, this title was important because I didn't win anything in 2014, but my best memory in Marseille is still my victory in 2007. It was the first of my career, at 21 years old. It gave me a good start and opened a lot of doors in my mind. And Marseille is still Marseille, a very prestigious tournament. When you look at the past winners, you realise that it's a tournament with a very impressive record. So to be there twice is a great source of pride.
Gaël Monfils: "Mutual respect
"It was my first final in Marseille. I wanted to prove that I could play well in this tournament that I like and where I have always been well received. The Open 13 Provence has a rich history now. The field is always extremely strong. It's a pleasure to take part and you want to do well. And it's always something special to be able to play in France in front of a home crowd. After that, I have to admit that it is also a tournament where I have never done very well in the past.
For this final, I wasn't particularly worried about Gilles, even if he is one of my best friends. I don't really remember much about the match itself. Oh yes, it was a long match like every time I play Gilles! We know each other by heart. You know in advance what your opponent is going to do and vice versa. In these conditions, it is more difficult to create a surprise. Every time I play him, I try to do something different. Now I don't remember the plan I had decided for this match.
Obviously, at the end, it was a disappointment for me and if I could change anything in this match, it would be to reverse the score! But it remains a pleasant memory, especially because of the mutual respect we have for each other and the beautiful friendship between us, which was of course always the same after the match point.
