Richard Gasquet

Sergi Bruguera interviewed in l'Équipe on on why he wanted Gasquet to train for a week with Nadal.

"Why? Because it's super interesting for him, for his game, for the mental part, for everything. We worked well last week in Barcelona. He hit with Granollers, Fognini, Kachanov. We could have kept on doing that. There are people in Barcelona. But it's even better here. It's important to experience first hand what makes a great champion. You can talk about it a thousand times, but there's nothing better then facing a level that's this demanding, facing Rafa's power.

"With the others, if you're tired, you can let up. Nadal, he doesn't let you go. He always demands more. Hitting for four hours every day doesn't scare Richard. He'll do that for you no problem. But here it's hitting for four intense hours. And the balls always come back. That's how I want him to train: with violence in his shots, with intent. He wasn't used to this intensity but he's responding really well. He played really well on Monday.

"I'm like that, I'm very intense. If I see something, I can't not tell him. We only have five days, there's no time to waste. Richard needs to be pushed to maintain the intensity. When there's a short ball, I don't want him to hit it back, I want him to finish. "Rich was a monster with his forehand on Monday. We need to keep up that quality. He needs to improve 2-3 things. Relax his grip more to give more acceleration.

"(Not being in Doha or the Australian Open) isn't frustrating at all. Sébastien Grosjean will be with him over there and I'll meet up with him in Montpellier. I wanted more practice time with him. I like it. "If nothing had happened to Richard and he'd dropped from 9th to 26th, yes, that would have been a bad season. But he was injured six times: ribs, back, abdominals, adductors, shoulders and neck. He couldn't play more than three weeks in a row without some kind of problem. Me, I would have ended up 100th. He saved his season very well. There's nothing worse than getting injured, coming back, getting injured, coming back. Today I want him to play more calmly. He's played with a heavy weight on his shoulders that's weighed him down since he was a kid. I didn't know his story. He told me about being on the cover of Tennis Magazine when he was nine years old, Mozart, the Little Prince ... that's rough on a little boy. And then this comparison to Nadal. It's horrible! That's the worst thing that can happen, like being compared to Federer. He beat him (Nadal) at the Little Aces (12-14 tournament held in France), so he's supposed to beat him the rest of his life? What kind of craziness is that? There are plenty of players who were super juniors and never broke into the top 100."

Rafael Nadal in l'Équipe on practising with Richard Gasquet: "It's the first time someone with Richard's level has come to work with me. There was Coric, Gabashvili, Zimonjic, Lajovic, Carreño Busta ... It's super for me. For Richard too I think. I'm looking for this physical quality, this game quality to be ready for when I start up again in Doha."

Gasquet on arriving in Manacor: "It's not Bollettieri ... it's very barebones ... you get the feeling you're here to work. Bruguera, told what Gasquet said: "(laughs) Oh yes. You can be sure we're going to work."

According to l'Équipe, both Gasquet and Nada had "the needle in the Red Zone" during their practices. "Four days left," says Gasquet. "That's better than five." They're working hard.

Toni Nadal is quite the kidder. After a particularly good shot by Gasquet, he shouts, "You needed to do that against Federer."