What Medvedev said
How it feels to prevail: “It was nice. If I’m done before midnight in a Grand Slam, there’s something wrong,” joked Medvedev. “But I’m fine with it. Winning was the most important thing today and it’s great that I could to it and qualify for the second round.
Getting through in four sets: “I was feeling great on the court. But at some point during the third set, I don’t know why, he decided to play at his best level, to hit the lines, to run everywhere, to fight. If he had done it from the first rally, it would have been much more difficult for me. At least, he let me play two quiet sets. In the fourth, I said to myself: ‘If he wants to win the match, then he won’t be able to walk tomorrow.’ I’m happy to have done it.”
Roland-Garros goal: “My ambition is always to win, so I’ll try to do it. I know that I’m really far from this level for now but my goal in a tournament is always to win and Roland-Garros is no exception so I’ll try to do it.”
The crowd support for Gilles Simon: “There were loads of ‘Daniil’ and ‘Dominik’, but it was ‘Gillou’ that got the most support. It was a bit weird but it’s understandable. I think he had a good moment tonight. I hope he’s even happier since I won this match. Hopefully he’ll get French fans behind me. When you say ‘Gilles,’ think ‘Daniil’ a little bit!”