PARIS – Let's revisit the words of Ernests Gulbis (no, not THOSE words) two days ago, when a fourth-round match at the French Open against Roger Federer beckoned.
"I don't want to tell all my cards. But I have a game plan. I know how I'm going to play him. You don't need to be scared to do certain things against him, because most of the people they go on the court and they lose already the match before it has started," Gulbis said. "I can tell you that's not gonna be the case with me.
"I'm not scared of that match at all if I would have to play against him. I played him three times, I beat him once. I'm really confident."
It turns out that, unlike half the citizens of Paris, Gulbis wasn't just blowing smoke.