RCA CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 14, 1995

Vincent Spadea

VINCE SPADEA: Oh geez.

VINCE SPADEA: Well, I think the first game was sort of pivotal where I think he won the first two points and it seemed that it was going to be A pretty easy game, but I just hung tough; hit a few good shots and the last few points were, you know, long and I think we were both a little tired. It was just a matter of who scraped it out. I was able to really grind those points out and then I was able to -- I was really pleased with the way I served. My service games were a lot more -- I was in control and I was mixing up my serve and that enabled me to solidify the break that I was able to get initially; then I was able to build on that and I think he got a little frustrated losing some of those tight points and, you know, I just think that, you know, it was a tough match even though the the last two sets were not as close as the first.

VINCE SPADEA: Well, it is always tough when you are down a break or two - and with the heat - versus being up a break. It was still -- the heat was still tough even though I was up and I had to make sure that I wasn't relaxing and I needed to turn it up when I was up and to make him feel the pressure even more. I was able to concentrate and do that and, you know, I think it was -- the heat was a factor for both of us and it was -- it was tough.

VINCE SPADEA: Yeah, it is the one of the most brutal times. I think Washington D.C. was somewhat brutal, as well, but, you know, the summer you have to be prepared for it and you have, you know, do everything you can to prevent, you know, go with every precaution to make yourself in the most fit condition.

VINCE SPADEA: Right.

VINCE SPADEA: Yeah, I mean, I have -- I had a good year last year and this year I have had some good results and, you know, I have also had my down periods where, you know, the competition is a lot tougher and I am playing more of the elite tournaments and every match is very tough and, you know, I've just been trying to push through it and to learn from every match and from every tournament and try to develop my own self physically and mentally and, you know, it has been rough, you know, it seems -- I have dropped down a little bit. I moved up and it is tough, you know, you have the tournaments where you do well coming up the next year; then you just start to slip a little. But you try to focus on playing the best in that situation in the present right now, and I am able to do that. I think that is what helped me today and last week, I started playing better and, you know, it is slowly starting to come back.

VINCE SPADEA: Yeah, most likely that would be ideal, but you have to go and do what you can. That is life. That is life on the Tour. You have to deal with it and I have to prepare myself for tomorrow.

VINCE SPADEA: Yes, I played him once, like a few years back when I was about 18 and it was more of an experience, you know, it was one of my first pro matches, so -- and he was at No. 1 then, so it was a little different than it is now where I am a little more established and I am more confident in my game, but yet he is still A dominating force, so it is going to be another interesting experience.

VINCE SPADEA: Thank you.