RCA CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 17, 1995

Todd Martin

TODD MARTIN: Well, it was an extreme factor. And I don't think what you guys call unforced error today was necessarily an unforced error. I mean, I missed quite a few shots, but, you know, I said last night against Bernie, if he is hitting the ball well, I am going to have to do a lot defensive -- use a lot of defensive tactics and take the ball back. He is just -- you can tell by the way he plays. He has got four-foot swings and he slaps the ball as hard as he can every time, and it is just --, you know, if he hits the ball crisp, it is extremely hard to control, whether I am at the baseline or at the net, and, you know, even the even though the ball is right on my racket, sometimes I don't know where in the world it is going.

TODD MARTIN: Well, you know, I had double breakpoint to get back in the first set, what was it, 3-1, his serve, and, you know, I played a great point at 30-40, after he hit a good volley on the first breakpoint. The second breakpoint I come in; I hit a good return; hit a good forehand approach shot and he just hit a ball as hard as he could right at me and I had it right on the racket and I just, you know, I don't have soft enough hands to deaden it the way I needed to deaden it and I hit a fairly crisp volley and I missed it six, seven feet long. He was going for it and he didn't miss, and that just puts -- it puts a lot of pressure on his opponent - which was me, unfortunately, today.

TODD MARTIN: The heat was no factor. It was find out there. I actually looked at the thermometer. I was surprised that it said 95 or something, and strange looking over there and feeling like 95 or 98 is cool, and, you know, it was no problem at all. Pretty -- still very humid. Just a matter of trying to stay dry.

TODD MARTIN: All right, thanks.