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AUSTRALIAN OPEN


January 21, 2004


Todd Martin


MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, T. MARTIN/I. Karlovic 7-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. Your entire life of playing tennis, you've never known anything about the tiebreaker system, have you?

TODD MARTIN: Yeah, but for fifth sets, yeah. Actually, when I was young, we primarily, at least when I first started playing, the 9-point tiebreaker was more prevalent.

Q. Always been a tiebreaker in your life?

TODD MARTIN: Yep. And it's a good thing (smiling). That would have been an awfully long first set, wouldn't it?

Q. That poor guy hasn't broken serve in two matches.

TODD MARTIN: Nor has he lost his serve in two matches. That's because he's got -- his serve is ridiculous.

Q. Is it?

TODD MARTIN: It's remarkable.

Q. Is it the biggest serve you've ever seen?

TODD MARTIN: Not the biggest, no. But it's the best.

Q. Is it?

TODD MARTIN: Yeah. It's unbelievable. Unbelievable.

Q. Is that because of where it comes from?

TODD MARTIN: Listen, he's 6'10", he serves from a tree, he serves hard. But he is so accurate, is it astounding. It is really -- he has got one heck of a complete serve, first and second serve.

Q. That's quite a statement.

TODD MARTIN: Well, that's why I made it, Bud.

Q. Who was his predecessor that was the best server you've ever seen?

TODD MARTIN: Well, I think, you know, you got a few candidates. I'm talking just serve. I'm not talking about what...

Q. Yes, yes, yes.

TODD MARTIN: I think at times Goran was close. I think Greg and maybe Mark. For sure Wayne Arthurs is up there. I really like Michael Stich's serve. He was more the way he backed it up as well. I don't think he had quite as punishing of a serve as some of those other guys.

Q. Has anybody hit that ad court wide better than he has?

TODD MARTIN: No, unbelievable. It's amazing. It's amazing. I had been told that he liked to go out wide in the ad court. I could sit on it, I could not sit on it and... I was watching it go by regardless.

Q. Do you think you could hit it if you stood on a four-inch riser?

TODD MARTIN: No. It's different. No, he's got a much better serve than I do.

Q. You were almost out of this tournament a couple days ago. Obviously, had a tough off-season, some problems because of injuries. Are you amazed to be in the third round?

TODD MARTIN: I'm not amazed. I'm a little surprised after being in the hole I was in on Monday. But as limited as my practice was for this tournament, I was pleased with it and I'm fresh in the mind from having some time off and eager to get the year started off right.

Q. What's it like to look across the net and see somebody that big playing against you?

TODD MARTIN: I think it's the first time somebody's been taller than me that I've played. You know, it didn't strike me. I lobbed him a few times effectively. I passed him a few times effectively. But I tell you one the thing, he gets across the court at the baseline pretty quickly. He makes the most of his height and has real nice, long strides. I had a few volleys into the open court, and I thought my work had been done, and the ball was coming back. When he touches it, it comes hard.

Q. Did you talk to him at all off the court?

TODD MARTIN: I don't know Ivo very well. I met him a number of years ago.

Q. Where?

TODD MARTIN: He's been around, been around, playing quallies here and there. He's a pretty quiet guy. He's, I think, extremely professional as far as I know him, a pretty solid guy.

Q. You never played Norman or Popp?

TODD MARTIN: Or Rosset. Is Popp taller than me?

Q. Popp's 6'7". I measured him. That's what it said.

TODD MARTIN: That's not in your job description? Verify media guide statistics (laughing).

Q. How does a guy with a serve like that stay in obscurity for so long?

TODD MARTIN: Well, one, he probably hasn't been able to serve as well as he does right now for very long. I think it's a matter of improving it. Two, there are other aspects of the game, regardless. Just because I come in here and say he's got the best serve I've ever played against doesn't necessarily mean that everybody that he plays feel that same way or has cause to feel that same way.

Q. Nobody's breaking him a lot.

TODD MARTIN: No. No. But if you can break him once, he doesn't return as well as he could, and I'm sure he returns better than he used to. He also, for a guy who comes to the net as much as he does, doesn't volley to the standard that he serves. If that's the case, you click on a few balls, it's a good situation. But if you don't - and there's a good chance you don't - he's plenty tough.

Q. Andre used to say about Arthurs it was the best serve he faced because he could hit all four corners.

TODD MARTIN: Yeah, I'd rather play Wayne Arthurs every day for the rest of my life than play this guy one more time (smiling).

Q. But you beat him.

TODD MARTIN: Fine. Stop while I'm ahead.

Q. Was there any secret to the tiebreakers?

TODD MARTIN: I won more points than he did in every one of them. The tiebreakers, the second-set tiebreaker was -- I think I won four points on his serve in the second-set tiebreaker. I benefitted from a couple double-faults, and I hit, you know, two good shots. But I needed to. I was up 5-2 serving and he hit two great shots and at 5-4. Then I hit, I think, a good return and a lob winner. He double-faulted again. That was the second-set breaker. I think that's the real crucial one today. Obviously, the first set's important. But, boy, it's nice to be able to sustain a lead and build on it.

Q. Can you talk about Taylor's game and that potential matchup with Roddick?

TODD MARTIN: Very presumptuous, just so you know. But you can keep the straight face. Isn't he down two sets to one?

Q. Yeah?

TODD MARTIN: Okay. Taylor's game is ever-improving, very athletic, and I think very smart. I think a few years ago I felt like he finally made the decision that he didn't need to hit groundstroke winners. And it looks, when I practice with him or when I've seen him play, it looks like his only desire is to end up at the net. I think that's right where he should be. I think with a lot of young players, that's the most important thing to realize, is how you're supposed to play, how do your talents and skills best fit into the game of tennis. Taylor's figured that out.

Q. What was that maneuver the trainer was performing on you? What was it for?

TODD MARTIN: I felt like I might have slipped - I mean, I don't know the proper terminology - either a vertebrae or rib had just moved a little bit up in the upper back. I felt a little bit in the back and right on the spine, and I felt something in my chest as well. So I was concerned if I let that -- didn't bother me. But I knew something had happened. And I knew if I let it sit there in the wrong place for long enough, then there's a chance that it would stiffen up on me. So just puts me in the full Nelson and my body weight just does the rest.

Q. When was that? In the third?

TODD MARTIN: Yeah, I don't remember exactly when. But it never bothered me. It was just a matter of precautionary for later in the match or tomorrow or the next day.

Q. You're sure you won't feel it tomorrow?

TODD MARTIN: No, I feel fine.

Q. What about the tennis balls you were putting on your lower back when you were sitting in the chair?

TODD MARTIN: Well, in November I reinjured an old back -- lower-back injury. Need to work extra hard on keeping my lower back and glutes especially as loose as possible. Being out on the court for two to four hours is -- and especially in a match like today, where you're not running side to side constantly, it's a lot of short points, not a lot of cardiovascular work, not a lot of blood flow, so it helps just to do a little bit of -- it's almost self-massage-type thing.

Q. Was there ever a point today where you just said to yourself, "I'm not gonna break this guy. My best hope is to take it to a tiebreak"?

TODD MARTIN: Warm-up (laughter). Well, I walked out -- honestly, I walked out on the court understanding that that was well within the realm of possibility. I knew Mardy and Ivo didn't have any breaks the other day in their first-round match. I think kind of fortunately I bumped into the Sjeng Schalken in the locker room. We were just chatting about our matches this morning. He said that he had beaten Karlovic in, I think, in Flushing Meadows last year 6, 6 and 6. I think he said there were no breaks in that match, either. So you get to the point where you know -- you can sort of anticipate that there's gonna be a tiebreaker or two, regardless of what knowledge you have of his history. But it confirmed a few thoughts about, you know, "Don't stress if you don't get any breaks." And, two, he's not a tiebreak machine. He beat Mardy three tiebreaks the other day, and I think that's quite an accomplishment. But it's nice to know that somewhere along the line he lost a few tiebreaks also.

Q. Have you played in a match where neither player lost serve?

TODD MARTIN: I think this is my first three-out-of-five-set match that that happened. For sure I've done it.

Q. Best of three?

TODD MARTIN: Yeah.

Q. Did you say anything to him afterwards?

TODD MARTIN: I haven't seen him since we walked off the court. I'm really impressed with the way he plays. I think if he tightens up some other aspects of his game, he'll be. .. He's already dangerous, but I think he'll be a contender at most of these tournaments. He's too good not to be.

Q. Do you feel a bit of a kindred spirit? When you came on the scene, you were pretty damn tall.

TODD MARTIN: I almost asked Jose if it was right, because all my life the shorter guy was always faster. We played today and the taller guy was faster. I just felt like a bum out of luck so...

End of FastScripts….

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