THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 25, 1995

Todd Woodbridge

Mark Woodforde

GREG SHARKO: They are the first Aussie team to win the Lipton title here. I think there has been an Aussie maybe Fitzy might have won it here once, but ever and all-Aussie team.

Q. Did you play McEnroe and Grabb in that first incarnation when they were winning back then? I mean, they had a good run; didn't they.

MARK WOODFORDE: No, we hadn't even thought of playing together back then.

Q. Is it that long ago?

MARK WOODFORDE: That was like '86.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: They won the French in '88.

GREG SHARKO: '89.

MARK WOODFORDE: '89.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: We didn't play until '90.

MARK WOODFORDE: '91, we started.

Q. Did you start as late as that? You are youngsters, yeah. So, okay, so you didn't see them then? Tell us a bit about the match; how did it go? Did you have a strategy, plan, try to do something --

TODD WOODBRIDGE: I think we both understand or know how well those guys play and how they like to play against us, but the conditions were difficult with the breeze; it was hard to get your timing on the serve and also it was really moving it around trying to return and I think, you know, we were very solid, you know, with our serve percentage and we made more returns than what they did. That was sort of what you had to try to be today, was play good solid doubles because the wind wasn't allowing anything special. In some ways, it probably helped too because it nullified Jim's serve a little bit because he often serves particularly well. You never get a chance and we are having a good feel on both ends of the court to get a chance to break.

GREG SHARKO: Must be nice to get this big championship under your belts now?

MARK WOODFORDE: It is one of the big ones that we haven't actually won. We have won a few of the bigger ones on the Tour and we have never really -- we haven't played it all that often.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Only second time.

MARK WOODFORDE: Last year we didn't -- we had a really bad tournament and I think we were both struggling; whether we didn't know where we wanted to go. We lacked, I guess, horizon, and, you know, so you know, it is really nice to come back after, you know, some down parts of last year and I think this year, we have been very solid. The Australian Open was our first early exit. The rest have been all semifinals; a tournament win and now this tournament win. I mean, I think that is what we are shooting for. We have won a few tournaments. We would like to keep winning the bigger ones. If we are going to be remembered, you have got to win those big ones. There is still a couple of other Grand Slams that we haven't yet to secure, so along with this one, those are the ones that we really would like to serve and stake out.

Q. Which Slams are you missing?

MARK WOODFORDE: French and --

TODD WOODBRIDGE: U.S. Open.

Q. Where are you heading? Do you make your schedules together, I mean, are you always at the same tournaments?

TODD WOODBRIDGE: No. We don't deliberately do it. We sort of set out our singles first to try and work that out and then make sure we get in a certain amount of tournaments to lead up -- well, for a major tournament and we go our separate ways for a few weeks. I think Mark is playing Monte Carlo and I start off in Atlanta, I got five weeks off now.

Q. I guess a prize packet of this size comes at a good time for you.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: It will pay the few bills - pay the wedding bills. Going on a nice honeymoon now, so it feels good, actually, to go off and have a break because I worked very hard this part of the year. I have played 11 out of 12 weeks or 10 out of 11 weeks for the reason that, you know, I was getting married and I am planning my schedule that way so I can take a honeymoon and couple of weeks off, so I am pleased with the way it went down I worked very hard. I feel I deserve to get a good break and get back into the big tournaments in May, June and June.

GREG SHARKO: What is the date of your wedding?

TODD WOODBRIDGE: 8th of April.

GREG SHARKO: One other note, they are now 24 and 4, lifetime, in finals.

Q. This is a nice finish to what has been a pretty good tournament for the Australians?

MARK WOODFORDE: Probably back home most of the other press that don't make their way over here and they get everything secondhand, Australia had left the tournament without, I guess, a win in any event; then they think it is a failure. I think it has been quite a revelation for the whole group of Australians. Not only it is good to see not just guys like us, but some of the younger ones, Tebbutt and Kilderry start to pick their journey up that golden path as long as it stays golden for them, and yeah, so, you know, I mean, we have been winning, you know, tournaments for a few years now and, you know, sometimes the singles guys, either of us haven't really done much in singles, if we have, you know, you beat one good player; then you lose in the next round and so it is good to see there are a whole bunch of players, you know, putting out and getting the results and there is still a long, long year ahead and, you know, we have still got to keep putting out those results; not just Todd and I winning events like this, but those younger guys learning to play in big events like this one. I mean, that is what it is all about.

GREG SHARKO: Okay.

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