RCA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 14, 1996

Chris Woodruff

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Yeah, first of all, the conditions of the grandstand court we are playing today is very windy, so it was conditions I thought were very rough to play in. I hadn't played in tough conditions all year that way. That was an adjustment. Mark and I are really good friends, as well, so it was tough to play him. I think he felt the same situation, you know, he was in the same position I was. There wasn't a lot of emotion. You want to hold in your emotion because you respect your friend, so it was kind of tough.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Well, when we sat down at the changeover in the second set, I told myself to move my feet and reach up for my first serve. Like I said before, it was windy, so I had to -- I kind of lost my footwork in the wind. You really have to move your feet extra. Then I started serving well. I really didn't notice until actually the last game that something was wrong with him.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: I really couldn't tell. The points, I noticed he was trying to make the point shorter, but he had been doing that pretty much the whole match trying to get into the net. He was trying to force the issue of play out there. So I really never noticed until the point that he retired on that he didn't even move for the shot, so.....

CHRIS WOODRUFF: No sense of satisfaction whatsoever to that. I think I am glad I did it. But something I had -- I always knew I could do, but for me to sit back here and say I am happy or satisfied and, you know, walk around for the next eight years and say I am 47 in the world, and settle for the mediocrity, that is not going to cut it for me, so there is no sense of awe or anything.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: I came out here with no expectations. I have to admit, starting out, I was a little impatient, so maybe I thought-- really was not used to losing because in college and, you know, juniors, I had done so well and was -- always seemed like I was always winning. Then to come out here and lose week after week after week, it got tough. So I had to persevere through some hard times.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Yeah, I remember last year whenever I was playing a tournament like this and I would just win a round, I thought it was the greatest thing since slice bread, whenever I would do that, but now, it seems I like to - I have kind of changed my goals around and I think I am capable of winning a tournament like this, so I just -- it was special all last year whenever I have a win at a tournament like this.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Not really. I mean, I started out the year with a tournament in Germany that I won and I have just continued to play steady tennis. I feel -- I finally feel like I belong out here. Philadelphia, well, that was the breakthrough tournament. Well, technically I got to the finals there, but I had worked very hard to get to that stage, so I was bound to get some wins sometime.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Well, qualifying obviously is very tough. You have to play three rounds most of the time to get into a tournament. When you get into a tournament you could play a Sampras or an Agassi or some top gun like that, and you pick up like six or seven points, so, it is tough for somebody to come to a tournament like this and qualify because 90% of the names -- I check their name and they lose first round because, one, they either play somebody who is better than them or they are just tired. So it is definitely, if you have -- what I would recommend is to work your way up kind of like I did, play Satellites Challengers, until you can get into tournaments on your ranking rather than have to come in and qualify.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: We initially started to come to tournaments like this and play and I would lose and next week lose, so it -- kept on going and going until finally we had to reevaluate; got some advice from other people who told us, you know, look, play Satellites, use your ranking there to get into Challenger main draw; then if you do well in Challengers, then come here. I think the days like the Connors or McEnroes or people like that just come out here and light it up, those days are over.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: I will just say that he -- obviously, he is very good. I know a lot about his game. I have seen him play on TV numerous times when I was still in college. In terms of expectations, I have no expectations tomorrow whether I am going to win or lose. I just want to go out there and give it my all. I don't think my focus can be to go out there and get caught up in, oh, I am playing Todd or got to win, I think those are all wrong thoughts. I know I am as good as Todd is. And I know if I play well the results will take care of themselves, but I am not going to go in thinking about winning because obviously he is a very good player.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: I don't understand what he means. What was it like to come out here and lose or --

CHRIS WOODRUFF: My career?

CHRIS WOODRUFF: It just took, for me, just hanging in there. I had to.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Nothing really technical changed in my game. I -- now, I think maybe it is a bit too late to change things. I am a little bit too far along in my career to change my serve or something like that. So it was not technical in my game. I think mainly it was in my head. That is where all the problems were.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Yeah. Pretty -- that is pretty much correct.

CHRIS WOODRUFF: Well, just my family, they have always been very supportive of me and they have never put any pressure on me to win. They have always -- I have never felt any pressure from them that, you know, you got to do well or they are trying to live their dreams through me. And growing up, I played all sports, golf, basketball, baseball, so they were very supportive and I owe them a lot of credit for things I have done in tennis so far.