EUROCARD OPEN

October 29, 1999

Todd Martin

TODD MARTIN: Strange one? I wouldn't call it strange. I thought it was a pretty well-played match. I think indoors and sort of typically with him especially, sort of a crapshoot. The first set was not a great set. But then from there, I thought the level of play was pretty high, I mean, as high as it can be in that situation. One, I don't get to play much on his service games. Two, my strengths fit pretty well into his weaknesses on my service game. Although I don't overpower him with my serve, I feel like typically, you know, it doesn't make for the most aesthetically pleasing tennis. For our match-up, it was pretty well-played.

TODD MARTIN: Yeah.

TODD MARTIN: I think it was 3-All in the tiebreaker; he missed a pretty easy passing shot. Somehow - I can't remember how - I got up 5-3. I don't know how I took that point off of his serve. I don't need to know either (laughter). I thought the 5-3 point was as crucial as any. Got in a very good position for me, I thought, my backhand to his forehand a couple times. Rather than trying to change direction of the ball, I went back at his forehand when I came to the net. He hit a very good passing shot. I feel like I'm in probably a 65/75, 70/30 position in that point where I'd come away ahead. He hit one of the passing shots that could beat me. You know, my serve was horrendous in the tiebreak. I made a bad decision there, too. I tried too hard to win the points with my serve rather than going for the 1-2 punch that I'd been using the whole match.

TODD MARTIN: Did I have four?

TODD MARTIN: I really only count sort of one of them. The other three were all on his serve. It's not really a match point when he's serving.

TODD MARTIN: Was that match point where I hit backhand, backhand, backhand and he hit a good forehand volley?

TODD MARTIN: Yeah, one thing, one thing: At 6-4, serving, I would have rather hit a second serve to his backhand as a first serve, run to the net and put some pressure on him to play. You know, I feel like the last year or so, my level of play has been much higher. And it's not because I hit the ball better, it's not because I'm a better athlete; it's because I'm doing things in my head the right way and I'm doing it every day at a fairly high level. Within that sort of framework, the most specific thing is the fact that I'm forcing my opponents to come up with the shots rather than trying to make them always myself. Especially against somebody like Greg, who doesn't return all that well and doesn't pass all that well either, I find it very, very disappointing. At 6-All, I probably missed four out of six serves, if not five out of six first serves. At 6-4, my first serve needs to be in the court, and I need to force him. I abandoned that one rule of mine, and it hurt. You know, he did the same thing that I wanted to do to him: He took a good return and chipped it and came in, which is a safe play for him, puts a lot of pressure on me.

TODD MARTIN: Ninth game?

TODD MARTIN: Eighth game.

TODD MARTIN: I hit -- what did I do? I either hit a good return to his forehand volley or a good backhand pass. He hit an adequate stretch forehand volley. The ball sat up a little bit. To be perfectly honest, I hit my forehand cross-court way too often. I thought Greg was in a situation where he had to guess. I assumed he was going to guess to my tendency and to the open court. There were two things sort of leading him to a backhand volley, and I hit it down the line, and he stayed. It's a situation where the only thing I wish I would have done was been a little bit more decisive with the shot. I mean, I hit it right where I wanted to; I hit it well; I just didn't hit it as firmly as I could have. That being said, if I hit it as firm as I wanted to, he's got a good shot at making the volley, too, if he's right there.

TODD MARTIN: Yeah (laughter). No, I struggle with my arm. I didn't do enough training and serving, especially when I was at home after The Open. Irritated my shoulder in Vienna, then sort of protected that in Lyon, and irritated my elbow. Since we've been on these courts and a little quicker conditions, I've felt much better. My arm's not a hundred percent, but it feels pretty good. It held up well today and got better as we went along.

TODD MARTIN: No. You know, the sad thing about it is rest is becoming an enemy, and I like to rest. It's a big problem. It's difficult coming back home from a grueling summer, especially the US Open was a little bit different than usual for me. I had a week full of obligations immediately following the US Open. I got home, back to Ponte Vedra, sort of wanted to put my feet up and play a little golf. I did that. I just didn't do enough. You know, I need to realize that I can rest my mind, but I still got to get out and do some of the physical work. I did some, but just not enough.

TODD MARTIN: No, I had a better seat (laughter). Couch is way more comfortable than walking. I had the best of both worlds: i'd go out and play and then I'd sit. Jim would go out and play, then he had to walk. I don't get it.

TODD MARTIN: If Guga is not in, I don't know.

TODD MARTIN: I think Gustavo doesn't have to win another match. I'm not a mathematician, I haven't paid much attention to it, but I can't imagine six guys coming up and doing better than him. I don't know, he's already over 2500 points, I think. I'm not positive. I would have to think that he's in. I would have to think that if I had won today, that I probably would have been in.

TODD MARTIN: I think Nicolas is still ahead of me, and Pete. I'm not sure.

TODD MARTIN: They're both still ahead of me?

TODD MARTIN: No. But I heard on the news today that he is coming to Paris.

TODD MARTIN: I figured.

TODD MARTIN: I'm not on the spot yet, John. Pull the trigger (laughter).

TODD MARTIN: I mean, they're probably pretty close together, aren't they, in the race?

TODD MARTIN: Everybody has a good shot. I mean, granted, I think you have to favor guys who can play lousy tennis and still win. I mean, I don't think either one of them have done that, but they can. I serve very well, I feel, but I don't have a game that has a serve that intimidates people from a power standpoint. I think if those two guys play well, I think they're going to each have to win one of the tournaments, I would think. But I don't know. It's hard to say. It's all about winning matches. Those who win should get in.

TODD MARTIN: Yes. I think that's one of the drives behind next year's format. You know, we have a different look at things in the fall. I think it puts a little bit more importance on the results, more than just guys really wanting to win tournaments and make it through some rounds. You have great players worrying about their ranking, which is a peculiar thing. Last year, I still am a little bit amazed at what Pete did. You really feel that at his level, he's above rankings, but he's willing to play six straight weeks in order to assure himself of being No. 1, which is interesting.

TODD MARTIN: (No response.)

TODD MARTIN: I agree. I think you could have, you know, all these chairs filled with players who don't agree with that philosophy, but I'm a big believer. I think seeing somebody like me do well on clay and seeing somebody like Mariano Zabaleta coming here and do well on quick indoor courts - I feel like these courts play fairly quick - I think everybody should look at that and understand that it's about a rectangular-shaped court that has a net in the middle, and it's not about what is under your feet. It has some bearing on it, but it's more about hitting tennis balls.

TODD MARTIN: It's hard to say. I wouldn't expect it. I mean, for them it might make more sense to take a zero and get an extra week's worth of rest than go to Wimbledon and take what they would assume is a one. It's our intention that people wouldn't want to pass up on an opportunity to, you know, in the case of the race, I don't know, the point tallies, it would be five instead of zero.

TODD MARTIN: We'd love to see them. It's sad that people - and it goes for all surfaces - have a mental block and don't think they can win. I don't think that's the case. Would I expect to see them beat Pete Sampras? No, I would never expect that. I would never dream of that happening. But there's a number of guys that he can go out there and beat.

TODD MARTIN: Tough enough chasing Alberto's forehand around on a clay court where the footing is pretty good and the ball is slowed down a lot by the clay. But if he got in control of a point on a grass court, I would think it would take two shots and you'd win every point. I don't wear his shoes, though, so it's tough to really know.

TODD MARTIN: There's another guy. I mean, if he returns as well as he does on any other surface, he should do just fine.