RCA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 13, 1996

Todd Martin

TODD MARTIN: Well, I think there wasn't an abrupt change in the beginning of the second. I think there was a pretty gradual change from 4-Love in the first. I think, you know, maybe I have 1 and 20 chance to win that set, but I knew that in order to be able to stay in the match, I had to get my act together and so that is what I spent the next four days doing and by the time the second set came around, I started to feel fairly comfortable, but still not great and fortunately, I got off to a good start in the second.

TODD MARTIN: No, I think -- I played a couple of loose points in the first game that I served and then -- at Love-2, I was up 30-Love on my serve lost four straight points. Just a matter of not being there and being ready to play right at the right time. That happens a lot. It has been close to a week since I played my last match and it is a new feeling. Even though you do it every day of your life, you know each time you go out there, you feel a little bit different. That is what happened today.

TODD MARTIN: Actually I think this is the first time that I have lost the first set of a match this year and won a match, so, either I am losing a lot or I am traditionally a quick starter.

TODD MARTIN: Last week in Cincy I played pretty well. I think -- a little bit had to do with the rustiness, but mostly just I got caught on extremely hot day and I didn't react well to it. I felt very good in practice the last few days and came out and played the worst doubles match I have played in a long time yesterday and not much of a better first set today, so I don't know what it is. I think sometimes you just aren't as eager and don't go out there with the same amount of vigor as you usually do and that is part of what happened today.

TODD MARTIN: No. No, no. I am saying all this with complete admiration for the way he plays. I was thinking out there and I knew before, he is probably one of the best three field players on the Tour. If he were 6 foot he would be top 10, I think. He has got so much talent and so much natural ability that every time you go out on the court he can cause problems for you. He takes the ball out of the strike zone as well as anybody. He has got great wheels and he makes you hit so many extra balls that maybe you are not prepared to and also he puts them in awkward spots, so I think where I was hitting a few good shots in the first set and setting up the point well, I just wasn't ready for that one more ball to come back or to have to hit one more tough shot to win that point. After I realized I wasn't going to be on and off the court in 45 minutes and play great the whole time, I sort of beared down and started focusing and got willing to win points by his errors, or, you know, just hitting ten or fifteen balls in the point before finishing it, and I think that -- against his style of play.

TODD MARTIN: No, I think it is not easy. I think there are some advantages for a 6 foot plus player, but it does seemed to that the best athletes in size and ability are sort of the 6'1", 6'2" guys and I think back a few years it was probably the 5'10", 5'11" guys. I think you look at Pete and he moves like the small guy did a few years ago and now he is 6'1" and with his wing span maybe even looks a little bit bigger. Nothing seems to change for me, though, I am still 6'6", slow and uncoordinated, so..... But I really -- I think Mauricio is one of the tougher guys to play. In some ways, he is like Jaime Yzaga and except for the fact that he can do a little bit more coming to the net. He is the best volleyer that I can think of, a claycourter. He is very comfortable coming to the net and does it in very sneaky, innovative ways, Hadad.

TODD MARTIN: What do I think about kids looking for autographs? I think it is something for them to do and if it makes them more interested in the tennis, I think it is great. I think what the ATP has done with the playing cards is good. I think they could have them for even more players, so that more kids can come in touch and get to know more players. I think a little bit too often kids or the public basically knows about 20 or 30 players, when there is quite a few good ones out there, because I could have lost today and you guys would have said, geez, he didn't come to play. He, whatever .... And that is not the case. Anybody can win, Mauricio plays 3 quarters of the year on clay court and comes here and plays very well on hard courts as well, not to get sidetracked, I think it is great for the kids to get autographs.

TODD MARTIN: I also think their attention should be paid to the tennis as well. I think it is disappointing in some ways for me to see kids spend 12 hours out on the practice courts just wait to go get autographs when there is tons of great tennis being played and they could fall in love with the them instead of the fact that this guy is famous.