DAVIS CUP SEMIFINALS: SWEDEN v USA

September 23, 1995

Tom Gullikson

Todd Martin

Jonathan Stark

JONATHAN STARK: Well, I think, you know, Stefan is obviously has proved he was a great doubles player. He was No. 1 in the world for I don't know how long, but just in the past few years, you know, just been playing singles so, you know, we knew Stefan would be great out there. They both played really well. I really don't think if Jan Apell was here that Stefan would have played anyway. I think Apell and Bjorkman would have played -- they are a team. It is pretty good replacement having Edberg come in there and playing with Bjorkman.

TODD MARTIN: Well, I think by you saying never getting on track I think -- the way we see that is that Jonathan played well first stretch; then I played well first stretch then -- and --

TODD MARTIN: That is just bad luck. We could have both been on for a game both; been off for a game and both been on for a game and it would have helped us a lot better. I think we did, for the most part, we did the right things. We just didn't execute as well as we could have come crunch time and like Jonathan said, they played terrific tennis and were solid straight through and unfortunately that is often the key to playing good doubles.

TOM GULLIKSON: Every match is a new match and certainly Todd and Jonathan are both great players and they are both great doubles players, so this is one match and, you know, we have to look at every match separately in who our opponents are, what surface it is, but I think Todd and Jonathan are going to play some doubles together next year and I think they have the potential to be a very good team, and I think today, you know, they only played together once and they had a good week in practice this week, but, you know, a few points here, a few points there with just a little doubles moves that just aren't in sync yet, and I think they will be an excellent team. But, you know, right now, there is not one American team; certainly that is really playing dominating doubles like McEnroe and Fleming or Smith and Lutz, so we are certainly open.

CAPTAIN GULLIKSON: Well, I think, you know, we had a hold point in the first game and we lost that game. We had breakpoint in the second game and we lost that and technically it could have been up a break and off to a great start and had a lot of momentum going for us and we lost both those games and all of a sudden we are down an early break. They played, like Todd mentioned, I thought they played very solid all the way through, and, you know, we were playing from behind in the first set and, you know, they broke early in the second set and we were playing from behind in the second set. And, you know, when you are always struggling to get even, it is kind of difficult. We were trying to get going and the guys did some different things and trying to get pumped up, but, you know, in doubles, to break serve, you both have to play good at the same time and like Todd mentioned, you know, Jonathan returned pretty well in the first set and Todd started returning better. Never quite got it going at the same time. Plus the Swedes were playing solid all the way through. They didn't give us many openings, so we had some opportunities. We didn't take advantage of them, and we were just playing always from behind, which is difficult.

TOM GULLIKSON: You know, I don't know. I guess he would be hurt then, wouldn't he? I am not a doctor, so, you know, I can't worry about that. I just got to worry about preparing our guys to play.

TODD MARTIN: Well, I think Jonathan and I have already talked about playing a couple of tournaments at the end of this year. He is going to commit still to serve with Byron Black throughout the year, and we have made a commitment for next year and I think that is not a commitment for three months, six months or nine months. That is a commitment for a year and we are going to get it out, at least I'd like to and I know we are capable of playing a lot better than we did today and I think one thing that we do have going for us is that we are good friends and I think we enjoy each other's company, so as that -- as we get more court time together, I think things are only going to fall into place a little bit better.

JONATHAN STARK: I think Todd said it. We have made a commitment to play next year and to play a few tournaments this fall to get started and, you know, geez, it would be the ultimate if we could hit it off real well and be the solid Davis Cup team so Gully over here wouldn't even have to think about it as much and in the years past like he said there was Smith/Lutz and McEnroe/Fleming and Leach/Pugh and, you know, and Flach/Seguso, always been a real good doubles team for the Americans, so if it could be me and Todd, that would be unbelievable.

CAPTAIN GULLIKSON: I think with a 2-Love leave and Jonathan and Todd looking good in practice this week certainly and Pete has had a long summer and with winning the U.S. Open and I didn't -- Pete playing three matches in this heat is a lot to ask for somebody who just won the U.S. Open less than two weeks ago, so, you know, I had a lot of confidence in Jonathan and Todd and I know they can play great tennis and certainly, you know, the idea of Pete playing three matches, is a lot to ask of one person who particularly just won the U.S. Open.

CAPTAIN GULLIKSON: We will just try to get to 3. I feel good about Andre and Pete playing tomorrow and if the Swedes can beat both Agassi and Sampras tomorrow, then my hat is off to them.

JONATHAN STARK: I guess so. I mean, we are going to give it a shot. I mean, we are going to play together whether that means playing Davis Cup. Like I said, it would be great and if there is another American team that is playing well, for instance, Jared and Richey -- Palmer/Reneberg, that would be great too. I think it is important that we find somebody.

CAPTAIN GULLIKSON: There is pressure on all four players. It is not only on us, and, you know, I think Andre and Enqvist will have some incredible rallies. They both -- I would call them power baseliners and they both hit the all extremely well off both sides and they are really not looking to come in and finish points that often at the net. Enqvist obviously has a big serve, so his first serve is a factor. But, you know, Andre has got the best return in the world and he can dominate the baseline rallies very well. So I would say that would be a big slugfeast and then the Sampras/Wilander match is a classic matchup of a great server and great all around player like Sampras who can serve and volley and really play off-court tennis and a great counter-puncher like Wilander really who really kind of reacts to what is happening to him. And he does it better than anyone.

TODD MARTIN: I don't know if the fact that we have only got one chance is pressure -- adds pressure because I think the singles players are here to win both their matches and I think -- I won my first match in Sweden last year and then lost my second. I wanted some redemption there and I didn't have a chance for it. I think Jonathan and I came out to try to win the Tie and we weren't able to do it, so hopefully Andre and Pete will capitalize on what they built yesterday.

CAPTAIN GULLIKSON: I haven't asked either of them yet, thank you.

JONATHAN STARK: Obviously it was a huge point. The crowd gets you pumped up. I think I had three breakpoints. I actually hit the first one really well and Jonas Bjorkman hit a really good volley. I think it was on today's line. He just stuck it really well and he just came through and then he hit a couple of good first serves, but, you know, I still should have got it in play and I just didn't come through on the breakpoint in a big game like that when we needed to to get back in the match. So I mean, the crowd does pump you up. I was just feeling -- I guess feeling the pressure at the moment and didn't come through, so...

TODD MARTIN: I think Jonathan has played for the last couple of years with Byron Black, he has picked up a few stragglers here and there and done very well with them and I have been all over the map with partners. I have had a little bit of success in doubles and I think Davis Cup is definitely a different situation, I think, for the singles or doubles. I don't necessarily think it is an individual type thing. I think everybody has got the problems of having to deal with the pressure of competing for a team and a country. I am not sure if it intensified the few glitches that we have in our teamwork that those glitches definitely showed.

CAPTAIN GULLIKSON: I think also, Peter, you know, when Jonathan and Todd are at a tournament playing, for example, their first priority is singles. They are both straight into singles and doing a good job playing singles, so a lot of times, they might play doubles on their day off from singles. It is better to play doubles than practice kind of thing and so they are focusing on the singles, but in a Davis Cup situation, the whole focus the whole week is doubles, doubles, doubles, and we played a lot of doubles the first two days and then they both said, geez, we need to play a little singles just to, you know, hit more one-on-one balls and run a little bit and sometimes you can get bogged down in all this teamwork stuff, and, you know, when you got two guys who are excellent singles players, you know, it is important to work on their teamwork on the doubles, but I think playing good singles can only help the doubles really. So we kind of mix that up a little bit this week.

JONATHAN STARK: As a team?

JONATHAN STARK: I think for me, myself personally, I think, you know, I could have played a lot better. Coach Gully said, you know, the first set I felt like I returned pretty well and then I slipped off my return and, you know, losing the first game that I served, that didn't help us. It put us right in the hole immediately, but, you know, as a team, I mean, we have covered it. We were just a little bit off on a few situations. Todd would hit the shot and I would miss one or I would hit the shot and vice versa, and it just wasn't going our way. Doubles is a lot of times the real fine line like that, you know, if I make a return the first game when Edberg is serving, break his serve, who knows what would have happened the rest of the way. I mean, tennis is like that. I guess all sports are like that, so, you know, we tried our hardest and you have to take your hats off to Stefan and Jonas. They played a great match and when we did put a little pressure on them, they came through big with some good volleys and nice lobs on some big breakpoints which is pretty tough to lob out here as you can tell by our lob big performance. We didn't hit any. They played a great match. You know, only thing Todd and I can do is just rebound and hopefully get a little experience under our belt together and go from there.