RCA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 16, 1996

Richard May

Patrick Sweeney

PATRICK SWEENEY: No. Difficulty with return of serve. That is what happened this morning, I think, more than anything. That is what I would think --

RICHARD MAY: Yeah, I mean --

PATRICK SWEENEY: -- for me.

RICHARD MAY: I don't think as a doubles team, you know, if we lose, we lose together. If we win, we win together. It is not one of us or the other one.

RICHARD MAY: Have you played?

CRAIG GABRIEL: Many, many years ago.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I think that Todd Martin has created the new phrase for that - is it "freezing up?" Is that the Michigan phrase for it. But Richard said you have to play together and win together, lose together, but if choking is hard to look at that term and follow, you know, onto the next tournament, you have to put it behind you whatever the term is. That is what we look forward to as a team.

RICHARD MAY: Only when playing the other Australian teams.

PATRICK SWEENEY: That was an aberration. Just like the loss. My two doublefaults at the end were just something that usually never happens, but the toss and after the return of serve was just a great deal of difficulty.

RICHARD MAY: No. We hope to have a little bit more substance than they do.

RICHARD MAY: I am not attacking him. I think that there is a place in tennis for that, brings the masses out, but as far as a doubles team, that has -- that can compete week in and week out, I don't think, other than the one French Open victory, that they have had that -- they have had that many good results and it would be -- it would be nice to see other teams that are good teams do things like they do and maybe that will rub off on other players. It is not an attack on them.

RICHARD MAY: Agassi does it pretty well.

RICHARD MAY: I think in doubles the problem is that they are never on TV or they are not shown as much so they don't have the opportunities. Only the big -- only the tennis fan out there that knows a lot about tennis really follows doubles; not the masses and that is what the Jensen brothers have probably done is got the masses to attend doubles matches, but if they are not on the court, you can put the top two doubles team on the court, you are not going to get the same number of fans out there as if you put the Jensens out there and it doesn't matter who they are playing.

PATRICK SWEENEY: He could always pick up a few pointers from Richard. Myself, the rules have to be followed by everyone and as long as they are consistently enforced for all the players, then I think everyone accepts them. But we were waiting for our doubles match afterwards and saw that. I thought that was the right thing to do to call the referee. At least the umpire did that before he did anything. And then the referee, that is his job, to make a final decision what the rules are. I think that was good that the umpire did that. To pick up what Richard was saying earlier, it would be nice if they had one or two doubles tournaments that didn't have any singles matches; try and showcase doubles, maybe one or two tournaments a year and just see what the results are. Maybe there would be more interest in doubles and there could be -- some of the players could put more entertainment and substance into the doubles game because it is a fun game to watch and it is fun for people and more people play doubles or as many people play doubles as singles. That would be a fun thing to do. Maybe with a doubles and a mixed doubles tournament just showcase just two of them; try and see what the results are.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Well, they have the championship separate. I think they moved it to Connecticut this year?

RICHARD MAY: Hartford.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I think they have separated it for that purpose and they should separate it during the year once or twice just to see what the results are; see what kind of interest can be generated in the game. It is a very fast exciting game, actually. I think it would get a lot of interest in it. I think there is more action in doubles most of the time than it is in singles; more exciting points.

RICHARD MAY: I think the ATP has problem in doubles in promoting doubles different than the women's Tour where the top players play; you don't see the top men's players playing doubles. Maybe by separating some tournaments, you will get some of the top -- you will get Sampras playing doubles. I don't know. He may play one doubles tournament a year, I mean, the fans would be more -- I think they would find the doubles more interesting if the top players were in it.

RICHARD MAY: You only have been out for one year.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Right. Maybe I will just give up this and go strictly to a singles career, but I will have to wait until the end of the season. I want to win the Championship in Hartford with Richard.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I want to win the Championship in Hartford this year. That is my goal; then I will reevaluate at the end of the season if I will do that. Then I will be happy.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I don't agree with that at all. I think that is totally wrong. I don't mind going to Macau and playing. They can tape delay back if they want to put it on TV. I don't know what Richard thinks about it. We don't talk about it that much.

RICHARD MAY: Actually, I think the prize money is still good and the opportunity for endorsements and stuff will be better if it is in the United States. It can generate interest here.

RICHARD MAY: I didn't realize that money was so important.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Today we did. We did at Wimbledon, fortunately, and then I don't know, we will have to talk about that after the match.

RICHARD MAY: We don't talk much about it.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Maybe we are heading towards the Jensens thing. Maybe we should look for different endorsements, Richard.

RICHARD MAY: They talk to each a lot, I am sure.

PATRICK SWEENEY: We want more substance; less flash. We want results, but I think we have communicated enough to be successful up to this time.

RICHARD MAY: Reebok, and Nike at the same time.

RICHARD MAY: You have to wear a shirt and shorts and shoes.

SANDY HARWITT: It is his transvestite -- when he plays as a woman he wears -- (LAUGHTER)

RICHARD MAY: I didn't notice.

RICHARD MAY: Any time during the year there are matches when you are not in it as much as other matches. This was not a match where I was just comfortable or as focused as I have been in other matches.

RICHARD MAY: It is a nice facility. It is quieter here. It seems more friendly. The fans seem friendlier. It is not as obviously as formal as Wimbledon or as loud and obnoxious as New York, but I think for the players it is a good place to go.

RICHARD MAY: Wimbledon.

RICHARD MAY: Probably U.S. Open being American.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I think the Australian is the nicest, the friendliest and the French because of the city. Wimbledon is too stuff fee. I don't like the U.S. Open.

RICHARD MAY: We won there.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I know, but that is okay. Australia is beautiful.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I am trying to work on that blonde, but I don't know if she plays tennis. I hope the weather is nice. That is the important thing at the U.S. Open. Too hot.

JUDY BURNETT: Any other questions?

PATRICK SWEENEY: I really think if they tried two tournaments a year where they had mixed doubles and doubles, it would be good - one or two and try it. The WTA Tour had one tournament they did in Florida and I think that if they are going to have the doubles tournament final separate this year, they should have some doubles tournament just to see -- as Richard says, they make some of the other top players, that won't interfere with their singles, to play in it.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I think number one, it will be unique. It will get some immediate attention. Two, especially if they played it on a little slower surface, I think it would be fun for everyone. I think it would be successful. Richard is working on these bi, tri, endorsement things. I think he can put it together as a second career.

RICHARD MAY: It has been successful in the past before. I mean, there was a series of tournaments in Houston which was just a mixed doubles tournament and you are going to bring in some named players and with a -- what they did was bring in Evert and Connors and put them together and there is no reason why Connors can't come back and play and Martina can come back and play in these tournaments; doesn't have to be --

RICHARD MAY: If he brings that many fans to the stadium, I am sure you can -- I am sure that the people will pay to go out and watch him play.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I think you can get interest if you have a 16 team draw, you know, Thursday, Friday Saturday or Friday, Saturday, Sunday, a short tournament, don't have to have a week long tournament with Richard and our team alone will turn out fans.

RICHARD MAY: Oh, yeah.

RICHARD MAY: As our partners?

RICHARD MAY: I know who you want. I am trying to think of somebody else. Maybe Mary Joe Fernandez or Gigi Fernandez, one of the American doubles players.

PATRICK SWEENEY: I would like Steffi Graf. I'd like to play with her. I think the best doubles players in the world are Mary Joe and Gigi. It is a different game.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Exactly. She doesn't play mixed. No comment. No French -- no Spanish journalist here. No Puerto Rican journalists. That is the bad thing, is that singles has become really -- it really is -- it distracts. It is unfair to the top players because they can't take the time to play doubles. It would help some of their games, that is why you primarily have baseliners. They don't go to the net anymore because they don't have to. Doubles, you have to. One person that really changed the game is Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Her game went up three or four levels by playing doubles.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Trouble with Billie Jean King, yeah.

PATRICK SWEENEY: Richard is the kind of guy that can deal with that. You have dealt with me. (LAUGHTER).

RICHARD MAY: Most of her problem generate from starting to lose.