U.S. OPEN

September 1, 1995

Todd Martin

TODD MARTIN: Well, I am not really sure if that is the pleasure. I think the pleasure is beating Mats and I mean, not in any kind of vendetta way, but he is a great player and to be able to come out and sweat it out through the first set not playing very well and then start to feel comfortable out there and play well, then it was very pleasing for me.

TODD MARTIN: Oh, he -- geez, the first set we -- we came out and we both played about as bad as we could have, and a little bit is to do with I think both of us were a little nervous; not really ready to go for it and do what it takes to win a match like that. It was really windy. Came close to whiffing a couple of balls and Mats had some trouble with his contacts to. It is just a strange -- it is a strange place out there. If there is any wind in the world, it is going to find that stadium court.

TODD MARTIN: Oh geez, plenty of things. Been a while since I have played on that court, about a year; playing a former champion, I am playing a great player, yeah. I am playing -- I get tight every time I go out on the court. I think if you are not nervous, you are not ready to play. Sitting around all day long, I think we both got a little anxious and came out and just weren't ready to do the work that was needed.

TODD MARTIN: Pretty good. I feel the summer has gone fairly well for me and I think I have played well. I have lost a couple of close matches and I feel like right now I am playing better than I was earlier in the summer. It is going to take a lot of good timing. Don't want to waste any of my good days on my days off, so just sort of store it up and hopefully it will -- my goods will come with me.

TODD MARTIN: This is my 6th.

TODD MARTIN: I have always stayed in the city. I think it is the most exciting 2 1/2 weeks for me every year. A lot of it has to do with this site and coming out and getting the wind blown around and swinging them in and hearing people get on your case in the stands or support your cause. Then toughen it out in the players' lounge and getting the bus home and then experiencing what New York is all about when I get back to the city; walk around; go to dinner, as boring as I can be, this city still keeps me on my toes. It is still exciting.

TODD MARTIN: I probably stay a little too close to the vicinity of where I am staying; really take some time to walk around and do some things, you know, you don't need to do anything to have fun in the city. Just walk around; look at people and get a slice of pizza here and there and walk a little farther and stop and get another slice. It is exciting and really my main objective is to avoid the groupies that are hanging around in the players' lounge.

TODD MARTIN: Listen, this is the U.S. Championships. If you can't enjoy that as an American, and as a fairly young aspiring player, I don't know what you can enjoy. It is a thrill.

TODD MARTIN: I know he is short and he is fast and he has got a sweet backhand and I didn't know I had to play him.

TODD MARTIN: You just told me. But ^ Mauricio, we played, I think three years ago in Washington D.C. and first time I had ever seen him and I went out and I was so ignorant of how good he was I played really well and I beat him, but he is one of the more talented guys out there and he will put some balls in some awkward places for me to hit and hopefully I will just be able to cover the net as well as I did today and serve a little better hopefully.

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