GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 1996

Vincent Spadea

VINCE SPADEA: I don't think it was that much of a factor in this match for me. I wasn't feeling too fatigued by the sun or by the match because we were having very short points and it was just humidity - just a matter of managing the sweat and, you know, just staying cool in general, but it wasn't like I was, you know, it was that big a deal, so -- but I mean, you know, if there is a baseliner/baseliner game and you haven't won points, you know, little later in the day, well, I guess, is about the time it is getting hot tape; then you have to be more careful.

VINCE SPADEA: It seems that way. It seems that he got some big serves when he needed them and I didn't capitalize when I had the opportunity, so you get a guy with a weapon like that and the guy, it is going to be hard to break him, but, you know, the first set was my opportunity to go ahead and start generating my own confidence and that is what happened the last time we played, really, sort of -- we had -- the tide turns a little bit and the tiebreak at the end kind of --

VINCE SPADEA: Well, I mean, you say 5-2, but he was serving and there was one point where I had a shot that I could have made and I kind of overplayed it, but I don't think that was the biggest problem I had. I think, you know, I think I didn't take my time and I got, you know, a little bit anxious on a few of those points, but I still had -- it is not like I lost five straight points in the last -- I mean, I still had set points and he came up with the goods and I didn't really counter with anything that was worthwhile.

VINCE SPADEA: I don't know. I don't think so. I think he might have served a little better today, but he was also -- you know, he was also up a set. The second set, I think, he definitely had easier service games than the first. I had a few chances. I had some breakpoints in the first set, so I don't think that has so much to do with Wimbledon, but, I mean, obviously it is not hurting him, any, the way he is feeling, but, you know, basically the same type of match, I felt good about what I was doing and there was no surprises and it was just a matter of out-battling him.

VINCE SPADEA: No, I mean, not really. I mean, that is a completely different surface and I grew up playing on outdoor hard court, you know, with this kind of weather and so forth, so, you know, no matter who I am playing, I feel that I am capable of playing my best tennis on this type of -- in this type of environment. So it wasn't really too big of an obstacle to go out and face him. I mean, he had won many titles and everything before. It wasn't like all of a sudden he won Wimbledon, whatever. But I mean, Wimbledon is that much more significant than even what he was before, but it really didn't bother me, no, I mean, or affect me.

VINCE SPADEA: Absolutely.

VINCE SPADEA: It is a missed opportunity. It is very disappointing, extremely, but, you know, I am hitting the ball well and I actually played a pretty solid match, so I am not discouraged or, you know, I haven't really lost a lot of my confidence or anything. I think I feel good and, you know, if a guy has to go in a tiebreaker and serve four straight balls over 125 miles an hour, you know, if those are my worst worries, then I don't have to be panicing at this point. I mean, you know, who is to say what would have happened if he had hit one second serve out of those four on any of those set points and maybe, you know, that can be a difference in a match. One guy comes up with a couple of extra shots when they need them, so, you know, I am encouraged to go on and work hard and go for the next week, so I have a lot of opportunities coming up, bigger and better.

VINCE SPADEA: I am no expert in commenting on that kind of stuff. I have no clue. I mean, obviously he has got a lot of big shots and he is a powerful player and, you know, if you win Wimbledon, I don't think anything is out of your grasp or capabilities, so I think he is speaking for himself with that. I mean -- and the way he has performed on clay as well, is something that talks for himself, I mean, you know, he was -- actually he has probably played more on clay than anything, anyway, so a guy to go and play that well on those kind of surfaces and he has won many titles indoors and hard, so he is portraying those assets and those types of results. I mean, if a guy like that can't do it, then who can? You know, I mean, what do you have to do?

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