GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 1996

Mark Woodforde

MARK WOODFORDE: Yeah, of course I remember that. When you have a chance to beat the No. 1 player in the world, you always remember something like that, but it wasn't foremost in my mind going into the match. Probably the two more recent matches we played this year in Memphis and Tokyo which he won in two sets, but each time I felt like I was, you know, getting closer and, you know, had chances to win. It is just that I think the first one I didn't believe myself that I could beat the No. 1 player in the world and the second time, you know, I just -- I had my chances and I think I even had set point and just didn't play the right shot at the right time, so, you know, I went in tonight thinking I could beat the guy and, you know, just came up short, a little bit unlucky, with the matchpoint and -- yeah, that is the end of the tournament for me --

MARK WOODFORDE: -- as far as singles goes.

MARK WOODFORDE: Beating Sampras. You know, I have no problem thinking that I can beat, you know, quite a few of the players when I weigh out my game. But I think probably at the last couple of years or maybe even longer that I had trouble beating Sampras because I didn't feel like I measured up well; that my strengths didn't go into his weaknesses and his strengths outweighed mine and more or less the same with Agassi. But, you know, I think knowing that I reached matchpoint against him once before and the two matches that I played previous to this one this year really helped me believe that, you know, I am still a good year, and can, you know, tough it out with the best guys. He is the No. 1 player, so you know -- it is Sampras; not the No. 1 tag.

MARK WOODFORDE: Well, I think he probably has trouble with lefthanders. I think over his career he has trouble returning the serve and, you know, that is an area where I have tried to improve big time this year and as far as getting some free points, I think I served a few aces tonight and, you know, before I think I used to just panic against him. If he returned my serve and you know he'd breeze through his service games, I felt a lot of pressure on me that I had to play extraordinarily way and way above what my standard could be or what is, and I just thought it would be over and done with within the first 15 minutes. But I think I have just learned that, you know, understood that I am a good player. That I maybe one of the older players, but I am maybe one of the craftiest and I have repertoire of strokes that could annoy a lot of players. And I think my backhand annoys the crap out of him, and some of the shots come into my forehand which opens up the court for me which I didn't think I hit that well tonight, but it was tough conditions out there. I think he suffered a little bit. And I just make him play. I am not going to, you know-- I think before I just, like I said, just sort of, more or less, gave up after -- mentally it was just a melt down. I think now I try and stand up to him; that if he hits a great shot, well, then I am looking down his throat again saying, you know, try again, buddy. And, you know, obviously he can do it because he is the No. 1 player. That is why he is there, but, you know, got to take pride from a match like that tonight.

MARK WOODFORDE: I was just wondering how -- if he knew what he was doing with the forehand that he hit because it sort of came out of -- it seemed to come out of, you know, the throat of the racket and I don't know if he necessarily meant to hit it that hard and that close to the line, you know, that is why I struggled to get over there at that stage because it took me by surprise totally, so I just was trying to work my way to another matchpoint and -- but he kept, you know, he kept coming up with the serves and I think that was the difference in the end tonight was, you know, serving on his behalf; that he was able to get close enough to the lines and with a lot more velocity than what I was able to achieve. In the tiebreaker I only got one first serve in and I think and he missed only one. So, you know, when it gets down to that -- to that stage after playing for nearly three hours, you know, a weapon like that is going to come out on top most times.

MARK WOODFORDE: No. I don't think -- it didn't really affect me. I mean, I was surprised - probably the one that affected me most, if it affected me, was at 4-2, 15-All. I felt like I clipped the line with a volley, which was called very quickly and all too hastily in my book. You know that would have given me 30-15 and I think I would have felt, you know-- it, I think, would have changed the whole match being 30-15 up trying to go up 5-2, rather than 15-30 down and it changed a little bit there, but, you know, I should have made the volley. But the other one, you know, it was like half a foot out, at least, and it was the same linesman and so think Dana, the central umpire moved him very quickly once I asked him to, yeah, but I think in a match like that you are going to come down to, you know, lucky shot, a net cord, or a which he hit, or, you know, bad line call. I have been involved in many of them and that is what happens, but it makes it exciting and that is what makes a lot of people come back and watch.

MARK WOODFORDE: Yeah, probably. I was just speaking to my coach and my trainer that if probably at 5-All in the second set after I had broken him that if I -- winning the first point is such a big psychological advantage, you know, when you are playing against these guys and I did win that first point and again at Love-15, it is a hell of a lot of pressure on you and I think on 4-2 I did win the first point. I was Love-15 down or maybe even Love-30 down as well, -- no, 15-All because I missed the volley to go up 30-15 -- those, I just really wished that I could have maybe taken the advantage and if I missed my first serve, serve volleyed the second one, so I have got to learn from that when I get into that situation out there scrambling into the match against the top guys, you have got to take your chances because I have got one of the better volleys in the game and I should be able to do that. I do it often enough in doubles.

MARK WOODFORDE: No, I mean, that is the beauty of the game as well is that you can play week-in and week-out. There are two more tournaments after here and the U.S. Open and there is another two, three months of tournaments to play. Even though I am 0 and 6 or whatever it is, 0 and 7, 0 and 8, then, you know, you are always going to come up against him again and I am always -- I sort of always believed in my career that you keep searching for ways to win and eventually you might get there, hopefully. I mean, I have been close to him twice.

MARK WOODFORDE: I think -- I think I should have beaten him. I wasn't I -- I was happy with the way that I played -- I served, but I wasn't happy with the way that I really, you know, hit my groundstrokes tonight, so, you know, I feel like I could play a lot better. He probably makes you feel like that sometimes. He just hits down those colossal serves and you have a tough time getting them back. I felt like once I got in the point that I was winning those points. For me, it just comes down to he has got too big a serve from what I have got and that is what won him the watch, so if I can get him that often enough, that I should be able to beat him.

MARK WOODFORDE: No, I have got to raise my standards is the way I look at it. I have got to get better. I still feel like I am improving; even at my age and I still enjoy the game very much and that is what keeps my heart beating and the will to turn up and playing for the 9th time and giving it a good shot at beating him.

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