Audio interview www.daviscup.com

September 21, 2003

Lleyton Hewitt, that was a match that at times defied words. How did you feel playing it?

It was incredible. I was just trying to take it one game at a time, and when I was two sets to love down just one set at a time basically. That’s what Fitzy was really enforcing on the side of the court. Just to tell me to, you know, let’s get this third set under our belt, and let’s take it from there one step at a time. In the end I was able to do that and just put my head down. I felt like I was going to be the fitter guy – I’ve done a lot of work over the last few weeks and before the U.S. Open, and it held me in good stead.

What about that point that won you the fourth set? I don’t think anybody could really describe it, I mean it was phenomenal.

Pretty incredible. I wasn’t sure what to do, it all happened that quick, you know, I just stuck my racquet out and wasn’t sure if the ball was going long or… and then I tripped over my own feet. It was a nice one to have under my belt that’s for sure. Fitzy and I were having a bit of a laugh at the side of the court and I had to try and get my concentration back for the fifth set.

When you won that fourth set did you think that this was really it?

Well, it was the first time in the match Fitzy sat down and he goes all right, we’re in a winning position now. Up till then we really couldn’t talk about winning the match, we were just taking it one step at a time. Once we got it on even keel and I was serving first in the fifth, every time I was finally in front and I hadn’t been in front the whole match. That was a big bonus to have.

Where do you place this match in your career, even just your Davis Cup career?

I think it’s number one, there’s no doubt about it. To play a match like that in front of 15,000 people against one of the most in form players on the tour, and especially in Davis Cup, it’s gotta go down probably in front of beating Guga in straight sets in Brazil too. This was a really gutsy win today.

So I guess it silences all the critics of your form this year.

Yeah, I couldn’t care less about my form right now. This result speaks for itself and we’re through to the Davis Cup final, and I think everyone knows how badly I’ve wanted to win the Davis Cup this year, and you know, it’s even more so now.

And finally, on court you said this beats the hell out of winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Oh mate, I felt like I was in a dreamland out there. The last couple of games when I could actually sense that I had a real opportunity of winning the match, I felt I was in another world. It’s an awesome feeling. It’s just a shame that in the next few days I’ll be in a bit of pain and whatever. You won’t quite have that same feeling, that electricity, buzz, that you have while you’re out there playing. Nothing beats it

But I guess that’s pain you’re going to enjoy

Oh for sure. It’ll be great.

Thanks mate.

Thank you.

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Multiple Grand Slam doubles champion Todd Woodbridge explains why the forthcoming Davis Cup semifinal against Switzerland is shaping as one of the best tennis showdowns Melbourne will have seen. 

July 30, 2003 - Melbourne Park

How many campaigns is this for you?

This next Davis Cup tie will be the 28th match for me which will tie Adrian Quist. So I'm getting ready to try and break some more records, which I'm looking forward to. Every match right now, there's something laying on it for me, which is the motivation to keep going at this stage. 

Do you have a preferred partner these days?

What we've tried to do over the last 12 months is to get as many partnerships going as possible. I've played with Lleyton (Hewitt) a little bit in the tie. Wayne Arthurs and I performed the best we ever had in the last round in the quarterfinal in Sweden. We played a sensational match and that's given us a lot of confidence. Given the depth of the Swiss team, we may need to keep Lleyton and Flip as fresh as possible for the last day. It's all going to depend a lot on how the first singles day goes to see who gets out there on the Saturday, but I'm looking forward to having my position out there. 

There's a big challenge against Switzerland?

There is. I actually think that this is going to be one of the best and most important Davis Cup matches that I've been involved in. We had the final here a couple of years back (against France) and obviously that was a huge match, but I think this actually rivals and will be better than that match. You've got Federer, the Wimbledon champion, Lleyton Hewitt, a Wimbledon champion, Philippoussis had been in great form getting to that Wimbledon final, myself coming through Wimbledon (doubles final winner). In terms of all the talent and all the players on the court, this is going to be one of the best matches that we've ever had in Melbourne. 

You really do seem to be evergreen?

If you can't be enthusiastic coming off a Wimbledon victory, you never will be. I'd love to be in a winning Davis Cup team here in Australia. I've been in one overseas, missed out here in the Final a couple of years ago. It's a real motivation for the guys who are in the team to be able to try and win one here. To get through this up and coming semifinal is the first priority and hopefully we'll be back here later in the year to try and win it here in Melbourne. 

Playing for your country is something special?

Playing for your country is the hardest thing in sport. Being an individual sport, tennis, when you win for yourself there's a lot of glory and self-satisfaction but when you get out there and you are actually playing for your country, if you lose a lot of people are disappointed and that makes it harder for you. It's a real challenge to learn to be able to cope with the pressure that comes with representing Australia. 

Working with the juniors, how has it been with Chris Guccione?

He is a raw talent and has got a huge amount of potential to keep on improving. He's very natural and very gifted and it's about tightening up his game right now. That's why John McCurdy (AIS Head Coach) has brought me in to try and see if we can tighten up his volleying skills, because he has such a big serve that he's a dangerous serve and volley-style player as he proved at Junior Wimbledon this year. I'm happy to be out working with these guys. It makes practice for me fun and maybe I can pass on some of my knowledge.