Davis Cup Redemption for Martin

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. —  Redemption nicked the tape at the top of the net Sunday and caromed above Todd Martin’s head.

Martin savored his opportunity for a moment before finishing Guy Forget of France, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), to clinch a first-round Davis Cup victory for the United States before 4,327 at the Bayfront Center Arena.

Two days earlier, the 13th-ranked Martin lost to No. 50 Cedric Pioline in the best-of-five-match competition, which led to the United States sitting in the precarious position of having to win one of Sunday’s two singles matches to advance.

“There are not too many opportunities where (if) you lose on a court, you can come back and play two days later and have it mean anything,” Martin said. “It was a great opportunity for me to make better what I did on Friday.”

After Martin earned the decisive third point for the United States, No. 12 Jim Courier defeated Pioline, 6-4, 6-3, to complete the Americans’ 4-1 victory.

France, led by Yannick Noah, had been hoping to win its first Davis Cup since 1991. Instead, the United States will play at Palermo, Italy, in the second round March 31-April 2.

Both Martin and Forget, who is ranked 37th, had lost on Friday.

“Every time you have a chance to collect your thoughts, your mind starts to race and you think about everything in the world that is going to happen on the court that day,” Martin said. “I was pretty nervous and pretty anxious to just get out and get going.”

And when he finally did get going, things began on a positive note--with an ace.

In the second-set tiebreaker, Martin won two consecutive points against Forget’s serve to take a 4-1 lead.

“(That) was a big confidence boost to me,” Martin said. “I think it took a little wind out of him.”

Martin gave up two more points before clinching the game when Forget hit a backhand from the baseline into the net. That was a recurring problem for Forget, who had no backhand groundstroke winners in either of his singles matches.

Martin also came to the net more often and more successfully against Forget than he had against Pioline on Friday. Martin came to the net against Pioline only 42 times, winning 25 points, but came to the net against Forget 63 times, winning 48 points.

“I was much more pleased with the way I played today just because I had put a lot of pressure on him and it was just good to have a reminder of how I should play,” Martin said.

Still, though Martin won in three sets, it was not an overwhelming victory.

Martin trailed in the third-set tiebreaker, 4-3, before serving two aces to take the lead for good. After his winning shot, he raised his racket and a clenched fist in celebration. “The victory, as far as the way I played, is OK, nothing big,” he said. “But being able to clinch the (first-round victory) for my team and enjoy the atmosphere that was presented today is right up there near the top.”

The top is a far cry from where Martin was after his loss on Friday.

“I was walking around feeling like everybody was looking at me saying, ‘Geez, look at this guy. What is he doing?’ ” he said.

But when Martin turned to his teammates, they weren’t looking at him differently.

“It was just like any other day, and when they treat you normally, that is sometimes the most comforting feeling,” he said.

Martin was so grateful to have the opportunity to redeem himself in the Davis Cup that he joked that he would make himself available “for the next 10 years.”

The U.S. Tennis Assn. might not take him up on that offer in Palermo, where the matches will probably be played on clay, a slower surface than the fast indoor carpet on which Martin had 20 aces Sunday. U.S. Captain Tom Gullikson was reluctant to discuss it.

“I don’t think we can assume anything right now,” he said. “We just got over this one, and we are just going to enjoy this one.”