NEW YORK -- Todd Martin knows all the little tricks of the trade.
He's been around long enough to know which courts make things easier on the eyes (he likes the background at Arthur Ashe Stadium). To know that loud crowd support can be a boost. To know that a changeover is a good chance to stretch weary leg muscles.
Martin put all that knowledge to use Thursday at the U.S. Open, cobbling together a 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (9) victory over 16th-seeded Martin Verkerk in the second round.
And then, as has been the case quite regularly of late, Martin was asked about retirement. He is 33, after all, older than both Pete Sampras and Michael Chang, who both walked away from tennis during the Open.
"I'm sort of in a constant state of reassessment. Whether I do well or don't do well here, it's on my mind," Martin said. "But I'm also enjoying myself a bunch, and focusing on playing my tennis right now."
There's plenty that could distract him from that aim.
He's a new father. And he's in his third stint as president of the ATP Player Council, spearheading negotiations between pros and the four Grand Slam tournaments about money and scheduling.
Those patches of white in Martin's black hair above each ear are growing larger. Among U.S. Open entrants, only Andre Agassi -- born 21/2 months earlier than Martin in 1970 -- is, ahem, more experienced.
"Been on tour a long time together," Agassi said, adding that there is "certainly a respect I have for him as a player, the way he conducts himself on the court and off the court."
On the court, his schedule has been relatively limited, in part because his ranking has dropped to 93rd, so he doesn't get a free pass into all tournaments. He entered the U.S. Open with a 13-10 match record this year.
Now he faces a third-round encounter against Robby Ginepri, a 20-year-old American who knocked off 23rd-seeded Wayne Ferreira 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-2. Ginepri has never been this far at a Grand Slam tournament before.
Martin has done it several times, including making it to two championship matches at majors. But he lost to Sampras in the 1994 Australian Open final, and to Agassi in the 1999 U.S. Open final.
Now he'll try to end a drought of not reaching the fourth round at a Grand Slam event since the Australian Open in January 2001.
"I'm probably healthier than I've been in a while -- but not for good reasons. It's more just because I haven't won enough matches to tire myself out and break myself down," Martin said.
"But hopefully I'll break myself down this week."
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