Todd Martin has played in two Grand Slam finals and been ranked as high as fourth.

Now he’s 93rd and believes he is playing better than ever.

“I feel like I’m playing better than when I was ranked my highest because everyone else is playing a whole lot better,” the 33-year-old American said. “I feel like I’ve made some good strides recently and you get on the court and you start to feel things and it doesn’t feel like you’re 33. It feels like you’re the same age as the guy across the net, and it’s just a matter of who plays better that day.”

The classy Martin is quietly enjoying an impressive run in Flushing, having already eliminated the 16th seed (Martin Verkerk) and one of the game’s rising stars (Robby Ginepri). He was hoping to snatch his 100th career Grand Slam victory last night, but his fourth-round match against No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero was postponed by the incessant rain.

Still, the battle with the Spaniard will be his toughest test yet, one of the reasons Martin won’t allow himself to think about the possibility of his first Slam victory.

“We all grew up with certain dreams and it’s easy to get nostalgic about those dreams,” he said. “But it’s important that you keep your eye on the next stride rather than the finish line.”

Of course, Martin also hasn’t won a singles title since 1999. But as he’s gotten older and grayer, the cheers have also gotten louder. As the fans hope for a two-week slice of magic, the Open’s second-oldest player (behind Andre Agassi) has enjoyed cult status as the people’s choice.

“I’m the people’s choice,” Martin said, employing a dose of realism, “until I probably go up against somebody like Andre or Andy.”