XXVI OLYMPIC GAMES

July 24, 1996

Marcos Ondruska

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: Can I have one favor? I don't know who I play next, and I'd rather not know right now. So any questions about that...

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: Obviously, it is a great win for me. I have been playing for, like, three years now, four years without really -- I mean, I had some good ones, but not really decent one. And, you know, to have gone through a stretch like I went through in the past where I was beating a lot of top 10 guys in a row pretty consistently and not beating anyone, it is almost like a sigh of relief. I went out there. I played well. I enjoyed it. Been sitting here the last 45 minutes just absorbing it all in and it feels good.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: They were even good at it. I went to the hockey the other day, the field hockey, watched the boys. There was a whole bunch of supporters there. We were just terrible at it. Those guys were just like.....

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: I played him -- this is the fourth time I have played him. The other times he has beaten me, close, fair enough, but he has beaten me. And I didn't -- he has a big serve. He figures maybe he can come out at the start of a match, rely on this, and wait until things get going. Maybe gets an easy game here and there. And for him, a first round kind of is like that. And I came out and I broke him, and that kind of maybe threw him off course a little bit. And then the second set, you know, I feel, yeah, we were both pretty much going for it, and it was a good set.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: Sure. I don't know other South African athletes that well. I met them this week for the first time. But we have spoken. They all seem like a great bunch of guys. We were there sporting the hockey; there watching Penny Haynes (ph) behind the TV. Everyone is just sporting everyone. I almost feel like the rest of them -- there is almost like a movement to help each other up and do your best no matter what happens. And that is great to have behind you.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: I would have thought it is a little different. You know, I didn't think I was going to be as nervous as I would in a normal tournament, but I got out there in the first few games, I really didn't quite know where I was. So yeah, I was nervous, but as far as the pressure, I think it is a little different. On the one hand, it is not really just for yourself, but on the other hand, you have a lot that can go right for you, gold, silver, bronze medal is something that is definitely worth achieving or getting and, you know, there is still a lot on the line.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: As far as my serve, I thought I served pretty well today and, you know, I was holding serve pretty comfortably. His serve, he was going for a lot; a bit much sometimes. At times I felt he could have let me play a little more. That is his game. He is going to go for aces and, you know, he missed a couple and then on the right times I guess I hit a couple of good ones back and, you know, it is kind of easy to go down two breaks like that. Especially because of the first set, I am not quite sure he was really expecting that.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: I have been working on a lot of things. It has been the grass court season. We have been on the grass for about like four, five weeks now. And obviously that is part of my game that, you know, we have been working on.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: It doesn't -- only thing I can say, for me, I haven't really had what some of the other athletes had in terms of preparation. They really had the preparation or they have known well in advance that they are going to be in. I only had, what, six weeks. It is still something that I have looked forward to and in a way, I kind of knew there was a good chance even if I didn't get in, there was a good chance I had thought I might get a wildcard so subconsciously I guess I was still preparing for it. You know, I mean, what, like six weeks in advance, I mean, I put in a lot of good work right before Wimbledon and, you know, that is perfect. It is always going to show like right about now and two, three weeks time.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: Similar, I don't think it is quite as hot. It can be hot, but I think yesterday and today it wasn't really that bad at all. The court surface itself is a lot faster than it was at West Ridge Park and the balls are a lot heavier and harder, so, you know, I think later in the week, the heat itself can get up a little bit more.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: Yeah.

MARCOS ONDRUSKA: Well, I think I played Newport and Washington last week and I think compared to those balls, possibly these balls maybe are a little heavier. I mean, I hit with the girls' balls earlier in the week because the guys weren't here yet, so I mean, compared to those, they really feel a lot heavier. Thank you very much.