XXVI OLYMPIC GAMES

July 24, 1996

Jason Stoltenberg

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah, I know. I'd never played him before, and I really didn't -- really didn't know what to expect. And he came out playing really well and, you know, I was just trying to figure out a way to play him. And he played quite well from the baseline. He hit the ball fairly deep, and I felt like I served pretty well when I had to today, so that was a big part of my game. But I just wanted to play well enough to get through, and I did that, so I am really happy. I have seen his name. He plays on the Tour sometimes. I'd seen his name around, but I just hadn't seen him play. Sometimes it is difficult when you come out on the court, you have never seen him hit a ball before.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Does he?

JASON STOLTENBERG: Well, I don't know. I mean -- at the warmup was the first time I'd seen him play. It wasn't ideal preparation.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah, he was.

JASON STOLTENBERG: His backhand was really good. We were having some goods backhand rallies. I think his backhands were better than his forehands. But it was difficult for me because I should have probably used my slice a little bit more. I think the games that I broke him, I got some good slices down low. He didn't handle those quite as well. He likes to stay well back and rally. I may have fallen in that with him too much. I wanted to get through it. I knew it could be a tough match. I did. I am really happy.

JASON STOLTENBERG: No. I think I was lucky to have a week off after it where I could just sit down and go over the whole tournament, let it sink in, and try and put it behind me and concentrate on this tournament. And because this one -- this is one of the ones I have been looking forward to for a long time, especially with the summer coming up next five, six weeks. So it is a big time for me. And I have put Wimbledon behind me; taken a lot of confidence from it and just try and kick on from there.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah, it takes me back to junior days in Canberra. It was good fun because I have been able to catch up with a lot of the blokes I went to the institute with whom I hadn't seen since then, basketball, swimmers, I don't know, track and field people, and just people that I hadn't seen for such a long time.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Actually, I ran into Andrew Curry who is a javelin thrower. He is a guy, we went to Wee Waa when I was ten or eleven years old. I hadn't seen him since then. We were good mates back then. It was an amazing first hour. I arrived and he is the first bloke I run into. We have been getting together a bit and talking again and -- but, you know, it is just nice to see a lot of the old faces that I went to school with and it is good fun. It is different. I think I wouldn't have enjoyed the Olympics near as much if I had stayed at a hotel.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah, I am with Todd. We are used to that. Living with me all our lives almost.

JASON STOLTENBERG: She is in between. She is in the middle.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah.

JASON STOLTENBERG: No, I wouldn't let her come. Don't mine sharing with the other blokes, but they don't share mine.

JASON STOLTENBERG: We get around those -- what do you mean out here?

JASON STOLTENBERG: We take a bus. It is 45 minutes. With no traffic about 45 minutes, so it is a long trip, but everything here is really nice and we get treated well. The people here are working really hard making it comfortable for us, so we don't mind making the trip.

JASON STOLTENBERG: I think I played Carlsen or Knowles. I am not sure if they have played. I don't think so. But it is going to be a tough one. I don't think I have played Carlsen before -- actually have played him on grass once and beaten Knowles earlier this year. In these conditions, any match is a tough match. I feel like I can improve on today's match which I am happy with and I am hitting ball well; feeling confident, so I will go into it giving myself good chance.

JASON STOLTENBERG: No. I don't think so. I think a couple of years ago it might have. I think now I have been playing long enough and I am enjoying holding -- got my ranking down to where it is again. I am not happy with that. I'd love to go even further and I feel like I am ready to hopefully make that extra step. And maybe a couple of years ago I wasn't quite ready for it and wasn't comfortable with the position I was in. Now, being the No. 1 Australian, I am very happy to there be and it gives me an extra special feeling this time than last time, and all of us are doing well at the moment. The pressure isn't really put on one person. We are all doing well and so it is evenly spread which is really nice, so I don't think -- I think some of us has taken a lot pressure off Marc Philippoussis in the last six months. Pat had a lot off his shoulders now and guys are starting to feel a little bit more relaxed, I think, and trying to edge each other on. I think if one does well, it tends to bring the others along with them. I think I have seen that happen quite a bit in the last couple of years.