XXVI OLYMPIC GAMES

July 27, 1996

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yes, it was.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I knew it was going to be, you know, a tough match because she is serving really well. I mean, she is the biggest server in the women's tennis, and she can come with an unbelievable serve like 109 -- 109 kilometers an hour. You have to be ready to see if you can control the return and try to put the ball in and then play the point. I know she was going to make a couple of aces or she is going to go for it, and I just think that mentally I was very tough and very strong today. And I take my opportunities. I did serve really well. After winning the first set, you get much more confidence. And I started, you know, going more for, you know, with the shots. And she -- you know, she come back with great ones too. And we went to the tiebreaker. I could have lost the second set, but I come back playing pretty good. And it was very tight. As a matter of fact, it was only one point. If I was trying to break, you know, her serve once and going ahead, she will be probably more nervous. I just thought to myself, go in, any short ball going in and she has to pass me, and maybe she can make the point, but maybe she can miss once, maybe two or three. So I think mentally I do play -- I was tough there, and I just played, you know, really deep too. And as a matter of fact, it was, you know, a good match for me.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah, I mean, it is so tough because, you know, how many times you are going to go on and off the court. I know that if I was -- if I want to win the point, you know, I have to do it before her, otherwise she was going to either go for it or come with a good volley, so I knew I have to be aggressive, but also patient at the same time. Just not going for the shot. Just thinking, putting the ball and move her and just win the points, that is what I did at the important moments.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah, I mean, it has been a lot talking about it on the TV and you try just to -- when you are on the court just trying to do your job and concentrate; do the best you can and just be on the court and try to put everything on the side. I try not to think too much and just concentrate and do my job.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah, I mean, there is a lot of security with me, and I mean, as a matter of fact, I hope everything continues the same way. Everything has been good so far for me and hopefully we will continue and I mean, I was very surprised what happened. Hopefully it will not happen again anywhere.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, it is tough, you know, because I have to wake up so early this morning just to thinking that I was going to play at 10 o'clock and waiting two hours before we play again, it is kind of a long day, so I am glad that I was be able to do good match and win it. Now I have to go to play one more, so hopefully I will be out of here pretty quickly and I can rest and, you know, come back tomorrow, but it has been a long day, yeah. But success too, so....

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, everything has been completely the same and it has been -- every day has been very good. I mean, I didn't see any difference. It has been good so far.