XXVI OLYMPIC GAMES

July 24, 1996

Richey Reneberg

RICHEY RENEBERG: (LAUGHS) I am actually feeling better than I was a couple of hours ago. It was kind of a strange deal. About an hour after the match, I started feeling a little dizzy during the match, I felt physically all right apart from my injury to my leg, and -- but, yeah, it was kind of a weird thing. I guess there is some kind of phenomenon, I started drinking a lot of water after the match; sometimes it can kind of backfire, deplete all your minerals with that stuff. And it took me a little while to start feeling better. But I am feeling okay.

RICHEY RENENBERG: Well, I have had a lot of trouble with my leg the last couple of weeks, and, actually, first time injury was back at the U.S. Open in '94. Almost identical spot. I think it is the same injury. I was in Winston Salem two weeks ago, I pulled it again, it came back. Seemed a little bit better when I was in D. C. I had a long day, I played two matches there, all of a sudden it got worse and it has been bad ever since I got here. I knew even two weeks ago, whenever it was when Pete pulled out, I knew I was injured, I told them to try and get someone else because I knew I couldn't be 100%. And it is just unfortunate that the rules are the way they are. I mean, we tried hard to get Todd on the team. Like I say, I didn't think that -- I knew if I played here, I wouldn't be 100% today if -- it didn't matter if I pulled out, it was just going to be someone from another country playing. I figured give it my best shot, see if it loosened up. It never really felt very good. In the tiebreak I felt it kind of give a little bit again. Second set tiebreaker, I think at 3-2, I hit first serve, and I felt my leg get really tight. So that was that.

RICHEY RENENBERG: In answer to your question, I think right now it is pretty doubtful I am going to be playing. But I guess we are going to try again Friday, start and see what happens. But it doesn't seem to be getting any better last couple of weeks. Kind of been the same old thing where I practice and it gets sore. And, I don't know, I don't think there is a very good shot.

RICHEY RENEBERG: I imagine if I do decide not to play, they will probably ask Andre. Because, there again, that is another rule, it can be only someone who is on the team which is unfortunate. I spoke to Tom after the match anyway to fly someone in. Same rules as singles. It is just -- you know, it is just weird because after Pete pulled out, it didn't matter what happened. I mean, the only people that can play are the guys that were originally on the team. I guess you had to pull out before June 30th, which is like three weeks before the event. You know, a lot can happen between three weeks before the event. I think maybe they should look at changing that rule. I mean, Todd was, you know, ready, willing and able to play, and I knew from the night Tom called me, said you were playing singles, I said I think you should try and do your best to get somebody else because I had this before, and it is not -- I didn't think it would be better.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Oh, yeah, I imagine they will probably talk to Andre before the last minute. But no, Andre, you know, is here to do well in the singles. He has a good shot at doing well at the singles and, you know, unfortunately I think it may end up being that we just don't have a doubles team. But I am still hoping that I get better. I mean, I know the history of this thing. It hasn't been doing that. I think I have a little tear in my hamstring is what was diagnosed back in '94. I know it is the exact same spot, same feeling. I press on it and it is very tender. And I don't get hurt that often, but unfortunately, it is something that has been lingering around. I know back in '94 it took at least a week to heal, and unfortunately, like you said, I have been pretty busy. I was hopeful when I was in Washington D.C. because it did respond to some of the treatment, although it was always kind of sore, and then like I said, got a lot of rain up there. I had a day where I played two matches and the next morning it was killing me again. So I flew here the next day. I have been practicing last couple of days. It hasn't been feeling very well.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, it is possible. You know, I don't mean to sound selfish. Obviously, the Olympics is a big event. I mean, I am worried about, you know, the rest of the summer and rest of the year. I have been playing very well lately, and I don't want to take a chance.

RICHEY RENEBERG: He understands.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Right.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah.

RICHEY RENENBERG: It has been great. I mean, it is kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am 30 years old now, probably be my last. And it was fun, I just wished I would have been healthy, that is all. But I knew that there was a possibility of this happening back when Pete pulled out. You know, it is too bad.

RICHEY RENEBERG: My left.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Ultrasound machine, obviously, ice it. I iced it right after I played, and continue to ice it and take some antiinflammatories, but, you know, I hope that it will get well, but I know ....

RICHEY RENEBERG: Probably not. Not tomorrow. We will see. No, definitely not.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Well, it would typically bother me less in doubles. It hurts a lot any time I move to my left or any time I have to bend; that is why I am hesitant to play the doubles, any time I had came in and bent a little for a volley, it doesn't feel very good. It is very strange. I know exactly -- like I said, if I move to my left it is very hard, and any kind of sudden movement or lunging --

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Actually when I woke up this morning Mal and I hit earlier; it still bothered me, kind of the turning point as far as like I said 3-2 in the second set tiebreaker I felt like I didn't want to stop. I actually thought about stopping after the first set because I could tell I was kind of aggravating it. Second set tiebreak I kind of felt something pull a little bit more when I was ahead 3-2; after that I kind of just through my serve in, just try to somehow hope that he would miss, which he did for a little while, but then, I couldn't move and I mean, I guess maybe he -- I think sometimes it is better to play guys when you know they are struggling with something like that. I really knew unless he doublefaulted or missed a return, I had to go for a winner on my first shot. And they didn't go in.

RICHEY RENEBERG: His shirt had too many patches, too many logos.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah.

RICHEY RENEBERG: No. As far as I was concerned, I thought I was fine; didn't feel any cramping. Had nothing to do with heat exhaustion or anything. That kind of happened in the locker room, which was strange. It happened to me once in Hong Kong where I had this problem where I drank too much water. I think that was the kind of the cause of it, and -- but no, nothing he did to me. I felt -- I never really felt 100%, like I said, from the beginning of the match from the time I woke up this morning, I knew my leg was a little sore, and I figured I just -- like I said, I didn't want to default after the first. I wanted to try and see if I can get through it and hope that maybe it would respond to some treatments the next couple of days.

RICHEY RENEBERG: I think I actually injured it a couple of weeks ago.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Would I have played the next match or something?

RICHEY RENEBERG: I would say it would have been at best probably 50/50. I was actually thinking about that a little bit.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, I would be in the exact same position.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yes. Obviously, when I play singles it is a lot worse than when I play doubles. Nonetheless, even though you are covering less court, you get in awkward positions sometimes to bend. And if I feel good, then I'd love to play. Obviously, I really want to play, but I think I have to be careful.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, I served a game. I don't know why. But I don't know. But I couldn't have really served very well at that point and so.....