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U.S. OPEN

August 30, 1996

Andrei Olhovskiy

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. Why did you lose today?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: First he served really big. You know, I have injury one day ago during the doubles, my knee was hurt. I couldn't make normal motion for my serve. Normally I serve much better. If I keep my serve, he will not serve like this today. I think this was the main case. I wasn't moving good today because of my knee. Without movement against these guys, yesterday I didn't practice at all, today during warm-up, I decided to play. There are only two matches going. The other players just don't know what good.

Q. Do you think if you were at the top of your game, could he still beat you?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: If I am on top of my game, I'm sure it will not be three sets because if I keep my serve, it's tough to play. He need to serve just aces because he's not returning, he's not showing something. He's playing good. If you serve good, you serve. For example when the score is 5-All, it's very tough to serve four aces in the row, then you should play the point.

Q. When you look up and see you're playing someone like Mark, how much of your mental preparation is concerned for his serve, or do you even think about it at all?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: No. I tell you, I was okay. One day ago I was hurt my knee, and that's why it's really difficult. When motion is different, like a really low percentage of first serves today, you don't think -- you think just about your serve, you don't think about that.

Q. Do you think he has a good enough game to go all the way?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: It's really difficult to say because it's five-set matches. During five sets, it's tough to serve like this all the time. Groundstrokes, it's not -- it's not like Michael Chang or somebody. If he serve well enough, if he serve big, then it's tough to beat him because he can play from the baseline.

Q. When you're on the other side ready to return, what does it feel like when you see these balls coming at you at this speed?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: You know, it really -- first of all, on these courts, it's really tough to see the ball. When is ball coming 210 kilometers per hour, there is a lot of wide shots, you couldn't concentrate on the ball. It's not seconds, it's hundredths of seconds. If you cannot see where ball is coming, it's impossible to return. How you feel? You feel, of course -- you concentrate on every point. You go for one side, if you get to the other side, it saves. You can't control the speed. If it goes the same direction, a lot of players will return the serve. Doesn't matter how fast.

Q. Is his the biggest serve you've faced?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: Yes, it's the biggest serve.

Q. Do you find yourself guessing, trying to anticipate where he's going to go with it?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: Yes. I tell you, it's no chance.

Q. Is it not only big, but is it big in the sense that he hits so many of them, other big servers will go in the 130s, down to 120, and he hits so many of them in the 130 range.

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: So many, 130, 125, 122, doesn't really make big difference. I mean, if you go to the other side, there's no chance to keep the ball. If it's coming 130, 120, you move the same direction, then it's chance to return.

Q. So it's just guessing?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: Yes. Everybody guesses.

Q. You're talking about how his game is somewhat one dimensional. How would you compare to it a Sampras, for instance?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: Sampras has I think much better groundstrokes. He serve maybe not so powerful, but it's more place, you know, going more direction. Maybe it's more different because Mark is hitting so hard. I mean, if he starts to kick, it will be, okay, much difficult to return. When he hit every ball, and if it doesn't go in, then it's a chance for your opponent.

Q. What about his second serve? Can you talk about that?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: That's impossible all the time to serve like 100 miles per hour second serve. When it will be 5-All, you will not doing that, for instance, against Sampras on center court. The way you should have second serve really good. I mean, you have to place it, okay, like this before the line (indicating). It will be big hit. Today he was going for it.

Q. But it could be a weakness a player like Sampras? Would that second serve be a weakness?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: It's not a weakness because second serve like this is not weakness. It is strong. Not a lot of player can serve like this.

Q. After playing someone like that, some players say they should change the game a little bit so that big servers won't have such an advantage. How do you feel about that?

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: What players?

Q. Some people allow only one serve, John McEnroe says serve the service line up a little bit.

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: Why John McEnroe didn't ask that when he was playing?

Q. Because Mark Philippoussis wasn't around.

ANDREI OLHOVSKIY: So what can we do? The game has changed. The level which one you play now. For example, if they put it to you, you can write whatever you want. What you going to say? It's the same if you change something in tennis. We start with two serves and now if they change one serve, big advantage for claycourt players. Why it's like that? Why it should be like that? I didn't see, for example, less people watching tennis if there is a big server. Always tell me Top 10 players now, it's not just big servers. Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, they have really big serve, but they Top 10. Even if top 100, if you count.

End of FastScripts....

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