XXVI OLYMPIC GAMES

August 2, 1996

Mary Joe Fernandez

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: She did, she played a good game to break me at 5-4. I had a couple of set points, but every time I had a set point she came up with a really good shot. She came up with a really good first serve and then a winner. She played too good. I tried to get my attack and come in, and put the pressure on her, but I think she did it equally as well, and a little bit better.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, the first set took a lot out of me. I think it was decisive for both of us. She was getting tired, too. It was humid and muggy, the sun came out. I wish I had won the first set, that might have given me more of an adrenaline pump to keep going. I still had chances in the second set, but she played well when she had to.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It's always disappointing when you lose, because it's hard here when you have to come back after losing a semis, and we never do that. It's a little hard to get fired up again. But it was a good match and I knew it was going to be an uphill battle for me. She had been playing very well all week, and I had my opportunities, but it happened today.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: No. I know she missed the return, I would have won that point at 40-30. But I just have to watch out. I think when I get tired I get a little too close to the line, because I want to get it in a little bit faster. And I've got to watch out for that.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: If I'm still playing and I'm still eligible to be on the team, for sure. This is one of the most exciting things that we have. Both of the Olympics have been the highlights of my tennis career, being a part of it and participating in it. That's too far ahead to look right now, but if the year 2000 rolls around and I'm still playing, I'm fit and I'm playing well, sure, that would be an unbelievable thing for me.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It's just that it's a big match. It's another match. I'm lucky I have some help on the court. It's going to be tough. Jana and Sukova are a great doubles team, they've won a lot of Grand Slam titles together. They have a good record with each other, so it's going to be a tough match. But I think it's a final and once you're in the final anything can happen. We're going to have to play very well. But we've had good matches and we'll see what happens.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I think so. All our matches have been pretty good. Our last match was pretty close and we were able to pull it out. So we're going to have to play very solid tomorrow, we can't make too many mistakes and really take it to them. Like I said, it's definitely not going to be easy, they have more experience playing as a team than we do. They've been in bigger matches more often. But we won the gold last time, and we know what that's like, so hopefully that's going to give us a little bit of help.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: No, I can't speak for other people who aren't here. I can just speak for myself. It's a great feeling. We're a small part of a very big event and it happens once every four years. When you're a little kid you watch the Olympics on TV and you always dream of being there. You get the goosebumps when you watch somebody else win a medal and then you're there. It's hard to describe. I don't think that somebody who's been a part of it, who wouldn't want to be a part of it again? I don't think it needs any incentive. The Olympics, itself, is enough of an incentive to play.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Well, staying in the Village we had air conditioning, so that's been a big bonus. Last time we had a rough time. We sweated a lot and were a little more uncomfortable.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I think it's going to be better, because it's not going to be as hot in Australia. It's going to be the end of spring, so that's positive. It's the Olympics again, they should have a good turnout. And I know everybody is looking forward to having it in Sydney, it's a beautiful city. I think every year or every Olympic that goes by they try to do it better, and I think people realize the importance of it. I think the big honors of being in the finals, I think that's going to encourage more of the guys to play. The women, we're going to continue to, we've had a good turnout.