XXVI OLYMPIC GAMES

July 29, 1996

Todd Woodbridge

Mark Woodforde

TODD WOODBRIDGE: You want to talk? Yeah, we played -- both of us played a lot better, a lot sharper today. I think we knew we've got to start stepping up a little bit and improving our play, and I think we're both pretty pleased, we're both a lot sharper, so that's a good sign.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Well, this is the position that we like to be in, that we generally in the time of play have played well once we get into the tournaments. We struggle a little bit the first and second rounds, and if we can get deeper, that's where we tend to play better. So it's just like any other tournament now where we just keep trying to improve that bit by bit. And, you know, we're into the semis, so that's the place where, you know, we get to the final now and worry about everything else after the conclusion of the match.

MARK WOODFORDE: Either of them, doesn't matter who it is, it's going to be a tough match. We're going to have to play like we did today, maybe even just a tad sharper. I think we've got a day off tomorrow and, you know, just try and rest up and focus in on what we're going to do against these guys. We never played Ellis and Wayne together as a pair, but we've played them individually, and we know what they can do. And Jacco and Paul, I guess they're trying to resurrect themselves after Jacco coming back from injury. So in a sense it would be nice to play Jacco and Paul, because we feel that for the past two, three years them and us have been, you know, the top two doubles teams by a way. So it would be nice to sort of playoff and -- but hopefully, you know, not see us lose.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Today's match was a good match, you know, that's the standard I think that we played probably throughout Wimbledon. And I don't think we overdid anything. We still had some parts we can get a fraction better today. But the standard was a lot higher than the other two matches, and I think we had a better feel out in the court with our returns and we served better today, and so I think we, you know, we're starting to get to the way we played there.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: I saw the carving because the bus got lost for a tour around there.

MARK WOODFORDE: And we see it when the transmission ends of all the sports and that, they show Stone Mountain, so...

TODD WOODBRIDGE: No.

MARK WOODFORDE: No. Should we?

MARK WOODFORDE: I think something like this, being the Olympics, you know, it's very special. It's only the second time around, and you'd like to do real well, so it's hard to go out; especially if Todd has been playing singles and doubles and hasn't had a lot of time in amongst the other stuff that's been going on, you know, to go out and really, you know, seek out, you know, sites like Stone Mountain. So I think, you know, people that -- tennis players, if they do go out, it's because they've got a lot of time; they've obviously lost early, so they can go out and do that. So I think we're sort of just trying to --

MARK WOODFORDE: Well, not lose early, but get amongst the feel of being in the Olympics and enjoying the history of that aspect rather than going up Stone Mountain.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Usually I do like to go out and find out that type of stuff.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Yeah, it was beautiful, great. Generally, I would like to do something like that with my wife, because she travels a lot. And we try and find things to do together, and that would be something we would normally try to do. It's been harder here to get around.

MARK WOODFORDE: I think that's the beauty of it, happening once every four years, it gives you a lot of time to improve on certain conditions. And our team manager, who's just joined the conference over there, is eager to speak to us every day to find out from our perspective what Sydney can improve on. There's not a whole lot wrong with this facility at all, you know, it's just minor things.

MARK WOODFORDE: Yeah, well, that's why the Sydney games sent over, you know, a whole heap of people to check all the sites out and try and improve. Obviously it hasn't been down to Australia, the Olympics games, since '56, so it would be just fantastic if we could have a great two weeks of Olympics games without too many problems going on.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Unfortunately, I'm only going to comment about my performance. I'm not commenting about anything else.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Unfortunately. I would like to comment, but I won't. I'll just step away from that.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Possibly, because I think we would have a good chance -- well, we would have been favored to win against them. But perhaps -- you know, maybe people that actually got to watch would understand that they're skills at that level in that particular aspect of the game are not as good as what they have in the singles. And, you know, they can improve on that part of their tennis game, because tennis contains singles, doubles and at times even mixed doubles, and they're all very different and take a lot of different types of skill.

MARK WOODFORDE: We're displaying it.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Somewhat, because, I mean, if you go out and you make Agassi look a little bit silly with a few volleys and different aspects that he's not comfortable in playing his match, then I guess that would make us look good, so...

TODD WOODBRIDGE: That would be somewhat true.

MARK WOODFORDE: There's a big stage, though, we'd be play on when we get to the gold medal round.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Sure.

MARK WOODFORDE: Yeah.

MARK WOODFORDE: Unfortunately maybe we have to play them in the semi if they end up winning, so I guess we don't really look at it about the history of playing different opponents. It's sort of more or less we want to kill the guys at the other and seek some glory and some fame ourselves. It would be nice to publicize the two Ferreiras and Woodies playing against each other and South Africa and Australia sort of being young in terms of games and so on.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: I think our top of the draw looks loaded too in comparison to -- you could probably get gold, silver and bronze out of our half right now.

MARK WOODFORDE: Yeah. And there are more established doubles players up in the top half. Agassi and Washington are thrown together for the sake of putting in an American team, so...

TODD WOODBRIDGE: The last few days obviously have been with a bit of rain, been quite nice.

MARK WOODFORDE: Expected it to be quite worse, but it's been quite pleasant.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: I think the pre tournament here was where it was pretty hot, the first few days of the game.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: No.

MARK WOODFORDE: We get used to it. Gets us ready for the next couple of weeks in Cincinnati and Indianapolis; going to play in heat there.