ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607300082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Our Eyes in Atlanta
DATELINE: STONE MOUNTAIN, GA.
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
NOTE: Below
THE HOME CHEERING SECTION wasn't enough to propel No.1 seed Monica Seles over Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic.
With the world's largest monolith as a backdrop, Monica Seles ran into a wall Monday.
In the first three rounds of women's singles in the Atlanta Games, Seles had breezed through a Steffi Graf-less racket bracket she was favored to win.
She was the No.1 seed. She was playing in her adopted homeland. She even had a personal security guard following her during changeovers at the Stone Mountain Tennis Complex.
The crowds of more than 17,000 that have surrounded the three Olympic courts at the new complex aren't your usual tennis spectators, heeding the game's first commandment, "Quiet, please.''
Their chanting of "USA ... USA'' must have helped, because the Americans got Seles, Mary Joe Fernandez and Lindsay Davenport through to the quarters.
With that, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson may be two of the three carvings on the nearby granite, but against Seles, Jana Novotna must have felt like another general - Custer at Little Big Horn.
Down 2-4 in the first set and 3-5 in the third, Novotna won both. The Czech's 7-5, 3-6, 8-6 victory sent Seles home from her first Olympics with plenty of fond memories, but no medal.
"The fans have been unbelievable,'' Seles said.
Novotna agreed, albeit from the other side of the net.
"You expect this kind of thing, that kind of atmosphere,'' said the world's sixth-ranked player. "It's like playing the Federation Cup, where you're in one country and they're the home team, and that's who the fans are for.
"You come in with the attitude that everyone is against you; they're pretty loud, and you might not get some calls, and you deal with it.''
Well, almost everyone. There were five shirtless young men in the lower grandstands of center court who kept chanting "Ya-No,'' which is Novotna's nickname.
"I think they were athletes for our team,'' she said. "I don't know them. I guess I'll meet them later.''
Novotna played the only way she could - against the crowd as well as to it. After several winners, the blonde Czech would raise her arms to the applause for a well-played point.
She was aggressive, and her first serve troubled Seles more than the crowd intimidated her in 21/2 hours of very competitive tennis - 115 points apiece.
It was even closer than the personal security guard who has changed ends with Seles throughout these Games. He stood a few feet behind her on changeovers, and alongside the baseline during play. While the crowd watched the court, he watched the crowd.
It doesn't seem it's been more than three years since a German loony tune came out of the stands in Hamburg and stabbed Seles, but she's still trying to play her way back to the nine-time Grand Slam champ she is. This season, she's played in just half as many events at Novotna.
Theirs wasn't even the longest or tightest match at the mountainside complex. On Court 1, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain used a 10-8 third set to oust Japan's Kimiko Date.
Even without Graf and Pete Sampras, both injured, Olympic tennis hasn't been lacking, and the spectators have been more emotional than the players.
After eliminating Seles in a major event for the second time in two months, Novotna didn't hesitate when asked which quarters meant more - the French Open or the Atlanta Games?
"To me, it's the French,'' said Novotna, 27. "I think the players think in terms of the Grand Slam first. Those are special. This is special in a different way. You're playing for your country.''
The United States walked onto the grounds talking about a possible medals sweep in women's singles, and on an upsetting day, ninth-seeded Davenport topped No.4 Iva Majoli of Croatia and Fernandez beat Conchita Martinez of Spain, leaving the field without its top two seeds.
That created what will be a crowd-pleasing U.S. semifinal Wednesday, assuring the Americans of at least a silver medal. This isn't like college basketball, however. Getting to the Final Four isn't that big.
In the Barcelona Games four years ago, both semifinal losers got a bronze medal. That's been changed. Now, semifinal losers must play in a consolation match for the bronze.
"You work so hard, then you have to play for the third spot, too,'' Novotna said.
She knew it wouldn't be easy. In the third set, with Seles up 4-2 and 30-love, Novotna walked over to chair umpire Jorge Dias of Portugal to discuss a call.
Breaking the quiet, a Southern-fried voice from the stands boomed, "Whad'ya say y'all play ball.''
No translation was necessary.
LENGTH: Medium: 91 linesby CNB