Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. According to my statistics, you've got 43 points in the ATP NCAA poll and Connors says 47. Is that possible?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it's very possible. I committed bracket suicide a few days ago because I took Texas to go really far, and I bet with my heart and not with my mind. I was envisioning something along the lines of Carmelo-ish '03 Syracuse, and that did not happen.
So I am officially useless in the ATP bracket.

Q. (Indiscernible) also says 43. Are you copying each other's score cards?
ANDY RODDICK: No, it's funny, we couldn't have been more opposite. I think he's actually in the lead because, like I said, I messed up that whole side of the bracket.

Q. Can you compare where you are this year to where you were a year ago in terms of your game?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I don't know if there's a lot of comparison. I mean, last year I was struggling to put balls on the court, really, just really struggling with confidence. I was kind of thinking about everything. Nothing was coming real easy.
This year I've been -- I still feel like I can play a lot better, but I'm winning the matches I'm supposed to. I've played four tournaments and gotten to the semis or better and ended up losing to the guys who have won the tournaments.
Now it's just a matter of trying to take that next step and getting a couple titles.

Q. Is this tournament special to you, being here?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I have a lot of memories. I was at this venue when it opened. You know, I was one of the juniors that they let come down and we played here for -- it's hard to believe that was coming up on 15 years ago.
You know, it does have a special place. I played a lot of junior matches here, as well, and had my first great pro tournament here. So there are a lot of memories. So it's always nice to come back.

Q. How do you like purple tennis courts?
ANDY RODDICK: (Laughing) you know, I think it's good. I think it is easier to watch on television at least. To be honest, I don't know if -- I can't speak for anybody else, but I don't know if that matters too much to the players, if it helps in any way. As far as how it translates to TV, then I think it's a good move.

Q. Does the ball look the same to you whether it's on green, purple backdrop, whatever?
ANDY RODDICK: The ball is still yellow.

Q. But the contrast of purple doesn't make a difference?
ANDY RODDICK: We've played -- I remember tournaments that we've played on these type of courts before. It was a little weird walking out there yesterday. I didn't know they were going to do it yesterday. I walked out, and you're always used to this one being green on green, so it was a little odd.
But as far as between the lines and how it's going to affect the matches, I don't really see it affecting the matches too much.

Q. Talk about Fernando Gonzalez is really playing well. He always had the great forehand and everyone would say that, but there are parts of his game that he's really improved in the last year.
ANDY RODDICK: Well, he's not playing himself out of points anymore. He always had the fire power and he was always fun to watch. You know, I think he's slicing a lot more, he's putting a lot more balls on the courts.
Even on days when maybe his forehand is not firing on all cylinders he's still putting balls on the court and finding ways to win matches. I think him hooking up with Larry was a good thing for him.

Q. Tiger Woods is in town this week, which, again, raises the subject of who's better: Tiger or Roger? Your thoughts?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, obviously I'm partial to Roger, I think, because I've been on the other end of a lot of unfortunate things, for me anyway.
But what Roger has done over the last three years is pretty impressive. It's a big deal when he loses a match, like it was last week in Palm Springs. I don't remember the last time, or even as a fan growing up, when that was the case. Pete and Andre still lost matches.
You know, I'd have to go with Roger, but I might be a little biased towards that one.

Q. Do you play golf?
ANDY RODDICK: Badly (laughing).

Q. But a lot of times players become good golfers.
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know if I'm going to be one of those (laughing). Every time I play golf I'm buying a new set of clubs (laughing).

Q. Would you talk about the round-robin system after what happened in Las Vegas?
ANDY RODDICK: What about it?

Q. That problem with Blake. Do you like the system? Do you think the ATP should review the system?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I don't see it continuing personally. I think there's a lot of -- I said it last week in Palm Springs, but I think there's a lot of room for error in that system, whether it be between the players or whether it be a situation like there was in Vegas, where either way you handle it someone is, for lack of a better term, getting screwed. I don't see us playing another round-robin event personally.

Q. Do you think Roger will be any different coming in off a loss versus coming in off the wins? Is there any difference do you think?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, yeah. I mean, one is losing and one is winning.

Q. But referring to his attitude or anything.
ANDY RODDICK: I'm sure the first match he wants to get out and get off to a good start. He's not kind of rolling in off of another win, and ho-hum. But do I foresee any problems for him or am I really concerned for him, not really (laughing).

Q. How do you as an opponent, when you look at the records of him against everybody else, it's obviously phenomenal. How do you get past that when you're seeing him across the court and get over that little hump of thinking, I can beat this guy? What would make you think that I can beat him?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I came close a couple times at the end of last year, and it's just -- you've just got to go out there and hope to play a good match. That's pretty much all I can do, and just keep working.
You hope that sometime, some way, all of us can maybe affect his confidence somehow, because that's just his thing. When he gets to 4-All in a breaker, for him it seems like it's the same as 2-All in the first set. That's the difference.
If you can get the guy thinking a little bit more, I think that would be the Key. But obviously that's easier said than done.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.

March 23, 2007

Andy Roddick

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You served well.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it was surprising because it was really windy out there so the wind was swirling. It made for some awkward points. I'm glad that I served okay.

Q. Not much about his game troubled you?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, he's a little tough. He kind of worked the ball around the court a little bit. The first break in the first set, I don't know if he was nervous, but he kind of just dominated a little bit.
Then I was able to get the break in the second set. It always helps me to get a break at the beginning of each set.

Q. It looked like you were pretty determined to come out there and set a tone early. Do you think you did that?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I just -- I don't know how experienced he is, and I don't know if he's -- I could be wrong, but I'm guessing he's never played a night match before.
So sometimes you can use that to your advantage. Like I said, especially with that wind out there making it awkward, the last thing you want to do is get to where it's real close and kind it leave it up to that.
So I definitely wanted to try to get my breaks and at least hold serve.

Q. When it's not blowing like this, when it's relatively calm, how much less does the ball fly here than in the thin air?
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, it's night and day.

Q. How does that help your game?
ANDY RODDICK: I instantly felt like I could hit through the ball a little bit more this week. It doesn't make the ball jump as much.
You're not hitting as many balls above the shoulders. I feel like I can flatten out and take a rip at some forehands, whereas last week I felt like they were maybe flying a little bit more.

Q. Is there anything about Gilles Simon that you know of?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, he's a small guy, really thin. He puts a lot of balls in the court, has kind of a French feel around the court. I feel like if I at least force the issue -- I'm going to have to force the issue against him. I can't play key tennis with him, that's for sure.

Q. The way you were serving tonight, even when you're down breakpoint, full confidence, has that been fairly typical for you this year, or did you feel pretty typical tonight?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, like we said, with it blowing around out there, I don't know if it felt good, but I looked up and I saw the serve stats and they were pretty good.
Yeah, I mean, it was a lot higher than I expected. When I glanced up and saw it, I don't know if it felt like I was serving that high. But I'll take that -- I'll take 76 percent pretty much any match.

Q. Do you know really in a match how well you're going to serve from the first game on, or does it fluctuate during the match?
ANDY RODDICK: Most of the time you can tell. I don't know if you go match to match. It might go week to week when you feel as if you're serving well or you're not serving well. But this year so far I've been pretty consistent.
I actually didn't feel like I served that well in Australia, and since then I feel like I've picked it up a little bit.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.

March 25, 2007

Andy Roddick

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions please.

Q. How'd it go today?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, got a win, but it definitely wasn't a pretty win out there. It's tough, because he hits a little bit of a knuckleball.
Still, with the wind it's a little tough to find your rhythm. But I definitely have a lot that I can improve on before the next match.

Q. What was lacking today?
ANDY RODDICK: Just a little bit of rhythm. I just felt like I was a little bit out of sorts and kind of playing one point well, one point badly. So it's just a matter of finding that consistency on every point.
But, you know, that being said, I haven't felt great, and I'm through 3 and 2 and 4 and 4, so I guess that's a good thing.

Q. Is that a good sign of the way you're playing now?
ANDY RODDICK: I hope so. Even if it means I'm not hitting the ball as well as I want to, I'm still finding the ways to get through matches. Whereas last year, it felt the other way around.
I was hitting the ball well in practice and finding ways to lose matches, so I'd rather have it this way.

Q. How much is Davis Cup in the back of your mind, or do you allow yourself to think about that at all?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it's tough. You don't really want to think about it during a tournament like this, but it is such a big part of our year. You know, from what I've heard from Winston-Salem it's going to be a pretty big event.
But you kind of have to guard against thinking that far ahead. We kind of take it week to week. But I guess it is in the back of our minds.

Q. What do you think is going on with James?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. You know what, there's such a fine line -- and I try to convince you guys of all of this all the time -- between playing well and maybe just losing a couple of matches. Couple of close matches. It can turn like that, and I'm proof of that.
It turned in one week for me last year. So it's just a matter of him finding his source, and I think he'll get back and work hard for the next couple of days. Hopefully he'll be ready to go by the time Davis Cup comes around.

Q. Have you spoken to him?
ANDY RODDICK: I talked to him yesterday, but we didn't talk about tennis. We just kind of chatted about this and that. I'll probably talk to him in the next couple of days, but I don't know if he -- you know, we haven't talked about tennis yet.

Q. How much does that weigh on your head, like when you're going into a Davis Cup? Because you've been in a similar situation where you're not playing that well. You don't want to let the team down. Is that something that he's going to start to think about and it's going to build up?
ANDY RODDICK: I think it's almost good he's playing someone like Rafa the first day. The pressure's almost not going to be on him. It's almost better that he's playing someone that everyone would expect him to beat all the time.
You know, he can go out and swing free, and you know, he's no worse off. That's part of the Davis Cup team atmosphere is picking guys up. I have full confidence that James will come out and he'll play well. The crowd, you can't put too much into what a crowd can do for you. He gets fired up.
He had taken a couple of tough losses going into the US Open last year, and all of a sudden you put him out there in some night matches and I thought he played great at the US Open last year, almost as well as anybody.
So I don't know if you can put too much on, like we said, getting the support and turning it around like that.

Q. What is your best guesstimate for the No. 2 player?
ANDY RODDICK: I honestly don't know. I have a very good record against Robredo, so I might even be surprised if they put him in there. It seems like Verdasco and Lopez have been a pretty good doubles team. So if I had to guess, maybe Federer.

Q. Little tune-up then?
ANDY RODDICK: We might as well get right into it the next couple of days then. Maybe some of it will depend on that, too. That's what I would lean towards but I'm not sure. Then again, Tommy's been a lot more consistent than the rest of the guys.
You kind of know what you're going to get going in from him, And he's played well against James before. So I'm glad I'm not Emilio Sanchez at this point.

Q. You mentioned at Indian Wells that you have a little bit different surface than what you played out there. Can you kind of describe what would be ideal for the American team?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I just don't know if you want the ball bouncing up above your shoulder every time. Indians Wells is tough because the air's so thin and the court was jumping so much.
I didn't feel like I was getting a lot of clean hits on the ball. His average ball was really jumping off the court and taking off. It's one of the advantages of Davis Cup. You get to pick the surface.
So just something that allows us to put a little better hit on the ball a little more comfortably would be nice.

Q. Andy, do you agree that Murray and Djokovic are separating themselves from the other talented 21 and unders? What would you say is separating those two right now?
ANDY RODDICK: Just consistency. They're coming to play every week now. I think Berdych is still in that mix, but he's a little more up and down. But he's spectacular when he plays well, and he's capable of knocking off big names, as evidenced by his record, against a lot of the top players.
But I think it's just consistency, so you might have to contribute that to mentally being there every week.

March 27, 2007

Andy Roddick

KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is it fair to say that last year you had this opponent who beat you, is that in your mind or is it old or do you want to beat him more?
ANDY RODDICK: If I had that I'd have it with a lot of people this year. I lost it with a lot of guys last year. I think just the fact that it's the same tournament and we had actually both close to the same round, not quite the same round.
You know, I guess I thought about it but not so much while I was actually out there on the court.

Q. Your first three opponents, you're going to get tougher opponents as you go deeper, but you play around the net in the first three matches, been pretty good. What's your take on that?
ANDY RODDICK: It's been okay. I don't really feel like it's been that amazing.

Q. 78 percent conversions.
ANDY RODDICK: Is it? Well, that's surprising for me. I don't feel like I've been volleying that great. Maybe I've been hitting decent approach shots then if you're telling me that number.
I feel like I've actually bricked a couple of volleys. That's part of it. I've been trying to come forward and take my chances a little bit more. But I think today was about being patient from the baseline.
I had a lot of errors the other day against Simon, and I wanted to cut down on those a little bit today.

Q. Have you heard Nadal is not going to play Davis Cup?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I heard some things. Is he hurt or --

Q. He's hurt but he's still playing here. He's planning to be hurt in ten days, seriously.
ANDY RODDICK: He pulled out with an injury but he's playing here?

Q. Correct.
ANDY RODDICK: All right. I mean, I don't really know what to say about that.

Q. Patrick was saying that it's just kind of a shame. That it would be nice for tennis to have all the top players, but he understands, also, that the scheduling is hard for some -- you know, it's hard.
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean, I guess the first thing that pops into my mind is he's sees the clay court season around the corner and sees Monte-Carlo and sees those tournaments, and maybe it's more important to prep for that.
Personally I don't know if you can play Davis Cup at your convenience. I think it's a year-long commitment. I don't know, that's surprising to me to say the least.

Q. Are you disappointed both on a sort of a competitive level and a Davis Cup team level?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, obviously it's kind of like a double-edged sword. I was looking forward to playing him on a court that was more suited to my game as opposed to his, and I don't know if I'll get that chance any time soon now.
You know, at the same time, he's a tough out, that's for sure. I don't know, it's kind of a mixed bag of emotions. It's a little disappointing, because I think if you want to play a team you want to play their best and you want to beat their best, but you can only play the guy across the net. It's out of our hands.

Q. Speaking of patience, Andy Murray next. What have you learned about playing him? You've had a few matches with him.
ANDY RODDICK: Well, it's tough. It's always a fun match-up when we play. He almost kind of tries to bait you into coming in, and he almost likes being approached on. It's almost a backwards match from a lot of matches that you play.
But he finds a way to get through matches, and he fights. It's a tough match always.

Q. Are you surprised by what Serena has done at the Australian Open and what she did today to Maria?
ANDY RODDICK: No, I told -- who was it? Peter Bodo, we did a day-long thing where he followed me around, and he got on me about the Williams sisters and my opinions.
You can go back and check it. I said she was going to kill everyone this year. I talked to her in the off-season, and she was -- she seemed to be pretty fed up with losing to people she didn't feel like she should be losing to, and she kind of had that little bit of an edge in her voice.
When she starts talking like that, you probably should take her seriously.

Q. Is she just that good that she can come back, and when she plays her best, can anybody beat her?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean, she can be beat. Apparently she is that good (laughing). Venus, too. Everybody kind of sleeps on them, and she comes out and wins Wimbledon in '05, and nobody takes Serena seriously and she wins the Australian Open in '05.
Everyone starts sleeping on her again last year and saying she's done and finished, and I think she's into proving all you guys wrong.

Q. Is it surprising that she's playing as well as she is as infrequently as she plays? She has not played since the Australian Open.
ANDY RODDICK: Personally I don't think I could do that, no.

Q. They've talked about changing the -- they've kind of mandated this tournament change to best two of three for the men's final. How do you feel about that?
ANDY RODDICK: Whatever they choose, it's just you want it to be consistent. It's tough to go -- kind of get your mindset two out of three, two out of three, two out of three, and then three out of five. To me it doesn't make sense.
So I'm probably partial to the two out of three set final if you've played the whole tournament like that. In the Slams you can kind of mentally prepare for the long haul, but I feel like it totally changes the tournament when you can have someone who plays better in three out of five set matches, and then all of a sudden it's a different match-up than it's been the whole tournament.
I'm for just -- I like the sense of consistency. You know, it's always tough just switching it up, kind of the way you've been playing the whole tournament.

Q. How many really great five-set matches have you ever seen?
ANDY RODDICK: How many great five-set matches have I ever seen? God, I mean, that's not -- I don't know if that's a question that I could answer.

Q. It's sort of rhetorical because you think of great matches you've seen, maybe Agassi/Sampras at the US Open four sets. But how many great five-set matches do you really remember?
ANDY RODDICK: I think a lot. Are you saying there's not a lot?

Q. I'm not saying there's not a lot, but compare the total number. If you really want to play five sets every time, is it really worth going five sets every time you go out there, except in a Grand Slam?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't think so if it -- I just think it has to be consistent throughout the tournament. I think it totally changes the dynamic of a match when you play three out of five as opposed to two out of three.
And if you play three out of five the whole way, who says those guys are in the finals? I guess it was done for TV and for longer, and that's above me. That's business decisions that I'm not going to pretend to understand.
But from a player's perspective, or at least from my perspective, I just feel like it should be consistent. I feel like that's the things that makes the Slams special and different, that you get these five setters that we've been talking about.

Q. It's getting into the final stretch here. Do you feel like you really need to take it up another level from here on out?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I've kind of been doing that this whole year. I've kind of been plugging through matches, and it's a good thing. But I feel like when I hit my shots, when I start hitting the ball really well, it'll be a real good thing.
But tomorrow would be a nice place to start, that's for sure.

Q. You haven't felt it really this week?
ANDY RODDICK: I felt a lot better today. My backhand was consistent. I wasn't missing returns today. I wasn't playing myself out of a lot of points. So today was a definite step in the right direction.

Q. Can you imagine a day where there are no best-of-five matches, even in Grand Slams? It's sort of a slippery slope you start taking away best of five.
ANDY RODDICK: I probably wouldn't see that happening at Grand Slams.

Q. But history would --
ANDY RODDICK: I just haven't heard anything about it. This is the first I've heard of even talking about getting rid of it. I just don't really see it happening. Like I said, I'm good with it as long as it's consistent.
In Davis Cup you know you're going to play it, you can kind of prepare. You start preparing on Wednesday for -- Friday, day off, Sunday, but as long as it's the same way throughout, then I think it's okay.

Q. You mentioned that Murray in his way baits you. Do you think that maybe a couple of years ago you would have been easier bait than you are now?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. You know, he's gotten me a couple times, so I'm not sure.

Q. You're more patient, there's more patience in you.
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I'm working on it. I feel like I have maybe a different option because you're getting these influx of players who are playing with -- playing with their legs a lot more. They're running balls down, and it kind of did -- everybody was predicting tennis to go this way, left, and it went extremely right. That shows how much any of us know.
But it forces you to adjust. I can't play the way I played in '01 or '02 because a lot of guys are running those balls down now. I kind of have learned on the job and midway through my career to switch things up a little bit, and it's an intriguing process.

Q. Speaking of legs, as a fan, are you keeping an eye on Guillermo Cañas, and if so, what are your thoughts there?
ANDY RODDICK: About what exactly?

Q. Just his comeback and how quickly he's risen back into the Top 50.
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean, let's -- the guy didn't drop out because he didn't know how to play tennis.

Q. No, he was on suspension, of course.
ANDY RODDICK: No, I think you expect that you don't really see him sitting around getting out of shape in that time off. Maybe I'm a little surprised how quickly it's happened, but I'm not really surprised that he's come back and is playing well again.
I mean, the guy competes and doesn't really give away much. The question never really was about his tennis. He could always play.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, everyone.