AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2003

Andy Roddick

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Andy, please.

ANDY RODDICK: No. It doesn't work like that. You know, I'm just glad to get on and off the court pretty quickly today, you know, save the legs a little bit.

ANDY RODDICK: I hope so. I think it was a matter of time. But it's nice to get it earlier rather than later.

ANDY RODDICK: Not really surprised. I think it was just a matter of us winning matches at the same tournament. James has been winning pretty consistently last year. I won some matches, too. Mardy's been coming up. He started doing really well in the challengers last -- kind of when the main circuit ended, he won a couple challengers. People that are really hard core tennis knew he was playing some good ball coming in here.

ANDY RODDICK: No, if I wore a sleeveless shirt, people would try to feed me after the match. If you got the guns, go for it. I got two breadsticks sticking out of my sleeve. I'll stick with sleeves.

ANDY RODDICK: I think it's better. It's not as hit or miss as it was. I'm actually breaking serve with some regularity, which is nice. I'm not just relying on a couple points here and there. So as long as I can keep that up, it's much improved.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it wasn't fun at all. You never want to end a Grand Slam not on your own terms or getting beat by someone or, you know, you don't want a variable in there. That wasn't fun. That wasn't a good start to the year. It's been much better so far.

ANDY RODDICK: No, on the day. You know, it's -- I don't think I've taken that step to flawless yet, far from it. But I think it's good to get some exhibitions in in the off-season just to kind of keep your competitiveness there. You know, you can't do really much better than playing against someone like Andre.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I'm not gonna think that far ahead. I've gotten ahead of myself before, and it doesn't work well for me. You know, I'm focused on the fourth round then, you know, I'll take it one step at a time after that. I know people say that, but I'm really trying to stick to that this week.

ANDY RODDICK: That's normally the way it happens. If you have crappy results in Grand Slams for a while, obviously you're hoping they're not going to stay that way for ever. You're going to have one that kind of sets you off. I think every player's looking for that.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. You know, last year, couple times early on in the Grand Slams, you know, you can't win a Grand Slam in the first round. You know, maybe I was getting ahead of myself a little bit. You know, you live and learn. I guess that comes from the little experience that I have gained.

ANDY RODDICK: You know, pretty much the normal thing, make sure you replace your fluids, just kind of relax. I don't do anything really too exciting, you know, get a rub, maybe go get some dinner, go see a movie or something. Nothing really outrageous.

ANDY RODDICK: I've lost to him twice. I think pretty highly of his game. No, he's a great young player. Just shows how tough he is to have never played a Davis Cup match before and go in and win the deciding match for the whole thing. I mean, he's nails upstairs. He's playing some good tennis, obviously. So I'm going to have to bring my game.

ANDY RODDICK: Definitely. We have a lot of the same schedules. We play a lot in the States, kind of follow the pattern of playing the same events. We're on the same Davis Cup team. We kind of came up through the challengers at the same time. So we've gotten to know each other pretty well. I'm definitely pulling for him. I know it goes both ways.

ANDY RODDICK: As far as what?

ANDY RODDICK: I'm excited about the prospect of being able to play with guys like James and Mardy, guys that I really get along with. It's not a chore to go and play and hang out with those guys. I really look forward to it and I really enjoy it.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, and I don't even have to wear a sleeveless shirt, look at that. No, the crowd out there was great today. I stepped out, you know, sometimes the first four or five games, there's not many people there, then they start filling in. They were ready to rock from the get-go. That was nice to see.

ANDY RODDICK: You'd have to ask somebody else. I don't know if I'm the best to answer that question.

ANDY RODDICK: For sure. If I see Mardy do well, I want to do well, too. Same with James. I think when there is someone spotting you, that it helps a lot more.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I still have to win a match and he still has to win two matches. I'm not thinking about that. You know, if it gets to that point, then I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

ANDY RODDICK: It's a little weird. Bounce is a little tricky sometimes. It's rubber. It's not, you know, what you're used to. It's definitely a sticky surface. As I saw last year, you can get stuck sometimes. But I'm liking it now. I think it helps me get a little more action on my ball. I'm definitely enjoying it.

ANDY RODDICK: I'm wearing my ankle braces this year, trying to prevent any -- I'd rather be a little bit uncomfortable than, you know, comfortable on my couch at home (laughter). So...

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I've played doubles with him a couple times.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, he's a nice guy. We get along, you know. I definitely respect his game. I like him off the court as well.

ANDY RODDICK: Well, he's pretty strong everywhere. He's very strong, he goes for his shots. He's a lot of fun to watch. So, you know, it's always entertaining to watch him play.

ANDY RODDICK: As far as...?

ANDY RODDICK: As far as power work, no. I can hit the ball pretty good without, you know, trying to bulk up. I think it was more a case of, you know, movement and, you know, moving quicker. That's the part I really focused on.