NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 20, 2003

Andy Roddick

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

ANDY RODDICK: Thank you.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I feel good. After Palm Springs, I took probably a couple days off to try to get rid of everything. You know, I've been feeling pretty good during practice.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it's definitely taken on kind of its own entity. It was amazing to participate in. I've said it ever since we played, people have been asking about it. I mean, I think the drama of it was great, the length of it was great, you know, the physicalness of it was great. But the most impressive thing was the fact that we kept up the level for that long. I didn't believe the stats when I saw them after the match. I thought someone might have been playing a joke on me. I mean, I make 33 errors in a set, and I made it for five sets including the massive one. So it was pretty special.

ANDY RODDICK: I think there's definitely an argument both ways. You wouldn't have had the -- I don't think you would have the -- it wouldn't be as unique of a match if we would have played the tiebreaker. But that being said, I might have been able to play fully two days later. So, you know, part of me just absolutely loves it. You're going to have those special matches. But, you know, the greedy part of me would have loved to have been able to compete two days later. I don't think there's a clear cut answer.

ANDY RODDICK: Obviously, I think my game centers around the serve and the forehand. That's not too much of a mystery. But when that's not working, I need something to kind of throw it up and give someone a different look. I've definitely done that this year and I'm still not where I want to be as far as doing that. Just to have something different in the bag would be ideal.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I like it. It's kind of a mindset, too. You have to kind of make up your mind to do it and force yourself to do it. I definitely like the challenge and I like being the aggressor.

ANDY RODDICK: I think the very first match I actually sat down and watched continuously without getting up every two and a half minutes was probably the one he played against Lendl in the '89 French Open, where he was cramping. Obviously, I think my second-ever Grand Slam win came against him, that match at the French Open. So it's definitely -- he's definitely been, you know, awesome throughout the years. He's been very classy. You never hear any controversy around him. He goes about his business. He'll be missed.

ANDY RODDICK: I like it. It does, I feel like I can create power with most strings, but this curves it a little bit. I just like it. It felt comfortable.

ANDY RODDICK: No.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't understand, like...?

ANDY RODDICK: I like it. I think there's a sense of excitement, you know. I've kind of been out there, 2001, I was there by myself. James kind of stepped it up last year. Now we've kind of opened the floodgates and these guys are starting to play well, win matches on a consistent basis. So it's pretty exciting.

ANDY RODDICK: We were always close. You know, maybe it will bring us closer together because they'll start playing the big tournaments overseas, maybe our schedules will go together a little bit better. But we've always been pretty tight.

ANDY RODDICK: No, I mean, I've played here a couple times. Got my first-ever win here. So, you know, I have some pretty fond memories here.

ANDY RODDICK: In his circumstance, I think it might have been beneficial. I don't know if he was ready out of the Juniors. He didn't have a lot of power or anything. I think going to college, getting confident, winning matches, you know, I think it helped him, you know. If I would have gone to college, I think it would have been a waste of time, to be perfectly honest. But it's a personal decision that each person has to make. You know, he definitely has something to fall back on also. I have a lot of respect for him.

ANDY RODDICK: I feel fine. I mean, I don't really think about it much. Obviously, you know, I don't think we can all have the perspective that Monica's had about things. But as far as security goes, I feel fine. I never really think about it too much.

ANDY RODDICK: What's the exact question?

ANDY RODDICK: Fit in, as far as people?

ANDY RODDICK: As far as people what...?

ANDY RODDICK: Oh, yeah, definitely. We don't have -- most other, you know, sports have arenas where you can get shuffled through a back hallway or a team bus that you can board. I think tennis is unique in that aspect that we're pretty much -- we're seeing our fans face-to-face on a daily basis at tournaments, whether it be practice courts or whatever. That's got to be pretty cool for fans, you know. You can kind of get up close and personal.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it's nice. You know, it's cool. Like I said, it's not like that in many other sports. Maybe golf, the exception. I'm trying to think of other ones. But I think it's pretty cool.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I just like the way it felt, to be honest. I think you can get a little bit more whip on the ball, little more toss. You have to be able to do that. I don't know if the average club player can take full-round swings and make the ball come down. I string it looser. It just feels good. I don't think about it too much, to be honest.

ANDY RODDICK: Something like that, yeah.

ANDY RODDICK: Absolutely. I don't know how many other sports you're out there running side to side every point for, you know, two and a half hours with no teammates to pass the ball off to or coach to sub you, sub someone in for you. I think it's very, you know -- in a lot of sports you get out there and you give it your all for a minute or two, swimming or, you know, anything else. And that's good enough; you can call it a day. Or even in basketball, these guys, they marvel at guys playing 45 minutes. They're like, "Oh, you only took 3 minutes off." They play 45 minutes. They don't know how tired we get.

ANDY RODDICK: Sorry?

ANDY RODDICK: No, I'm going to do it as normal. I'm going to just try to go about things as I would normally.

ANDY RODDICK: It's tough if you grow up anywhere, but Florida, there are no clay courts, unless you want to fly three hours for a practice. But, you know, I don't know if -- I definitely think the hard courts are in much more abundance than clay courts here. Overseas, you'll go to a local park, there will be all red clay. I think your answer's there.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, exactly. I mean, it's the same as, you know, you see a lot of kids that grow up up north and they're playing indoors eight months of the year. You get them to an indoor court and they're loving it. I think it's the same thing.

ANDY RODDICK: I probably played half my junior tournaments on clay growing up in Florida.

ANDY RODDICK: It's all right. I mean, I don't mind playing any time. I think there's a little bit more of an edge at night, a little bit more of something in the air, a little electricity. I think the crowds get into it a little bit more at night.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it's pretty hot (smiling).

ANDY RODDICK: Paraguay Juniors, 1998. You would go outside and stand, if you just stood still for 25 seconds, you would be sweating.

ANDY RODDICK: Short.

ANDY RODDICK: Absolutely not.

ANDY RODDICK: Probably not.

ANDY RODDICK: Cincinnati, it's always pretty toasty there. Same with D.C. during the summer.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I think you just have to be extra cautious about drinking lots because you're going to lose a lot of fluids. You sweat more here than I think anywhere else in the world. You definitely have to pay attention to that.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't really know. Lots of bottles of water.

ANDY RODDICK: Pretty much. You'll see most players here just walking around with a bottle in their hands at most times.