TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN

March 23, 2000

Andy Roddick

MIKI SINGH: Andy is here after his first career ATP Tour win, only his second match after Delray Beach. Next up is Andre Agassi.

ANDY RODDICK: Everybody's laughing already (laughter).

ANDY RODDICK: I went to go relax in the hotel room after I hit at like 11:30, came back around 2:45. My coach walks up to me and says, "You're next match on Stadium Court." I was, "Okay." We went out and hit. It happened pretty fast, so.

ANDY RODDICK: It was great. I mean, I played on that court before, Junior Orange Bowl, a couple times. I was pretty used to it, the surroundings. This isn't Junior Orange Bowl; a little bit bigger. I was having trouble getting used to the surroundings at first, what's going on outside the court, so forth. But once I settled down, it was all right.

ANDY RODDICK: I think it will be a bit fuller (laughter). I'm just going to go out and try to have a really good time playing, enjoy the moment.

ANDY RODDICK: Two (laughter).

ANDY RODDICK: I never get it like clocked. I played at the Aussie Open, but I don't understand the kilometers, whatever, 2-0 something. I don't like get it with the speed gun at home or anything.

ANDY RODDICK: I try to just glance over a little bit, 134 (laughter). Yeah, it's fun. It keeps it light. It's all right.

ANDY RODDICK: I've always pretty much done it. I'm trying to do it a bit more because I know I need to do that. I can't spend all my time at the baseline. There are too many good baseline players. I'm going to have to use what I have, a little bit of size, I can hit the ball pretty good. I'm going to have to keep learning how to follow it in.

ANDY RODDICK: I'm comfortable. I've never had a problem with it. I just need to do it more and more and more and more. Just a matter of looking for my opportunities.

ANDY RODDICK: "Have fun."

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it was a lot of fun, great time (laughter).

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. My mom, my dad, my coach, a lot of people from school. I couldn't even estimate. There were at least more than 35, 40.

ANDY RODDICK: Never. I thought I was going to be on Court 73. No, I never thought it would be there.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. In January of '97, I was 5'2". That's true.

ANDY RODDICK: About 6'2".

ANDY RODDICK: I think so. I don't know. Inches keep popping up.

ANDY RODDICK: Maybe walking high.

ANDY RODDICK: That definitely helped with my match here. At Delray, I was very, very nervous. It was a little bit more of a closed environment, so it felt like everything was right on top of you. This I felt a little free. But that definitely helped with my nerves for this time.

ANDY RODDICK: I actually had a letdown. I didn't really know if I wanted to go before the tournament. My coach said, "You're nothing yet, you need to go down there and prove yourself on clay, prove that you can win another tournament." The first couple rounds I was struggling, I wasn't playing well, I wasn't feeling well. But my coach just said, "Keep going and grind through it."

ANDY RODDICK: I won't have any trouble sleeping. I don't know. I'll be thinking about it. I mean, obviously he's been a hero of mine since I was small. Ever since I remember tennis, I remember seeing him winning. Even when I pass him in the halls here, it's still like seeing a superstar, celebrity, you know. I don't know how I'm going to feel. I mean, I've never had anything close to that before. I hope it's going to be a lot of fun.

ANDY RODDICK: Never.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I really did. Going into the tournament, I saw the guys making 500 shots in a row, one point. The first day I got there, I'm trying to serve-and-volley. I got more and more comfortable each match I played. The confidence grew with matches.

ANDY RODDICK: No, I don't think so, not yet.

ANDY RODDICK: They know that you need someone to push you, compete with you day in and day out, someone with high-caliber tennis. Plus it's good to have a friend in the house, someone to hang out with at all times. I think it's been very beneficial for me.

ANDY RODDICK: Oh, geeze. Well, Mardy lived there last year. Levar Harper Griffith is there right now. Those are the only two live-ins we've had. We've had people come and stay for a week at a time. Those are the only two full-time.

ANDY RODDICK: Of course, we've heard the talks, No young junior Americans out there, this and that. We talk to each other like, "Let's try to do this. We can use each other for support, competition, just practice everything." Yeah, we talk about it. We want to try to do what they did.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. My teachers might let me off now.

ANDY RODDICK: I'm taking economics, English four and art.

ANDY RODDICK: And American government. I have like a B average right now in school, sometimes C. Mostly B average. This is the toughest year with traveling and everything, trying to keep up.

ANDY RODDICK: Boca Preparatory, yeah.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I'm a senior.

ANDY RODDICK: No. I've already turned pro.

ANDY RODDICK: After Australia.

ANDY RODDICK: Second.

ANDY RODDICK: I was a pro, I got it all. I got $3200, I think.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't like economics (laughter).