WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2002

Andy Roddick

MODERATOR: Questions.

ANDY RODDICK: No, Greg played very well today. I don't think I helped myself out much out there today. I didn't do much right. But, you know, he put pressure on me and he came up with big points when he needed to.

ANDY RODDICK: I definitely didn't hit it well enough. 75% of the time I wasn't even making him play on it. He was hitting his chipper great and pretty deep. You know, credit to him on that. I don't know if it would have been made a difference, but I think I could have hit it better.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I don't see why not. You know, he's got the game to. I think it's more between the ears than anything. He's playing well.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I didn't get ahold of many. By the time I started returning well, it was pretty much sealed up. I think it had more to do with my second shot. He wasn't scared of my second shot, therefore it makes those first volleys a lot easier.

ANDY RODDICK: As far as?

ANDY RODDICK: Uhm, you know, I'm not sure right now. I mean, I have a lot to work on. I don't know if there's just one magical thing, that that's going to turn it around. You know, it's going to take a lot of hard work. You know, it's something that I'm willing to put in.

ANDY RODDICK: Great look at it. It was sitting up for me. That's usually -- I normally don't miss that shot. High forehand inside out, normally you can bank on that. It felt good off the racquet. I just missed it.

ANDY RODDICK: Extremely.

ANDY RODDICK: You know, I put in -- I've just been working really hard this year. You know, some events I've been playing pretty well. Grand Slams, I just haven't put it together so far this year. But, you know, there's still some tennis to be played this year. So, you know, I'm going to get back to the drawing board and, you know, see what I can do with the rest of it.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, you know, mental, it's all right. It's just a matter of taking my chances when I get them. Fine line between, you know, losing here and playing really well. You know, it's just, you know, maybe a match or two can turn it around. You know, I've been playing well, apart from the Grand Slams. I've had a little bit of bad luck in the first one and the second one. I played Wayne who is playing well. Here I didn't really play my best today. So far this year, I've played okay.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I mean, something -- it's something that I definitely need to work on. It's something that I, you know, will work on. You know, I'll try to incorporate it more so.

ANDY RODDICK: Well, of course. I mean, it's rowdier than normal. You know, I don't think -- maybe that helped him, but I don't think it really affected me too much out there today. I really wasn't paying too much attention to it. You know, I didn't do a good job of trying to keep them quiet, you know, with shots. That's the bottom line. But, you know, it's still an awesome court. You know, hopefully I'll be back for many years.

ANDY RODDICK: But I was trying to get myself in the match. I was struggling; I was on the outside almost looking in. I was just trying to get myself to get inside of it.

ANDY RODDICK: I'm not sure. You know, when I'm not, you know, playing the Arthurs and the Rusedskis, I'm breaking well. In my other matches throughout the year, I've been breaking pretty easily. It's just a matter of stepping up and finding a formula. I thought -- I thought I started to find it. The end of the second, beginning of the third, I had a couple opportunities. I was stepping in and felt good. Maybe I just need to do that more.

ANDY RODDICK: Not a bit. You know, I don't think -- you know, a lot of people are up and down. They kind of go with the wind. You know, I'm confident that, you know, my day will come in the future, you know, as long as I stay level-headed and, you know, not go too far up or too far down, you know, with wins and losses.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. We'll see. I think I have the ability to, you know, someday. But I'm going to have to learn a lot more about grass court tennis first.

ANDY RODDICK: I think it just got inside of me. You know, I didn't -- I hit it hard, but straight, flat, right into the net. There's not much more to it. I just didn't hit it well. The wind was blowing, the dogs were barking, something got in my eye, you know... Bad bounce for sure, too.

ANDY RODDICK: It is surprising, but I don't know if that affects the overall state of American tennis. I still think that it's pretty good. The overall state of American tennis isn't the best it's ever been, but we're still strong as far as, you know, players, winning tournaments, whatnot.