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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 15, 2006

Igor Andreev

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Igor.
Q. How does that feel?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, feel very happy, no, because that's great, great victory. Beat Andy Roddick, especially in United States here, with his home crowd. It's very, very good.
Beside of this, I'm very happy the way I played. I mean, I had two tough matches before this match. I mean, I just got confidence, you know, when you are playing three sets. That's very good confidence.
Before the match, I knew that like I'm playing really well, I just have to concentrate, just try to give fight from the beginning. I was lucky that already first game I could make a break. That gave me more confidence, more like, in my game. So I just continued, you know, like try to do other things well.
Q. When he started to make that comeback and won the second set, had chances early in the third, how concerned were you, how worried were you?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, in the second set, I think we have both good chances, you know, maybe to finish the set before the tiebreak. I had one breakpoint. Was a really good chance to make a break, then to close the match with the serve. But he just played really well that point. He come back and won this game. Then I have Love-40 on my serve. Had a big opportunity to win the set.
But still, I mean, when you are playing well, you know, like you are feeling comfortable on the court, it doesn't matter the score, you just have to fight. I mean, if you win a first set and you're fighting in the second, then you think that you already can beat this guys. Just doesn't matter if I lose some games or the set, I was feeling comfortable, you know, to fight till the last point.
Q. The first game of the third set, that had to be emotionally a big obstacle to overcome?
IGOR ANDREEV: Yeah, for me it was very big comeback. But still I was -- still, when I was Love-40, I was feeling, you know, like I could do this, I just have to play point by point, you know, try to work hard every ball. I knew I could do this.
Of course, after that, it gives you more confidence in yourself. Maybe he felt little bit upset with this game, that he couldn't make a break. I just try to use it, and it went well.
Q. You had to be aware that Andy was becoming very frustrated, right? You knew that he was becoming upset with himself. Did you take encouragement from that?
IGOR ANDREEV: Upset after what?
Q. At the way he was playing.
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I don't know, but maybe he's not feeling hundred percent now with his game. Maybe. I cannot say. I mean, I knew that I will have chances in this match. A lot of things going to depend of him, but also a lot of things going to depend on me.
If I would do well the things that I had to do, I mean, I will have chances, you know. I mean, these players, they are top 10, but they are not robots, no? They can also make mistakes. They can also miss. If you are playing well, you are confidence, you can beat them.
Q. In your match with Soderling, we were advised you had nine match points against you and resisted all nine. After a guy has done that, don't you kind of get the feeling that it's your week?
IGOR ANDREEV: Week, no. But the day was mine, that's for sure (smiling). No, just today I won the game and I was playing well like for me. I can say I was playing well.
Now I have to continue on that way. Important now is not to relax, you know, because all the matches are very tough, so you have to be hundred percent to win them. Like if I continue playing this way, I mean, I can do really, really well in this tournament.
Q. What has been the biggest obstacle for you career-wise in terms of consistently improving your ranking and moving? What has given you the most trouble in terms of continuing to build and improve your ranking?
IGOR ANDREEV: What gives me the trouble?
Q. Yes.
IGOR ANDREEV: Trouble? Actually, I don't think about what giving me trouble. You know, just I know I have some like good things, some bad things. Like you have to also works on it. Nobody's perfect. I mean, I have maybe like good game from baseline. I know maybe I have to improve more, like go to the volleys to close the points with the net. I mean, that's troubles, but they're all, like, you can work on them, make them better.
I just try to, like, take positive things from the match and negative and work on the bad things.
Q. Is it more technical than mental?
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, mental, there are also some problems. Problems, no. But, like, when you are sometimes -- especially last year I was playing well some tournaments, a good week, after that I was making some kind of relax, everything going well. So maybe you don't have to work that hard that you did before. That was really a big problem, you know, because you cannot win if you don't work hard. You have to always work, especially when you're on like playing well.
I had the time that actually like I couldn't -- after playing well, I like started losing first round, first round. Then it was really tough to come back from that thing. But at the end of the year was much better. I think I improve a little bit on this. Now that I'm playing well, I have to, you know, continue doing right things, not to like relax, not to stop.
Q. Do players have more confidence going into a match against Roddick now, as opposed to Nalbandian or...
IGOR ANDREEV: Of course, that kind of victories gives you confidence. Now you can see that there's no problem, no, to beat these guys if you are playing well. I mean, you can do everything.
I mean, of course, it's going to help me in the future.
Q. About all the match points saved the other day. Before, what was the most match points you had saved?
IGOR ANDREEV: I think four.
Q. When you came back into the locker room, what were guys saying to you?
IGOR ANDREEV: "How you did it?" I don't know how I did it (smiling). No, everybody say, "Well done." No, was really like I think now I used all my luck for all my life. Hopefully that's not true. Still was really unbelievable. Nine match points, four or five on his serve. He's serving very well. I don't know how. If you ask me to explain, I cannot explain (smiling).
Q. Do you prefer to play against Haas or Blake?
IGOR ANDREEV: That's not big difference I think because they're both good players. Actually, playing I think same style. Doesn't matter. Especially this case, I have to be like more concentrated on my game, think about what I have to do.
Q. Andy had some references to an American television show the Simpson's. Have you ever watched that show?
IGOR ANDREEV: Yeah. Well, not a lot, but a few times.
Q. Do you know some of the characters like Homer or Sideshow Bob?
IGOR ANDREEV: Yeah, I know, but still -- I didn't see a lot of series. Maybe I just saw one or two.
Q. It's seen in Russia?
IGOR ANDREEV: Maybe on the satellite channels, but in general.
Q. In describing the tiebreaker, he said you went Sideshow Bob on the net in the tiebreaker.
IGOR ANDREEV: Well, I don't know Sideshow Bob is, a character from Simpson's?
Q. Right.

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