DAVIS CUP - SWEDEN Vs. USA

April 8, 2004

Patrick McEnroe

Andy Roddick

Mardy Fish

Bob Bryan

Mike Bryan

CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Well, I mean, no real surprise. I think, obviously, for Bjorkman to play singles and come play doubles and maybe play a third match in a row is asking him a lot. But he's got a lot of experience, obviously; he's done it before. He's very fit. So we're happy. I mean, as I said all week, it's just about us getting ready and us being ready to play well. If we play well, I like our chances. Both guys have had great practices and look extremely confident. So I never get too worried about one way or another what the draw is going to be. You can analyze it until you're blue in the face. The bottom line is we need to win three matches to win the tie.

MARDY FISH: I think I would prefer to, yeah. I think I would prefer to kind of take the pressure off Andy and put us up 1-0. That's obviously the goal. So, yeah, I mean, I did come out a little nervous there. But that was a big match in a big situation - same as this. I think I've learned from that, and hopefully I can do better in the first set.

MARDY FISH: I think we play pretty similar. He's got a great backhand, and he comes to the net really well, moves well. He's a tough player to play. He can do a lot of everything. But, you know, I mean, I think it's just one of those matches where you're going to kind of have to maybe feel it out in the beginning and see what happens, maybe change a few things here and there. But we'll see obviously what happens.

MARDY FISH: They definitely do. But my game, I'm trying to get to the net as well. I think we'll try to both make it into a faster-court-type game. I'm definitely going to try to do that. I'm sure his game is altered towards that, as well. Like I said before, we'll definitely try to feel each other out in the beginning and see how we're going to play on the court and see what happens.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, Thomas is obviously a very tough player. He's been a Top 10 player for many, many years. He's very good at dictating play. He takes his game to you. He's going to come out, and he's going to rip the ball, that's for sure. Obviously, I have to find a way to kind of maybe attack him before he gets the upper hand. You know, I think that's going to be the tone for the match.

CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: I sit on the court during the matches, by the way (smiling). It's exciting, both of them. It's very similar in a way. There's a lot of pressure in both. But watching these guys play, I feel like I go through every point with them and am really there in that sense, mentally, with them throughout the match. So it's a tremendous thrill both ways. But, obviously, being here, this is where I want to be this weekend; I can tell you that.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it was a little different scenario. I mean, I travelled across the world and played on a different surface after playing a couple matches last summer, as opposed to this, where I drove an hour up the road and I'm still playing on the same surface. So I don't see many similarities there, but, you know, I'm going to come out firing tomorrow. I didn't really ever think about that being an issue for me.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, definitely. These courts definitely grab the ball a little bit more. The ball doesn't come through as fast; therefore, it accentuates spin a little bit more. I think the kick spin's getting up on everybody's serve a little bit more.

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it's good for me (smiling).

BOB BRYAN: We would like to clinch the match like we did in Connecticut, makes our job a little bit easier when we know we're up 2-0. But, yeah, we're gonna be rooting for those guys. If it's hot, maybe we'll watch one of the matches and go inside and just get a massage and get ready for the next day. But we're looking for these guys to do the job and then to clinch it on Saturday.