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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERSAugust 18, 2006Andy RoddickCINCINNATI, OHIO THE MODERATOR: Questions for Andy Roddick. Q. I know you said yesterday you didn't want to exploit his tiredness, but when you're on the court, does that change at all? ANDY RODDICK: No, that's part of the game. I mean, you know, I've played the, you know, two tournaments before that and then won these two tournaments and played a lot of matches in a row, too, and that's part of the game. You know, that's part of it. So that's not really of any concern to me, you know. I can't really change what I'm doing because he's feeling fatigued. That's more of his issue. Q. You looked really pumped up out there from the start for this one. Did you put anything more into this match wanting to win this one? ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I wanted to win, of course. Uhm, you know, obviously with losing at Wimbledon and him playing -- he's been playing great this summer. And, you know, I really put a lot of stock into this match and I knew I'd have to play well and be intense if I wanted to win. Q. Was there anything this time around that you saw differently in Murray besides him being a little bit fatigued than in your other previous matches that helped you win? ANDY RODDICK: I think it's just the way I'm playing right now. I'm playing a little bit more inside the court and just trying to attack a little bit more. He's playing better than probably both times I've lost to him, to be honest, I mean, the way he's been playing lately. Uhm, you know, he's a very, very good player, though, and he's got a natural feel for the game. I definitely had a lot of respect for that going into the match. Q. You seemed to get a little bit tight toward the end. Looked like he got a second wind. Was there a reason for that? Do you get tight? ANDY RODDICK: No, I mean, I just, you know -- never gets any easier to close it out, you know, and when you know the match is on your racquet, I mean. You know, it's part of sports. Q. You said after the match you're having fun for the first time in a while. Why is it more fun now? ANDY RODDICK: Well, I think it helps to be hitting the ball well, to kind of have a game plan and to be playing aggressively. You know, this is kind of the first time in my career where I've kind of not been focused on or been, you know, full of attention or been in the underdog in any way, shape or form, I guess. So I don't know. It's fun, and I'm, you know -- I've had a lot of bulletin board material, and it's fun to kind of get back to form and show that I can still play this game a little bit. Q. You like being the underdog? ANDY RODDICK: I'm fine either way. I spent three years, you know, from the front, you know, so it's -- I'm comfortable in both positions. But, uhm, it's just -- it's weird to kind of be given up on at 23 years old, you know, which is kind of the way it felt from some corners. You know, to be playing good tennis again, it's rewarding. It feels really good. Q. Do you also feel the good tennis you're playing is quite different from the good tennis that you played two or three years ago? ANDY RODDICK: I think so. It's a little more aggressive, it's a little bit more on my terms. I can miss - I missed some tonight, too - but I feel like I'm missing on my terms. The game constantly changes. You know, when I was playing three or four years ago, guys were a little bit more aggressive hitting the ball and so you could count on a little bit more errors, so I played a little bit more defense. The game's kind of evolving into runners, I think part because of slower conditions on tour and fitness is becoming an issue, so you see a lot more guys, uhm, that run a lot, you know, as opposed to hitters. And so I think that required me to change styles a little bit. Q. You looked rather surprised when he was smashing his racquet toward the end there. ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I didn't notice until I heard it, you know. But, uhm, you know, it was far from over in my mind. Q. I think it's safe to say it was a pro-Roddick crowd out there tonight. Did that make the match a little bit more fun? Did it help you get more energized? Did that play any part tonight? You said I think earlier on that - maybe the first match - they helped carry you through. ANDY RODDICK: Definitely. I'm floored by the amount of support I get here. It's pretty humbling. You know, it's definitely nice knowing I'm gonna go out there for a night match and I know the crowd's gonna be out there and I know what to expect and I can use it for energy, like you said. You know, this is fastly turning into one of my favorite places to play.
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