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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 8, 2010

Andy Roddick

LONDON, ENGLAND

A. RODDICK/I. Kunitsyn
6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to have grass back under your feet again?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, it's a welcome change always. You know, it's a much more comfortable adjustment for me. I'm excited to be here.

Q. Does the first match get easier year by year?
ANDY RODDICK: I'm probably about half and half as far as ones that I've won comfortably. I've gone three sets a couple of times here first round. I'm not sure you can generalize. But I guess as I've played more in my career, even the first couple practice days, they feel -- and get on grass and the second day I feel fine. I guess in that sense it's gotten easier.

Q. Is that win almost too easy?
ANDY RODDICK: There is no such thing in sports as too easy, you know, especially with the sun going down on a slippery court.

Q. When you have long since hung up your racquet and there is the Andy Roddick Tournament in Austin, Texas, or wherever, would you like to hold it on a grass court? Would you like to see grass courts back in the States more?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, but the only thing is grass court events, not and leadup -- I would sacrifice grass courts in the States for grass court tournaments and lead up to Wimbledon, you know. I would love three months of 1000 tournaments in the leadup to Wimbledon.

Q. Getting rid of that red stuff?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, no. I'm just saying there's -- you know, the US Open Series, there's two-and-a-half months of leadup and a thousand points on the line every other week for two months. We have a couple 250s before Wimbledon.
So for me that's just a glaring issue, you know. So I think before we talk about grandiose ideas of a season in the States on grass, you know, we should probably take care of that first.

Q. Is that a realistic possibility that that would ever happen?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean, 500 at least. I know they're pretty -- ATP is very staunch in their rules, and I can respect that, but, you know, to make it -- you know, I think you should reward all surfaces.
Obviously there's a lot of business and logistical stuff behind the scenes that would have to take place, but yes, I do think that's a realistic idea. I don't think it's ridiculously far-fetched.

Q. Do you talk to the other guys about it? Does it ever come up in conversation?
ANDY RODDICK: Sure. Yeah, I mean, you know, like I said, I think it's pretty -- you know, I know all the guys who enjoy grass as much as we do wish we had three months of it, you know, or even, you know, a couple of extra weeks of it.
So I think it gets talked about, but you're gonna get, as much as my opinion is extremely biased, you're gonna get a lot the other way that's extremely biased.
But, you know, I'm aware that I'm biased. I'm also aware of the discrepancy between tournaments. That's not up for -- that's not someone's opinion. That's just the facts.

Q. You see, from our perspective we look at the calendar and we say there are two great big American hardcourt tournaments in the spring. Then there's clay. Then there's grass.
ANDY RODDICK: Sure.

Q. Then there's another big American season in the summer.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. No, I agree.

Q. Something's got to give.
ANDY RODDICK: No, mine isn't so much a geographical thing as opposed to, you know, a surface thing.
But, you know, it comes down to -- you know, we all know what it comes down to. You know, this is a business at the end of the day, so you're going to go where you can generate.
But I also think that London has proven, with this tournament today -- I mean, you go out there, it's 8:30 at night, and they're still three quarters full for a doubles match. Having been a spectator at Masters last November, I thought it was a great event. I think there's no question that London supports its tennis.
I don't see that as an issue. I think before we get to the address of pulling in four other weeks here and two other weeks here and pointing out -- let's fix the week we're in. Let's make it worth it, you know.

Q. Have you seen a way that the fan reaction to you has changed at all this year compared to other years?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I think a lot maybe changed after Wimbledon last year. You know, why? I don't know. I feel like I've worked hard at what I do for a long time. You know, for some reason, you know, it hit home during that tournament for a lot of people last year. I certainly think the sentiment is maybe a little bit different now.

Q. Today when you were practicing there were more people probably watching you practice than on some of the courts where players were playing.
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, that, you know, tennis -- you know, it's an individual sport and it's a player-driven sport. So I think, you know, that normally happens. I probably think the weather might have had something to do with that. They had to have something to watch.

Q. Since you got here, how many times have people mentioned last year's Wimbledon semifinal?
ANDY RODDICK: Semifinal?

Q. Sorry, final.
ANDY RODDICK: No, I mean, no more -- I mean, it's not any more than I would have expected. You know, all of a sudden you come to this part of the year. You know, last year's grass court season becomes relevant again.
So, yeah, I mean, it comes up a lot. It's come up a lot for me just over the course of the year, so it's not anything, you know, jarring or different or, you know, anything more than -- I expect it. I expected it a little bit. I mean, it makes sense.

Q. Has there been as much reaction -- was there more reaction to last year than, for example, to your first Wimbledon final?
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, sure, sure. I mean, I think -- yeah. I mean, a lot -- I think a lot's different. I think people get a sense that they probably know you a little bit better. You know, you've developed a relationship with people somewhat over the course of six or seven years. I think that changes.
Obviously the type of match it was changes a lot, you know. People view that a lot differently I think.

Q. I think also, you know, post-final speeches normally don't say very much, but what you said really caught the British public's imagination.
ANDY RODDICK: Well, to be honest, I haven't watched it back, and I don't really remember a whole lot of what I said. I was in such a daze.
I was praying that Sue Barker wasn't going to ask me to talk, because I didn't know if I was going to be able to get through it or not.
You know, I've always -- if nothing else, I've always been pretty forthright and pretty honest with everyone. I think in that moment it might have come off okay.

Q. You say you haven't watched it. Will you watch the final at some stage in the future?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. It's not something I've deliberately -- I'm sure if it was on TV somewhere and it was a rerun I'd probably watch it, you know, if I didn't have a round of golf or something. (Laughter.)
It's not something I -- I'm sure I will. I don't think I'm gonna live the rest of my existence without watching, you know, probably the best match that I've been a part of. You know, I don't know if I'm going to go watch it tomorrow, but yeah, I probably will at some point.

End of FastScripts

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