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SONY ERICSSON OPENMarch 27, 2012Andy RoddickMIAMI, FLORIDA J. MONACO/A. Roddick THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. So how do you feel? It's a horrible question, but... ANDY RODDICK: How do I feel? Q. Yeah, after the big excitement last night. You said it yourself, you couldn't get that excited because you had this match to play today. ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, there's no real way around it. When you have to make a quick recovery, it will expose you if you're not in shape. Most people can play a match and it's fine. It's the recovery where it kind of defines you. You know, there are a lot of positives out of this week. I feel healthy. You know, I played matches, and I was running, you know, hard. Um, my lack of any sort of fitness regime, you know, on my leg is apparent, but that's something that is a matter of work. It's not a matter of health. That's something that's in my control. Um, I just didn't have it physically. I got to about 4‑All, and I was‑‑ you know, I'm out of shape. That's it, you know. So, yeah, I mean, that's it. Q. Obviously Monaco is tough as it is to get everything back, but was it also sort of mental drainage from last night? Roger to, boom, you have less than 24 hours before you play him? ANDY RODDICK: I don't think so. I don't think so. You know, that I'm professional enough to take care of. You can't lie, you know, to your body. And that's just it. It's been a tough three‑, four‑month start. When I first got hurt in Australia, they said, you know, it will be six to eight weeks, and I played San Jose in three. Now we're looking at about seven or eight weeks and I'm starting to feel better. My tennis has come around a long way in the last two weeks, maybe three weeks. I'd rather this scenario than, um, you know, being hurt and not knowing about the tennis. My tennis has felt a lot better. There was a lot of progress. Now it's a matter of‑‑ I feel good enough where I feel like I can put in the work away from the court and get my legs back under me as far as strength and fitness. Q. What do you do in terms of the clay court season in Europe? Is it something you're thinking of doing more or less of because of your rehab‑type stuff? ANDY RODDICK: To be honest, Peter, it's going to depend on how I feel in two or three weeks if I can get the work in and do what I need to do. But right now my priority is I feel like there is a little bit of a window to get right. I'm playing a very, very heavy summer schedule from Queen's, Wimbledon, pretty much straight through the US Open. So, you know, I'm gonna go when I feel fit and ready. You know, I'm certainly gonna get some in before the French, that's for sure. But my priority from tomorrow on is getting in shape, dropping weight, and building strength. Q. I know you don't look ahead, but Mardy Fish would have been next. He was saying before how much fun it would have been, you guys are such good friends and all that. Had you thought about that? Like that you maybe would have had a chance to play each other in a big match? ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I saw it. Not much to it. We have done it 12, 13 times before. You know, the scenario is always the same. You know, we've always been very close. I think it's a little bit more intriguing now just because the tables have turned a little bit more and he's a top guy and I'm not. That probably lends side itself to being a little bit more of a popcorn match in that regard. But as far as we go and the dynamic of our match, it's always hard, you know, to play someone that's like a brother to you. Um, but, you know, even after he finished and I was gonna go on and we were hanging on in the locker room for an hour, I mean, I think drop date is, you know, about an hour before the match we probably wouldn't have been too chatty. But I always cheer for him. Q. He said he was texting Brooklyn at 3:30, in Germany at 3:30 in the morning trying to figure out how to watch your match. ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I don't know. He watches a lot of online tennis; I don't watch much online tennis. She was trying to figure out where the heck to go, and so I guess Mardy came through so she could watch it on live stream. Q. Can I ask one more thing about Mardy? ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, sure. Q. What do you see from him in this tournament? ANDY RODDICK: I think today's match was big for him. I know he was not feeling real good about the way he was playing after Palm Springs. You know, it's a new scenario for him, you know, coming off of a short offseason and kind of having to be that guy. So I think it's an adjustment. But winning a match like today where he kinda let it go, and early on, you know, in that third set Almagro was holding easily and Mardy was at deuce three or four games in a row, you know, and got through it somehow, those are the ones that kind of build your way into confidence. So, you know, all of a sudden he has a very realistic chance of winning this next match and he's in the semis of a Masters event, you know. So I think this tournament, I think it was really necessary for him. Q. Do you think how optimistic you're able to keep things in perspective is a sign of experience? ANDY RODDICK: I think experience is overrated in sports. I think confidence is paramount.  You know, for every example you give me of experience I'll give you an example of, you know, a young guy where ignorance is bliss, you know. I think confidence is big, and I feel a lot better than I did coming in. You know, I need to take probably a day off tomorrow and then deal with what I need to do now. At least in my mind it's pretty clear, but I'm a lot closer now than I was. I played, you know, two matches at a very, very high level, which I hadn't done in a while. And, you know, obviously last night was an exceptional level, so that's good. I needed to see that I could do that. You know, now I just gotta get to work. Q. Just about your relationship with your coach, with Larry, you have been working together for more than two years now, and they haven't been the two easiest years of your career. I was just wondering, given that in tennis it happens that the relationship between coach and player tends to last a very short time, are you still working very well together? ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, we're fine. I mean, I don't know how you coach a tear in your knee or coach mono or coach, you know, a tear in your hamstring. You know, Larry has a very proven track record. I enjoy him. I trust his tennis IQ. And, you know, I'm not the kind of guy that needs to be baby‑sat. I will do my work. You know, I'm happy with where I'm at right now as far as that regard goes. Q. Do you still aim to play Grand Slam final? Where would it be and what it is the next step for that to happen? ANDY RODDICK: Yes. Anywhere. Six match wins. (Laughter.) FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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