Q&A, MAY 27

Andy Roddick comments on his rise in the tennis ranks

By Ron Cioffi
tennisreporters.net

ATLANTA, GA. – He was blazing through is first of two consecutive clay-court tournament wins when Andy Roddick sat down with tennisreporters.net. This spring Roddick, only 18 years old and from Boca Raton, Fla., took the Verizon Tennis Challenge in Atlanta and the USTA Houston tournament, along with taking down Pete Sampras at the Ericsson Open.

tennisreporters.net: So what’s this tournament like in comparison to the Ericsson, which is a lot bigger? But you still made a presence here.
Andy Roddick: Obviously, there are no women here. It’s a lot smaller draw, 64 compared to 32. But I’m taking it just as seriously. I want this just as badly.

Roddick: I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. You win matches and stuff happens. So, I just focus on that and the other stuff will take care of itself.

tr.net: It’s the spring. It’s clay court season. But, we’re in America. Do you think Atlanta is a top tournament for Americans to play to get ready for the French Open?
Roddick: For sure. I would be sad if it was moved to the hard-court season. [Editor’s note: The Atlanta tournament will likely be played on hardcourts in the late summer in 2002.] Then that would mean there is only one clay court event in the U.S. which, I think, would not benefit the American players.

tr.net: Would it be better for Americans to go to Europe and play there for a longer period of time? Granted, you haven’t had much of a chance to do one or the other.
Roddick: It’s my first go-around, so I can’t really comment on that.

tr.net: But that’s one of the criticisms that’s always been voiced about this tournament.
Roddick: It’s always nice to play at home. I’m more comfortable here than I am in Europe. I think I would want to start it here than take it over there.

tr.net: How about the French? Do you think you have a shot, with the way Andre (Agassi) and others are playing?
Roddick: I’m not really worried about being the last American. I just trying to win my matches.

tr.net: Did you spend much time with Andre here?
Roddick: Not really. I saw him in the hallway a couple of times and we chatted.

tr.net: I know you’ve said that Andre’s advice has helped you out? Do you see that teamwork happening between Americans?
Roddick: Definitely. Jan-Michael is one of my best friends. The Bryans are close friends. (Marty) Fish. (Taylor) Dent. We all get along really well. Barring some major change, which I don’t see coming, I think we’ll really help each other out.
Roddick: (Yells something at the Heat/Hornets game.) 60-34! Look at this!

tr.net: Did you play a lot of basketball?
Roddick: Yeah, I played my last two years of high school.

tr.net: How do you like Atlanta? Have you seen much of it at all?
Roddick: My brother lives in Athens. [John Roddick, a former top junior, is assistant coach of the University of Georgia men’s tennis team.] So, I go there a lot. I like Georgia. But I haven’t seen Atlanta very much.

tr.net: Where are you playing next?
Roddick: Houston. And then Dusseldorf (Germany) for the (ARAG ATP Tour) Team Championships.

tr.net: What if you win here? Will that change your plans?
Roddick: I don’t know. Let’s see if I win here.

tr.net: Why do you sign so many autographs?
Roddick: If they come out for me, like they did tonight, and I can scribble my name on a piece of paper, I’ll do that until my hand cramps. I love giving something back and interacting with the fans.

tr.net: I think in the middle of that second set (versus Fernando Meligeni), you let a break point opportunity slip by. Did you get a little tight there?
Roddick: No. I was upset that I didn’t just go all out and go for it, which I had been doing. I wasn’t mad then. I wished I could have missed it going for a big shot and making something happen … instead of hitting a wimpy backhand. That’s what I was mad at.

tr.net: Your inside-out forehand. Did you model it after Jim Courier?
Roddick: No. No. I haven’t modeled my game after anybody. I don’t believe in saying you’re going to model your game after Sampras. I believe in doing your own thing.

tr.net: Well, you definitely hit it different than anybody I’ve ever seen. Because there’s an extra whip going on there. A guy like Courier, for instance, who really got a lot of power with it, wouldn’t do that extra little thing.
Roddick: I don’t know. I don’t really think about it too much.

tr.net: That’s the way you speak about your serve.
Roddick: Yeah, I kind of let it happen.

tr.net: With a lot of training and practice.
Roddick: Of course. You have to put the work in. That’s a no-brainer.

tr.net: Do you feel you’re getting any extra power, except for just “just throwing it up and whacking at it?” [Roddick’s description of his serve].
Roddick: I’m not scared to hit the ball. I’m not scared to miss. And I know my chances are better than to hit out on the ball.

tr.net: When did you start focusing on tennis?
Roddick: I played all sports until I was 11. Then we moved to Florida. I didn’t want to enter all new leagues with all new kids. So I focused on tennis.

tr.net: At that stage, how old was your brother (John)?
Roddick: Seventeen.

tr.net: So he was a top junior player then?
Roddick: Yeah.

tr.net: What was that like?
Roddick: It was great. (Now) my whole family had been through it before. They knew what to expect. He has a great knowledge for the game. He’s a coach. He’s a great coach now. So, it was definitely an advantage.

tr.net: Is he your second coach?
Roddick: No, he kind of stays out of it. He doesn’t want to push on it. He know me and my coach are working well. He know if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

tr.net: He would be a long-distance coach.
Roddick: He doesn’t see me play often. It would be a stupid thing to do.

tr.net: What are your goals this year?
Roddick: I want the U.S. to qualify for the Davis Cup. I want to get past India and back into the thick of things.

tr.net: Do you think you’re going to do something special at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open?
Roddick: I don’t know. I don’t want to look that far ahead. I have a match tomorrow that I’ll focus on first.