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WIMBLEDON

June 29, 2001

Andy Roddick

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Goran is definitely the funniest man never to win Wimbledon. People often say he's the best grass court player never to win. What do you think about that?

ANDY RODDICK: I think I agree with that. You know, especially when he's serving well, you know, he's very tough to beat.

Q. How tough is it to keep your patience out there when he's serving like that and not sort of lose control earlier than maybe what happened at the end?

ANDY RODDICK: It's tough. I mean, when you don't feel like you even have a chance in return games, you know, you're pretty helpless. It's not fun.

Q. How different was it watching this guy on TV when you were little and watching him almost win Wimbledon, then facing this service that you had no chance?

ANDY RODDICK: You know, you pretty much see it on TV when he's acing guys. Now I was just the guy getting aced (laughter). I don't know. I mean, I never really thought about it when I was little. It's kind of two different things.

Q. No matter how well he was serving in the first set, you're up 2-Love in the tiebreak. What are you feeling at that point?

ANDY RODDICK: I'm feeling pretty good because it's my serve. I feel I can win a serve, go up 3-0. I'm feeling, "If I'm up 3-0, all I need is one more service point on his serve, I'm looking pretty good."

Q. What happened on that volley you hit at that time?

ANDY RODDICK: He hit a net cord and I had to scoop it up. Then he hit a ball about Mach 10 at my head. I was trying to get out of the way. It was pretty unfortunate. That point was pretty unlucky, I think.

Q. Was there anything more you could have done?

ANDY RODDICK: I think I could have not hit that dropshot in the first set. I mean, that's the difference between being up 6-3 and being 5-4, which is basically down 6-5 (laughter). That wasn't an intelligent shot.

Q. When you look back at this Wimbledon years from now, what do you think your prime memory, your prime recollection will be?

ANDY RODDICK: Probably playing on Centre Court, playing well on Centre Court my first time out there. That was a dream come true. You know, that's probably the biggest memory.

Q. Was it even more than you imagined?

ANDY RODDICK: Oh, it was great. I mean, it's unlike any other court that I've ever been on. You know, it's definitely a special place.

Q. Does this experience make you more hungry to come back here next year than you were maybe even a week and a half ago?

ANDY RODDICK: Definitely. When you lose, you look back. It makes you want it more. You know, when you're winning, you're too busy focusing on the next match. When you lose, you're like -- it really makes you want it.

Q. Your frustration seemed to be maybe getting the better of you towards the start of the fourth set when you approached the umpire. Are you happy with the way you behaved?

ANDY RODDICK: I really wasn't -- I was just like, "Okay, are you happy now?" It wasn't like I was losing my cool. I thought that was the best service game I played all day after he did that. I came up with some big serves. I don't think that was an issue.

Q. There were a couple of things that you said that maybe weren't the best examples to people watching on Centre Court.

ANDY RODDICK: Sorry. Come again.

Q. There were a couple of swear words that you came out with during the match that weren't the best examples.

ANDY RODDICK: Maybe not.

Q. You don't regret them?

ANDY RODDICK: Oh, yeah, you regret. It's heat of the moment. That's no excuse. I can say I'm sorry, but I'd rather just fix it by not doing it next time.

Q. What did you say to him at the net?

ANDY RODDICK: When?

Q. At the end.

ANDY RODDICK: Oh, I just said -- you mean, when I was arguing over the serve?

Q. No, to Goran at the end when you shook hands.

ANDY RODDICK: I just said, "That was impressive. I'm cheering for you the rest of the way."

Q. What is it like sitting back there trying to read where he's going with it?

ANDY RODDICK: I mean, there's really not much you can do. It's a pretty helpless feeling. I started doing better when I was just -- basically when he threw it up, I'd just run to one side or the other. I mean, it's true (laughter). I got my racquet on a couple of balls, you know, and it was better. You know, when someone is serving I think, what, 73% with his serve, 40 something aces in four sets, there's not too much I can do.

Q. Was there ever a point in this match where you thought, "He cannot keep this up for an entire match"?

ANDY RODDICK: About every point. I mean, that was just a lesson on how to serve and how to play on grass. He made my serve look like a schmuck serve. I don't know what else.

Q. You said you basically exceeded your goals for this year. It's only halfway over. Where are you going from here? Are you going to go home and start preparing for the US Open? What do you feel your chances are? Is that your best shot for a Slam?

ANDY RODDICK: First, I've been traveling for seven weeks in a row, so I'm going to take a couple days off maybe. Definitely, I mean, I'm still hungry. I'm going to play the whole summer circuit in the States. We'll see how it goes.

Q. Where do you start?

ANDY RODDICK: LA.

Q. For years we Americans have been salivating for a new young champion to take over from Pete and Andre. In Key Biscayne you said your goal was just to make the French Open main. Yet here you are.

ANDY RODDICK: I made it.

Q. What is your take on all this run, all the attention you're getting?

ANDY RODDICK: It's good, you know. I'm happy that I've played well this year so far. You know, I hope I can keep it up.

Q. Have you surprised yourself?

ANDY RODDICK: I think so. I don't know what I'm going to be after this tournament, but I'm sure it's close to Top 30. If you would have said I would have been Top 30 after Wimbledon at the beginning of the year, I probably wouldn't have agreed with you.

Q. Have you changed your expectations of what kind of player you can be on this tour?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I have.

Q. What did they used to be? What are they now?

ANDY RODDICK: If I went into a tournament before and I won a match, I was pretty excited at the beginning of the year. Win a match, it's like, "Yeah." Since my results have been okay, I definitely expect more of myself.

Q. Did you used to think of yourself as, "One day I can be a Top 5 player"? When you hear people say that about you now, what do you think?

ANDY RODDICK: I definitely think to myself it's more realistic now than it was even five months ago. But, you know, you can never say what the future holds. I've just got to keep working hard and I'll see where it takes me.

Q. Now that you've been through one grass court season, can you talk a little bit about what you've learned, whether you feel like on grass you have as good a chance of succeeding as on hard courts even?

ANDY RODDICK: Not yet. Not yet. You know, hopefully I'll learn. Grass is the toughest surface to learn about, I think. It's kind of like a mentality. I think I got better. But I'm still not the greatest grass court player. I never claimed to be. I think I will get better as each year goes along. I hope so anyways.

Q. Do you like it?

ANDY RODDICK: It's fun. I said before I like, you know, the different games. It's nothing close to hard court or clay. Clay is nothing close to hard court or grass. I like that. I think that's the only sport where you can totally have a change like that. I like the challenge of something new like that.

Q. When your serve was broken in the fourth set, was that shocking to you, to know it could go that quickly when you were ready to maybe out last Goran's serve?

ANDY RODDICK: It wasn't shocking. I think that was pretty much the only really sloppy game I played on serve. When he broke me in the second, he hit three great shots. But that game I kind of handed it over a little bit more. I was disappointed, but, you know, I had to kind of regroup, try to give it a go the next game.

Q. Tarik said the key to the match was your lack of concentration. Would you agree with that assessment?

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know if that was the key to the match. The key to the match might have been his serving (laughter). Maybe I should have concentrated harder on watching them go by me, I don't know.

Q. What was it you shouted or said after you finally broke him in the third set?

ANDY RODDICK: I don't really think I shouted anything. I was like, "Whoo-hoo." I was relieved, one break. "Here we go." I didn't say any words. I just let out a little scream.

Q. Have you ever seen anybody else celebrate victory that way?

ANDY RODDICK: No, but that's what makes Goran Goran. That's what makes him exciting. No one knew he was going to do that. He probably didn't even know he was going to do it till he did it. That's fun.

Q. Quite a compliment that he would think that much of a victory against you to celebrate that way after beating you.

ANDY RODDICK: Maybe he was just trying to show off his pecs.

Q. Would you go for a tattoo yourself?

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know if I would. Who knows. I doubt I would have done it.

Q. Have you spoken to your mom and dad?

ANDY RODDICK: Since?

Q. Since the game.

ANDY RODDICK: No, not yet. I'll probably go talk to them after this, after the press conference.

End of FastScripts....

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