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NASDAQ-100 OPEN


March 25, 2005


Andy Roddick


MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Andy, what have you done?

ANDY RODDICK: I guess a light sprain of the wrist. It was late in the first set. I think it was 5-All, me serving, up 40-Love. He hit a return really deep, I kind of did one of these real quick and just caught something the wrong way, just jammed it a little bit. You know, I have decent strength and I can squeeze it, so that's a very good sign. It's just that when -- my up and down. So in case you weren't watching, kick serves were a bit of a struggle and, you know, kind of really getting over a forehand was a little bit of a struggle. But trying to hit flat and hitting my flat serve was okay but you're only going to go so far with that without a second serve and kind of a forehand you can really come over.

Q. Do you think if you had gotten through that first set you would have been all right?

ANDY RODDICK: I doubt it. I might have tried to maybe sneak through, but it wouldn't have changed the nature of what happened. It was tough for me to hit second serves out there once it happened, and it was tough to -- it didn't make anything better how heavy he was hitting the ball.

Q. So a second round was not going to happen?

ANDY RODDICK: I don't think so. I don't think so.

Q. What are you feeling?

ANDY RODDICK: As far as...?

Q. Just your emotions?

ANDY RODDICK: Just disappointed. I mean, you try to have as positive an outlook as you can. You know, I'm glad that right now they don't think there's any long-term or anything, you know, permanently damaged or anything like that. That's good. But it's going to take some rest.

Q. Left wrist?

ANDY RODDICK: Right.

Q. Right wrist?

ANDY RODDICK: Left wrist wouldn't really affect my serve.

Q. What have you done for it so far and do you think it will be okay for your next tournament?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, luckily my next tournament is, what, three weeks away.

Q. Houston?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I have a pretty significant amount of time, about as much time as you'll get between tournaments. So I'm pretty optimistic.

Q. Is Houston next on your schedule?

ANDY RODDICK: Yes. I mean, I don't know. That's what I'm looking at right now with what everyone's telling me. So we'll see.

Q. The timing on your decision to retire when you did at 4-3, what went into your thought process there?

ANDY RODDICK: Well, I talked to Per for a couple switchovers. He said "Let's try taping it, see if it kind of maybe just gives it some more support." He said "If that helps, then go for it. If it doesn't help, then, you know, there's an element of risk." I think that's what all tennis players are scared of, is doing something major, you know, where you're out months at a time. So that's always scary, and in the back of your mind. It's tough to concentrate on playing a match when you hear those voices, when you're trying to hit certain shots.

Q. This must be a really devastating result for you. Obviously, this is the biggest tournament that you won last year under the tutelage of BG (Brad Gilbert). Now you're obviously thinking about picking up a Slam along the way. What are your thoughts now about the rest of your year?

ANDY RODDICK: Pretty much the same as when I went into today. You know, hopefully, like I said, with, you know, some days of rest and recovery and icing, you know, hopefully it will come around and I'll be good to go to start the clay court season.

Q. Have you had a stretch in your career with a couple of injuries back-to-back like this?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I used to get banged up every once in a while but not as flukish as this, you know. The other ones were kind of from wear and tear. These were kind of just two specific movements that were a little unlucky. You know, not in a while.

Q. But you have experience from Juniors of fighting through, of knowing when to rest, knowing how to come back? This isn't a new process?

ANDY RODDICK: No, no, I don't think it's a new process for any athlete who competes 11 months a year. Stuff is going to go wrong. You're going to have nicks and bruises. But, you know, thankfully I'm in probably the best shape I've ever been in, so that will definitely help the recovery process.

Q. Did you know right when you made that movement that there was something wrong?

ANDY RODDICK: Well, some time -- I knew that it was uncomfortable right away, but sometimes you just jar it and hope that it kind of subsides or is tolerable. You know, it was still -- when it was still there and I was still thinking about it and it was still on my mind six, seven, eight games later, then I was worried.

Q. It's a sprain, is it?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, that's what they call it, a light sprain.

Q. When you threw the racquet down, was that total frustration about the whole thing, the injury, or that particular point?

ANDY RODDICK: No, it was probably a combination, you know. I knew that something wasn't totally right, I wasn't able to hit the shot that I wanted to. I mean, I had three doubles in the tiebreaker on second serve. So that's not typical. I don't know if there's much more -- I don't know if there's anything that's more frustrating than out there, trying to do something, being expected to do something and not really feeling like you can do it to the best of your ability. It's a pretty frustrating scenario to be in.

Q. Do you have an idea of how long before you'll try to play again?

ANDY RODDICK: Like I said, luckily, I don't have to be back in five days or six days; I have three weeks between tournaments.

But, you know, I hope to be back in hopefully days instead of weeks.

Q. What's next for you? What will you do now? Go home and rest?

ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I'll probably be bored so...

Q. Watch basketball?

ANDY RODDICK: Watch basketball, watch my pool just get worse and worse. I'm not sure. You know, I haven't really thought that far ahead. I mean, go home and try to think of something to do, I guess.

Q. Until the moment of your injury, how did you rate the match and Verdasco's game?

ANDY RODDICK: I think a lot of him. I think he's, you know, he hits the ball a ton. If he can, you know, learn how to play consistently, he'll definitely be someone who's going to be reckoned with. He has a lot of up side. You know, he's 45. You think with his game, he definitely has -- you haven't seen the best of him yet.

End of FastScripts….

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