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BNP PARIBAS OPEN


March 11, 2011


Andy Roddick


INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Quite a transition from Chile? Did you get any sleep at all?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, no, it was fine. On the schedule it probably looks worse than it is. You know, I knew I wasn't going to play till Saturday or Sunday here. You know, that's adequate time for me. You know, I feel fine. I don't think there will be any effects from last weekend.

Q. Can you talk about how big it was for you to get that win for your country?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean, it always is -- it's always good. We went down there as a team, and we wanted to get three points however we had to. It was a match that we were expected to win, and we took care of what we needed to do.

Q. Another year, another tournament victory for you already. That's a proud thing to keep that going, winning an event every year for as many years as you've been playing?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, and it makes me feel old. There's not...

Q. That's quite a record though, isn't it?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I think so. You know, I don't know, what is it? I don't know if it's 10 or 11 or what it is. As far as I know, it's Roger and I with active streaks. You know, I just like winning tennis tournaments, regardless of streaks and whatever else.
It was nice to kind of get back on court in a pretty big event and beat some pretty in-form guys, the guys who had wins on the bookend sides of Memphis each way was good for me, especially coming off of a disappointing match in Australia.

Q. Did you watch your highlight reel shot of match point?
ANDY RODDICK: I saw it.

Q. What do you think?
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, obviously I said afterwards it was probably the -- especially considering the circumstances, it was probably the best shot I've ever hit. When I hit it, I didn't see it. I had no idea, and there was a two- or three-second pause, and then I heard the place go mental. Raonic was just kind of sitting there looking at me, so it was kind of a relief and joy all at once.
You know, you probably don't make that one often, but if you put forth the effort to try it enough times it will go through one time.

Q. Was the overhead that Roger hit back in '02 in Basel, is that the best shot ever off of your overhead? Is that the best shot that's ever been hit against you?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. It's tough. Obviously that comes to mind, but, you know, I'm not sure. I'm having trouble kind of recalling every shot that's ever been hit against me right now. (Laughter.)

Q. Could you talk a little bit about your friend, Jim, coming on as Davis Cup captain? His style? What he brought? What's your feeling there now that you've had some time to...
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I certainly -- when Patrick wasn't coming back, I made it no secret to anybody who asked, whether it be the people making the decision, whether it be anybody who was interested in the decision, that my full support was behind Jim. It would certainly be a lot more of an enticing prospect with him on the bench and being able to spend extended amounts of time with a guy who has been No. 1 and won slams.
Certainly there's few guys in the sport who have those credentials, so I was certainly excited. He's been so involved from the get-go, you know. I've said before I don't know if there has been four or five days that have gone by without us having a discussion of some sort, you know, and it's been really impressive how into it he is.
Coming down to Memphis and making sure he saw all of the guys play at least one match. He's just been really involved. I think, you know, it's obvious that the right choice was made.

Q. Is it a matter of Xs and Os or just his whole experience? What makes him so good?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, you know, it's all that. I don't know -- you know, it's good for me that I don't have to choose. You know, he's certainly very smart, very articulate, and understands the game of tennis. You know, there is a select percentage of people who really get all aspects of tennis, and he's certainly one of them.

Q. Thoughts on the player party last night?
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, I don't know, man. I think I was passed out by about 8:30 in bed, and not because of the party.
No, it was great. They do a great job with, you know, with fun things. They had the skateboarding bulldog last year and the frisbee dogs this year, so I don't know. I'm looking forward to see what doggy tricks they have next year.

Q. Where do you think Novak is right now?
ANDY RODDICK: He's in that room. (Laughter.)

Q. What's he talking about?
ANDY RODDICK: Right there.

Q. Just talk about his year a little bit. He hasn't lost a match since London.
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I think him and Charlie Sheen are just talking about winning, you know. No, really.

Q. Charlie Sheen is still talking. You've known him a long time. You've played against him.
ANDY RODDICK: Get out of here because they're asking me a question about you. This is awkward.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Follow me on Twitter.
ANDY RODDICK: You never say anything funny.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You don't like my tweets?

Q. Do you think he's taking a big jump just even this year winning Australia, winning Dubai, winning Davis Cup?
ANDY RODDICK: Sure. Listen, I don't think it's ever -- you know, I know a lot of times I get in discussions with you, and I think you guys deal in extremes a lot. I don't think it's ever as good as it seems. And when he was struggling two years ago and you guys - I read a lot of it - you said he doesn't belong in the top 10 with the way he's playing.
I didn't believe that either. I'm certainly never going to count out Roger, Rafa; I still think Murray is going to win. I feel like I have a shot, given the right conditions and everything.
He's playing great tennis right now. He's full of confidence. What he's done this year so far is a hell of an effort, that's for sure.

Q. Where are your zest levels for the game at the moment?
ANDY RODDICK: You know, I haven't really looked inside and tried to come up with an accurate zest level. (Laughter.)
But I have -- I still have the weekend.

Q. When did your zest level peak in your career?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I don't even -- I'd have to have an accurate definition of the word "zest" to respond.

Q. Enthusiasm.
ANDY RODDICK: No, that's something that doesn't really waiver for me. You know, I get a lot of questions a lot of the times, and for me it's simple: I don't think I'm going to ever apologize for my career. I think it's perfectly within the realm of my possibility to play because I love playing, and I really enjoy the in day in and day out, and I like working. I like this whole process. The lows are bad. The highs are great. That will never change.
You know, my kind of general respect and the fact that I realize I live a pretty charmed existence, I don't know that that ever really waivers.

Q. One of your highs and lows at the same time was your final against Roger at Wimbledon.
ANDY RODDICK: Sure.

Q. After that, a British woman did a sculpture of you. I was wondering, did you get it? Do you have it?
ANDY RODDICK: It's actually under this table.

Q. Here's a picture of it.
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, yeah, she's good enough -- I think she does the finalists every year. I actually have one of them in my house. It's tough to travel with, though. It weighs about a ton.

Q. Is it just an oddball thing, or is it something you really treasure?
ANDY RODDICK: No, it's great. Anything we have to document our memories is something that I think we as players can certainly appreciate.

Q. She's done about 10 or 12 of these.
ANDY RODDICK: Why do you feel like you know her?

Q. I interviewed her.
ANDY RODDICK: Okay.

Q. What she doesn't tell people is she's running out of money. She does it just gratis just because she loves tennis. Do you have any thought about whether that sculpture-making ought to be part of the Wimbledon experience and maybe somebody else ought to pay for it?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I'm all for other people paying for my stuff, so I certainly feel like me and her, we're probably like-minded individuals. That's probably a good start. You know, I think I'm bordering on ignorance as far as the situation that goes. That is certainly something that I've enjoyed seeing.

Q. You said you have no regrets in your career. You have a huge voice on Twitter. Do you have any regrets of the things you have to say on Twitter?
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, daily, yeah.

Q. Obviously you had a very good Indian Wells and a great Miami last year, so this month or the next three weeks is going to be important for you. Talk about that.
ANDY RODDICK: I know we get all involved with -- you know, you can look at it as I have to play this month for this month last year, but I had a crappy eight months after that, so, you know, you kind of just -- it shakes out over the course of the year.
I'm not going to get too high, too low. I've never been one who gotten stressed out over defending points. If it goes down in flames, then after 12 or 13, I have the entire year of average results to get it back.
I know I've consistently proven that I can get there at the end of the year. I think you look at your body of work over the course of the year, not over the course of three weeks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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