It's been quite slow here, yes, but i guess there's just too much going on right now, and let's leave it to that. But onwards we go - the US Open Series begins, and there's nothing like seeing the hood ole' hardcourts again!

(Marat, maybe this time, eh?...)

Day 6: Andy Beats Andy
A. Roddick Interview - Day 6 - Saturday, 1 July, 2006

Q. Bit disappointing for you unfortunately.
ANDY RODDICK: Is that a statement or a question?
Q. It's a question.
ANDY RODDICK: Yes, it was. It was very disappointing.
Q. It was almost like San Jose in some ways, even though it was grass, with a lot of how he was constructing points.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, you're comparing a slow indoor court to a grass court. That's interesting.
Q. Point construction was...
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, no, I agree with you. Uhm, you know, there's not much more I could ask for than, you know, positional advantage. You know, 70% of the points today, you know, it's tough when I feel like I'm, you know, inside the court, hitting an aggressive forehand deep to a corner and getting beat consistently from six to eight feet behind the baseline. It's pretty frustrating. It was to the point where I'm literally asking myself if a ball is three feet in front of the service line do I put it in and go back. I mean, you're laughing, but that's honestly the thought crossed my mind, you know. So, yeah, it's disappointing, but I played a lot better today than I did in San Jose, and I think he did, too.
Q. He doesn't look like he's the fastest guy out there, but his movement is pretty extraordinary, too.
ANDY RODDICK: His movement's good, but he's great at hitting on the move. You know, picking a ball up an inch off the ground, he can still find something to do with it without going for broke. You know, there are guys who are faster, but there are also guys who are faster and freak out once they're on the run and try to do something kamikaze.Similar to I'm not sure who to compare him to but he's a very deceiving mover. He hits really well on the run.
Q. What would you be most disappointed about in your game today?
ANDY RODDICK: In my game today? Uhm, you know, I volleyed terribly, which is disappointing because I've been doing it real well. I mean, it's just really frustrating. You know, that probably lost me the first set alone. You know, and then that's a different ballgame. I can't say I didn't make him play on breakpoints. You know, credit to him, he stepped up and pretty much went for broke on some forehands in the first set, when he really hadn't made one to that point. So, uhm, you know, I returned better than I did the first day. But, you know, there's just that intangible quality right now, you know, that edge that's not there. That's what I'm searching for. But, you know, just got to try to have some faith.
Q. You've gone to the hard court season with a lift from here before. Obviously, this is going to be a different story going into it this time, I guess. Are your spirits dampened going into it? Are you able to put this behind you now? Obviously, we're coming off the court.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, you're asking me a half hour coming off the court. Are my spirits dampened? Hell, yeah, they're dampened. I just lost third round of Wimbledon after making it to the semis, final, final the last three years. So, yes, I'm very disappointed. I'm not happy. I'm mad. Disappointed, whatever other adjectives you want to throw out there. I'm not that smart, so you think of them. You know, but it's too early to tell, you know. I'm sure, you know, right now I'm not thinking about it, to be honest. But, you know, we'll see. It's not like me to lay down. So, you know, I'll just keep on trying to truck along. That's what I've been trying to do this year. Just kind of have to have faith that something good is going to happen sometime.
Q. Are you surprised at how well he handled that occasion, Centre Court?
ANDY RODDICK: Not really. He's been out there a bunch. You know, probably, what, his fifth or sixth match out there. So it's not anything new for him. Uhm, I don't know if he had a lot to lose, you know. The way I see it, it was pretty much all gravy for him.
Q. How far do you think he can go then?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I think he has a shot in his next match. I think Lleyton would be tough. But he beat him before, so who knows.
Q. Do you miss that feeling of having nothing to lose and just having this great upside to when you walk on a court?
ANDY RODDICK: Dude, I have nothing to lose. What do I have to lose, besides just disappointing myself? I really don't have much to lose, you know.
Q. Seems to ride very heavy on your shoulders.
ANDY RODDICK: Sorry?
Q. Seems to ride heavy on your shoulders?
ANDY RODDICK: What seems to ride heavy on my shoulders?
Q. The fact that you're not doing well.
ANDY RODDICK: Early in the match? You saw that?
Q. Hmm. Did you feel that?
ANDY RODDICK: You're the best reporter I've ever seen. No, no, I don't feel that. I'm out there trying to win a tennis match. If anything, I didn't get pissed off out there until later on, you know. I thought I was pretty composed through the first set. I didn't really go nuts when I lost it. I tried to bounce back. I fought till the end. If you ask me is it frustrating not playing at your best, then yes, it is. It's very frustrating. But, uhm, you know, I'm just disappointed, you know, that I couldn't go further.
Q. The other day you said that you and John talked about trying to err on the side of aggression. What was your mindset coming into today? Same thing?
ANDY RODDICK: The same thing. I mean, I was consistently, like I said, in the points with the best court position. You know, it's tough 'cause three hard forehands to three corners in a row used to work. Now it sits up and you get passed from six feet behind the baseline. You know, I mean, that's what I asked when I came in. I said, is that not the right play, you know, for me? You know, we were both, you know, a little irritated.
Q. Why is it sitting up, you think?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine.
Q. Feels different than last year, too?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I think it's a gradual process. I think if you did your due diligence and asked some players that have been around for a while, I think the sentiment would ring true. I don't think I'm just sucking it out of my thumb.
Q. In Paris when the Americans don't reach the second week, it's not the biggest shock to anyone. But to have you, Andre and Venus all go out at Wimbledon on one day is pretty surprising. Just your thoughts on that?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it sucks, you know. Pretty much gotten used to that press conference where you're asking me how much we suck on clay in Paris every year. You know, I say yadda, yadda, yadda, think of a new story. But, you know, obviously, I think it is a lot more surprising/disappointing when it is here, a place that we've all had a lot of success. It is surprising. I'm going to have to probably agree with your thoughts on that one.
Q. Are the court conditions here different to those at Queen's?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. Uhm... possibly. But, you know, it's the same for everybody, so...
Q. When you walk through the door here, do you now get the feeling that the odds are against you rather than perhaps two or three years ago the odds were more in your favor?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, the last thing I want to do is make a whole big stink. That's not me. But if you ask me a question, I'm going to give you an honest answer. I feel like you're having to work a lot harder to win points on a grass tennis court.
Q. Where do you look to try and get the edge back?
ANDY RODDICK: Sorry?
Q. You said you're missing that edge.
ANDY RODDICK: Probably under my dresser, you know. I don't know. What kind of question is that (smiling)? I don't know. I wish I had a better answer for you 40 minutes off the court, but, you know, we'll see.