Roddick Fans Return

Andy spent the first nine minutes of his 21st birthday closing out a tough 4-set victory over Ivan Karlovic in the second round of the 2003 US Open. What does this have to do with 2005, you ask? The answer: Everything.

The night match began late on August 29th and ran into the wee hours of August 30th, Andy’s 21st birthday. At the end of his match, Andy’s fans applauded his exciting victory with not only clapping and cheering, but with a stadium-wide “Happy Birthday” song. Before Andy left the court, he took of his match winning shirt and threw it into the crowd.

“I’ve been 21 for nine minutes now. I think I deserve a beer!” Andy said after his victory over Dr. Ivo. While Andy was thinking about his beer, the Zimmel Family was thinking about how lucky they were to be the ones who caught Andy’s birthday-victory shirt.

Which brings us back to 2005. Yesterday, at Arthur Ashe Day, I overheard a lady asking who a player was and then she noted that she was really waiting for Andy Roddick. Mrs. Zimmel told me about the shirt, and also took out the two tickets she saved from Andy’s birthday match. She had no idea she was speaking to an AndyRoddick.com representative. She, her husband, and her two children were more than happy to allow us to tell their story here on Andy’s website. They were even more thrilled when they found out that Andy was still on his way.

When we said good-bye, they were heading towards the President’s Gate, next to the Player’s Entrance, waiting for Andy to sign their shirt. So, the ending of this story is yet to be completed. We, at AR.com, hope that you saw Andy and got your shirt signed. So, Zimmel Family, if you are reading your story, let us know how it all turned out!

To all Andy Fans, thank you for your dedication, support, and encouragement for Andy. Your voices are heard and they are well appreciated. Keep up the great efforts and we’ll be looking for you at the Open!

GO ANDY!