It may not be included in his stats, but along with a blistering serve and powerful forehand, hosting a must attend party is certainly one of Andy’s strengths. Set in the heart of South Beach, the Delano hotel was the perfect location for the official player’s party on Wednesday evening. Hosted by Andy Roddick, and James Blake, the party kicked off at 8.00pm and came to a close at midnight.

Imagine this: the guests sign in at the front desk, and are presented with a Fila sweatband, their key to getting into the party; saunter through the hotel, see all the rich and glamorous, two double doors open for you, and then you enter the gardens of the hotel. As you walk down the steps into the garden, to your right, Andy Roddick and James Blake are posing for photos, further in front of you are hammocks, and white cushioned beds. The centre piece of the garden – the pool, has a soft pink glow around it. A small pier resting gently on the waters supports the DJs for the evening. Further past the bar, is a table laid out with splendid food, ready and waiting for the expected five hundred or so, guests.

The hosts of the evening, Andy and James, had their own private canopies equipped with comfortable seating and a television, where they could entertain VIP guests. Andy, dressed in a dark shirt and jeans, was the genuine host, schmoozing with his guests and keeping everyone happy. Truly appreciative of the music, Andy groaned when the DJ’s took an impromptu break, that “no music just killed the party!” This was soon remedied.

The party heated up around ten o’clock, with the majority of players and guests concentrated around the bar and food area. Throughout the evening Andy spent some time on the dance floor and also relaxed poolside in a cabana with friends. Team Roddick was in full effect; John and Doug took their mentoring off the court by critiquing Andy’s dance moves. “It’s always nice coming back here,” Andy told reporters. “First and foremost, it’s about playing tennis, but it shouldn’t be too hard to have a good time tonight.” From the chatter in the players lounge today, it was clear that everyone who attended had a good time as well.

Imagine this: To your left is Olivier Rochus, to your right is Kim Clijsters, behind you is Andy Roddick, and you can make out Juan Carlos Ferrero and Maria Sharapova in the distance. It was a star studded event, with delicious food (but one might ask themselves, where the dessert was hiding?) great music, stunning decorations and a fun atmosphere – a credit to the organisers.

Partying over, Andy settled down to business the following days. The rest must have benefited Andy as he went on to win doubles first round and then win against Alberto Martin on Saturday night. Go Andy!