Roddick Interview 08/28/06

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. Nice way to start things off, Andy? Feel pretty good about the way it went out there today?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it felt clean. I didn’t hit yesterday. I got a very short warm up. You know, but I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well. I’ve maintained the way I’ve been hitting the ball since Cincinnati. It’s a lot better than last year. Better start.

Q. Coming off the results from Cincinnati, are you feeling very confident the way you’re playing?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I’m really, really confident right now. Feel good.

Q. Tonight’s a very special evening for Andre Agassi, and some say for a lot of players that know him well. Where do you plan on being for that event? Plan on coming back?
ANDY RODDICK: As much as I would love to, uhm, I probably need to focus on my tournament a little bit. It will be a great night, and I hope I can grasp a little bit of the atmosphere by watching on TV with Billie Jean’s ceremony and the electricity in the air for Andre’s match I’m sure will be unparalleled.

Q. Can you comment a little bit on the renaming of the National Tennis Center to honor of Billie Jean?
ANDY RODDICK: I can’t think of a more fitting person, you know. You have Arthur Ashe Stadium. What he stood for kind of went beyond tennis. Now they’re kind of sticking with that motto with Billie Jean and what she was able to do for a lot of people, and especially women in sports.
You know, she was she is revolutionary. I think, you know, in the understatement of the year, it’s extremely deserved.

Q. Was this the second time that Connors was in the stadium? This is the second time that Jimmy Connors was in this stadium to watch you?
ANDY RODDICK: It was the second time?

Q. Yes.
ANDY RODDICK: That he was here to watch me?

Q. In the stadium.
ANDY RODDICK: Here? He was at a couple matches in LA.

Click here to read the full interview at usopen.org.