Davis Cup: Andy Interview 9/24

Q. So Russia in the final, what do you say?
ANDY RODDICK: You know, it’s something that I know we’ve been — we as a team have been dreaming of for a while, having a home final. I think we’re all just really excited about the opportunity.

Q. The last time the U.S. had a home final, we understand that you were there. Can you tell us about some of your recollections of that. It apparently made quite an impression.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I think I was nine years old and I went with my tennis club to that tie in Dallas. It changed my life. I mean, it changed kind of the way I viewed tennis, especially the way I viewed Davis Cup. It was my first professional tennis match — no, that it is not true. I had seen Jimmy at the Open in ‘91. It was the first time I’d kind of seen Davis Cup.
It just kind of blew my mind, to see the team that we had there. I mean, it was Agassi, Courier, Sampras and McEnroe. To be able to see that in that type of setting as a little kid, it definitely makes a bit of an impression, to understate it.

Q. You also beat Russia in ‘95.
ANDY RODDICK: That was in Moscow. It’s tough for me to, you know, make that ‘95 tie relevant just because I was playing in 14-and-unders at the time, so I didn’t really have a lot to do with it. It was a little bit far to travel for a 13-year-old to Moscow.

Q. When you say it changed your life, you were already playing by then, right? Did it solidify what you thought you wanted to do and where you belonged?
ANDY RODDICK: No. I wasn’t one of these kids raised to be a tennis player at all. But just seeing something like that is pretty powerful. You know, being with the other fans in an arena like that, seeing your heroes play, hearing the anthem for the first time, it really was the first time I’d been at a sporting event which was just, you know, completely about patriotism and that whole thing.
I think I fell in love with it then.

Q. I think by now you’re aware of your record in clinching matches. What is it about those big opportunities where you’re able to cash in?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, let’s call a spade a spade. Your team has to put you up 2-1 in order to be in that situation, first and foremost. My team’s put me in good positions going into a lot of Sundays.
Secondly, I don’t know. I don’t really think about it. I don’t really want to think about it. I’ve kind of found this comfort level with playing Davis Cup, whereas early on in my career I would be maybe get a little bit too overanxious. I feel comfortable playing for the U.S. flag now. Maybe that showed in the last couple of ties that I’ve been able to clinch.

Q. But you want that opportunity; you enjoy it when it does present itself?
ANDY RODDICK: I get nervous (laughter). It’s tough the morning of and the night before. But it’s a really good feeling when you are able to clinch.
I know we talk about it ad nauseam, but I really do love the guys that I play with. You know, they’re like brothers. When you can do your part to help your team venture forward, when you have one common dream and one common goal, it’s a very, very good feeling, and it’s a very rewarding feeling for all of us, I think.

Q. If you as a team go on to win the Davis Cup, where do you think that will rank for you? Will that be your top achievement in tennis?
ANDY RODDICK: It’s close. I always said as a kid I had four just dreams that I thought were just completely out of reach that would never be attainable. One was to win the US Open, one was to be No. 1, one was to win Wimbledon, and one was to win Davis Cup (laughter). It’s big dreams for a kid, and I don’t think I ever thought I’d ever be in the vicinity of that. Now selfishly we’re here. Chance to get three out of four, it’s exciting. You know, it’s definitely right up there with anything that I’ve been able to do.

Click here to read the full interview by ASAP Sports.