Andy Roddick Is The Hit Of Minnesota Challenge

Somewhere between the Twin Cities and Mobile, Ala., Wednesday night, two well known twentysomething men stepped off a bus cursing the elements and two of their good friends.

Andy Roddick and Edina-born Mardy Fish lost a doubles match to Mike and Bob Bryan at the Minnesota Tennis Challenge Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center before an announced crowd of 6,777. The result meant Roddick and Fish would have to leave the warmth of their tour bus in just their underwear and shoes to enjoy 10 minutes of the night air.

The side bet between four friends added some spice to the first night of a three-city tour created to promote tennis in the U.S.

“When we got off the bus when we first got here we couldn’t believe how cold it was,” Bob Bryan said. “It was about eight degrees, and we all just said, ‘This is a nightmare.’

“We’re always making bets, and it was Andy who came up with the idea. He’s a silly guy.”

But it was Fish who figured to look silly this morning after losing 6-3, 6-3 to Roddick in the singles match. Roddick and Fish agreed beforehand the loser would wear a green see-through skirt to breakfast.

The players bought the skirt at Mall of America in the afternoon. “It’s a nice shade of green,” Fish said. “It goes well with my eyes.”

Fish injured his left wrist during the first set and came close to having to end his night early.

“People ask me what it’s like to return one of Andy’s serves,” Fish said. “This is what happens, you break your wrist.”

But the injury wasn’t enough to spoil his night. He said he was able to spend some time with friends and relatives he hadn’t seen since his family moved to Florida when he was 4 years old.

Roddick had top billing for the event, and it’s doubtful few of the fans on hand — decidely female — went home disappointed.

Reacting to one fan with a sign asking him to marry her, Roddick said: “I’m 22, and she looks like she’s about 16, so I think we should wait a while. You know, have a Thanksgiving dinner together so we can meet each others’ parents.”

Roddick, who has become a world pop idol, is the face of men’s tennis in the U.S. Andre Agassi is the only other U.S. player ranked in the top 10, and at 34, his championship days are nearing an end.

“As tennis players, we don’t have some huge marketing machine behind us like the NBA has,” said Roddick, the No. 2 player in the world. “It’s up to the individual players. I accept that responsibility and I like it.”

Said Mike Bryan: “Andy gets it. There are some players who are selfish and don’t want to give their time, but Andy isn’t like that.

“Andy is pumping a lot of enthusiasm into this game. He can draw a crowd anywhere.”

Dean Spiros is at dspiros@startribune.com.