WIMBLEDON
Date: 2007-07-06

WIMBLEDON

July 6, 2007

Andy Roddick
LONDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Questions for Andy.

Question How did that one get away from you?
Answer Very carefully.

Question Can you expand on that a little bit, talk about what happened in the match.
Answer Not really. I mean, I played okay. I mean, you know, it's tough when you double your winners to unforced errors and lose. I thought I played pretty well. I thought he played very well.

Question Don't you feel you played a little bit too much on his backhand, especially going to the net?
Answer I mean, you know, if I can get someone running and hitting passing shots off their shoe tops, then I'm never going to sit here and say that's a bad play.
If it means approaching up the line or approaching cross-court, there's something else to think about. How much trying to make him fit it in a tight spot on passing shots.
I don't know if it's as simple as hit to it forehand or hit it to the backhand.

Question What has been your practice with Jimmy together after a loss? Does he typically look at a videotape of a match? Is there any breaking down, or do you just focus on what's ahead?
Answer Yeah, you probably focus on what's ahead. You know, I don't know if I need a videotape to tell me what happened out there today. I had a pretty good view.

Question How do you think he's going to do against Federer in the next round?
Answer Well, considering it's 8:00 in the evening right now, Roger's played for an hour in the last week, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Roger's probably the fresher of the two.
You know, it was kind of an emotional up and down with the rain, with that match, with everything. I'm going to go out on the limb again and say he's probably fresher mentally, as well.
I don't know if that bodes well for Richard.

Question Is this as hard a defeat to take as you've had recently?
Answer Yes.

Question He's been around the fringes. He's blown some opportunities. Everyone always said he has a great game but hasn't pulled it together. Do you feel a little bit like wrong place, wrong time for you?
Answer Yeah, I mean, I don't know about wrong place, wrong time. I had opportunities and I didn't take 'em. But, I mean, he definitely played to his potential or maybe even more so today.
Credit to him. I mean, I'm sitting here looking. He had 90 something winners and his errors were in the 20s. I'd probably take that most times.

Question How does his backhand compare to the other great backhands you've faced?
Answer Well, he's got to do it a little more often to go up there with the best backhands I've faced. I mean, this is his first semi.
I think the difference between him and the top guys is just doing it on a week-to-week basis. Maybe this is a jump-start for him. Who knows.

Question You said this is definitely the hardest or maybe as hard a loss as you've had. Can you elaborate on why. What were you feeling going in?
Answer Well, it's another lost opportunity at Wimbledon. I mean, I don't know if you really -- I don't know if I really need to spell it out for all of you. I'd love to make you try to understand what it feels like in the pit of your stomach right now, but I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I'm articulate enough to really put that into words for you.

Question Playing well the first two sets. Is there a point at all where the idea of playing a semifinal against Federer here enters your mind at all?
Answer No.

Question Are days like this the toughest part of being a professional athlete?
Answer Yeah, I mean, I'll probably wake up tomorrow with a better sense of perspective. I'm sitting here feeling pretty crappy right now. But I promise you I'm aware in the grand scheme of things I'm still pretty blessed and very lucky and very fortunate.
That being said, you know, when you put your blood, sweat and tears, everything you have into something, and you can almost taste it, you envision something and it doesn't work out, it's not easy.
But that's what makes you addicted to the competition, you know, is the feeling when you do win. That's what gets you back on the horse.