A. RODDICK/N. Almagro
6-3, 6-3


Q. Just ten unforced errors. Are you surprised when you hear such a low number?
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, yes and no. I felt like I played pretty clean today. Also, he's a guy who takes lots of risk himself. So, you know, you can keep it low because he's the one kind of trying to hit the lines and being the aggressor.
So I played within the margins today, and hit it well.

Q. Were you especially pleased the way you rallied and weren't tempted to go for winners as early in the rally as perhaps in days and years gone by you might have been tempted to?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, maybe. Like I said, he likes to go for that, and I felt like I could hit a pretty firm ball and have him if I was having him play pretty high risk off of either a ball that was hit pretty firm, deep and/or had the direction switched on it, that he was gonna light up the stat board with winners and unforced errors.
So that's kind of the way I approached it.


Q. It looked like he had some trouble returning your serves at times. Did it feel better today?
ANDY RODDICK: No, it's pretty much the way my serve goes. Sometimes. I didn't have a lot of aces, but any time I'm up around 70% or so first serves in, I feel like I like my chances of holding more often than not.

Q. Any preference for the next round?
ANDY RODDICK: Players? Schedule?

Q. Yeah, players.
ANDY RODDICK: Okay. Um, no. I mean, they're both playing well and playing tough. Rafa is Rafa, and Tsonga has been rolling over guys this week playing really well.
So like everyone, I think I'm looking forward to seeing that one.

Q. Were you watching tennis at 12:15 this morning, by chance?
ANDY RODDICK: I was not. I was sleeping at 12:15 this morning.

Q. What was your reaction to Roger's loss?
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. You know, I don't know if there was a visual reaction. I think Roger broke the first game of the match and I turned it off.
And, you know, they tell you he lost, obviously you're surprised any time he loses. But that's tennis. That's why you play 'em.

Q. I know you said that you weren't particularly pleased with the way you played or the results in Memphis and the other event you played this year. But in terms of this hardcourt swing, how much in tune with your game do you feel at the moment, and what good of level have you reached in the last three weeks or so?
ANDY RODDICK: I feel pretty good. You know, I feel like I'm you know, sometimes when you're not playing well and I alluded to this the other day everything feels a little bit forced.
When play a lot of the matches and kind of play a high level, it feels like everything kind of slows down a little bit. Muscle memory takes over a little bit more, and things kind of just happen. So I think I'm at that stage right now.
Unfortunately with tennis you have to start every day and it's a new one. You're playing well, but you still have to go out and do it every day.

Q. South Florida is a hotbed for youth tennis. You received some instruction here as well. Can you talk about why this environment helps breed that so much?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, there's a lot of reasons, obviously the weather being probably the first one. You can play and train year round.
Secondly, the abundance of junior tennis training facilities from here up to Bollettieri's. Not only for training, but it makes -- a local weekend tournament and you're getting an influx of foreign players, local players. Obviously competition breeds success a lot of times.
You know, obviously there's a strong South American influence, I think, in the South Florida area. So, again, you're getting more players, and it's kind of become a pretty strong training area for players from South America, too.
I don't think it's a secret why. I think there are a lot of reasons.

Q. Do you still have the feeling this is home tournament for you, or not so much anymore?
ANDY RODDICK: I think so. You know, we don't really live anywhere for long every year. (Laughter.) We're talking about a handful full weeks every year.
You know, it still doesn't change the fact that living in Texas doesn't change the fact that I was here in, what was it, '93 when it opened.
I was one of the hundreds of juniors they brought in. Played junior Davis Cup here and Orange Bowl here and had my first match win here and my first win on ESPN here.
So there are a lot of memories that I don't think go away because your postal address is different.

Q. I assume you still have a house in Boca. How much time are you in Texas, and I know you have the place in New York.
ANDY RODDICK: I'm not in New York, much. When Brooke and I have time off at the same time, we're normally in Texas. When I'm traveling and she has work, she's normally in New York.
So obviously if I fly in and out and I'm through New York, you stay for a couple days here and there.
Training base is in Austin.

Q. What sort of influence do you think you then have on America youth tennis?
ANDY RODDICK: Do I have?

Q. Yeah.
ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. That would require me to look at myself objectively, and I'm a little biased in my opinion of myself.

Q. Does Billie Jean travel with you is one question, and then tradition says that paper is the first anniversary gift.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, we were talking about it the other day. Stupid paper. What do you, buy stationary?

Q. You're not gonna get away with that, are you?
ANDY RODDICK: No, we had like the conversation like we don't need gifts, and now I don't know if that's code for, You better get me a gift.

Q. Yes. I can tell you that.
ANDY RODDICK: Yes?

Q. Oh, yes. I'm helping you out.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah? Well, shit. (Laughter.)

Q. Stationary is pretty reasonable.
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, I would feel guilty if I gave my wife stationery. Not to ruin guys everywhere who gave stationery, but what am I gonna get, her name? She knows her name.

Q. Paper. You know, paper.
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, yeah. Money? No, she better give me money. She's had a better year professionally than I have.
What was the other question?

Q. Billie Jean travel with you?
ANDY RODDICK: Sometimes. She was is out in Indian Wells for the whole thing, but now she's Brooke's out in L.A. working, so she's with her. She kind of cruises around from place to place and normally is happy wherever that is.

Q. Does she fit underneath when you're on a...
ANDY RODDICK: No. You know, we've had to keep up her self esteem, because the airlines have deemed her too fat to fit on a plane. So we have to constantly shower her with love and build up that self esteem and tell her she's beautiful.

Q. It's working?
ANDY RODDICK: Some days are better than others.


(via Sony Ericsson Open, photo/Getty Images)

Miami: Andy Roddick's 31. March Interview