Andy Roddick Net

Roddick topples Federer

Dirrty — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:26:05 +0000

American Andy Roddick, the sixth seed, toppled world number one Roger Federer in three sets yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Masters Series.

Roddick downed the top-seeded Swiss 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3, leaving Federer still in search of his first title of 2008.

Roddick recorded 17 aces to post the victory in 1hr 55min, claiming just his second victory over Federer in 17 tries.

?I?m just glad I have a little hair left,? Roddick quipped about how long it had been since he had beaten Federer.

He earned his only break of Federer?s serve in the eighth game of the third set, allowing him to serve out the match in the next game.

Roddick quickly raced to a 40-0 lead, but needed all three of those match points to finally put Federer away. The American admitted he was relieved.

?Coming from 40-love to 40-30, it felt like I was still a long ways away, so I probably was relieved.”

At 40-30, Roddick said, he was thinking ?Pease hit a big serve. Hit a big serve and let it be done.

?I was telling myself when I step up to the line, ?You have an opportunity for this to be over in about two and a half seconds. Let?s try our best to make one.

?I didn?t play bad points on the two that I lost, but I didn?t put big serves in like I had been doing all night. I didn?t want to give him a look at a second serve, because he?s able create off that.”

Federer, whose only break of Roddick in the match came in the ninth game of the second set, admitted it was deflating to drop his serve to love in what proved the penultimate game of the match, after serving so well throughout the tournament.

?It?s a tough way to finish the match, no doubt,? Federer said. ?I?ve been on a good run on my serve this week. To end it this way it?s sort of disappointing, but what are you going to do?”

Federer, ranked number one since February of 2004, has yet to reach a championship match in three tournaments this season.

His defeat here, in the second elite Masters Series event of the season, follows a shocking loss to to then-98th-ranked Mardy Fish in the semi-finals at the Indian Wells Masters Series two weeks ago.

?I am sort of disappointed not to see my name, playing in the finals,? he admitted. ?It?s just disappointing seeing other guys battling it out where I think I have the game to obviously play there, be there as well.”

Federer, who has pointed to the debilitating effects of a bout with mononucleosis as one reason for his slow start, hasn?t gone this far into a season without a title since 2000.

The Swiss, who next heads to Estoril, said he felt fine physically.

?I?ve been working hard trying to get back in shape,? he said. ?I feel like I?m fine. It?s just a matter of getting the amount of matches in.

?I guess the coordination and some little things are still missing because of lack of matches.”

Roddick, the 2004 champion, did not play a seeded player en route to his fifth quarter-final in nine career appearances here.

The 25-year-old American has enjoyed a solid season thus far, with an 18-3 mark and titles in San Jose and Dubai.

Roddick will face Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-finals.
Source!

Sony Ericsson Open

Dirrty — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:31:13 +0000

I added a bunch of HQ pics to the site. Including from the 2nd round of the Sony Ericsson Open

069 x Bloomingdales Celebrates Lacostes 75th Anniversary With Andy Roddick
002 x Press Conference: 2008 Sony Ericsson Open
031 x 2008 Sony Ericsson Open: 2nd Round - Against Viktor Troicki

Andy Roddick Interview - Miami, Mar 31
Q. From People Magazine.
ANDY RODDICK: Oh.

Q. It’s begun. It started.
ANDY RODDICK: Thanks for breaking the news. Appreciate it.

Q. We wanted to know how you popped the question, where you were? Did you get down on one knee and what kind of ring you had. Just little details like that?
ANDY RODDICK: Just little details I’ll probably keep to myself. It’s our business. It was nice.
I got down on a knee, but I think the details we’ll keep close to our family and friends. Thanks.

Q. Do you have at least a date that you did it?
ANDY RODDICK: Couple weeks ago.

Q. So does it feel any different to be an engaged man other than, you know, questions in People Magazine and all that?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I think so. I think it’s a life choice, so it is a bit different. I think I lost half my fan base today.

Q. You did. I think so.
ANDY RODDICK: No, but, you know, I’m happy, and, you know, Ivo Minar played the same way. I don’t think he really cared. (laughter.)
That was my main concern today.

Q. I think he was trying to give you an easy win.
ANDY RODDICK: Then I’ll take it. Apparently I should have done it sooner, then.
THE MODERATOR: Are there any tennis questions, by chance?

Q. Yes. How do you feel about making the fourth round and your match tomorrow night?
ANDY RODDICK: I feel good. You know, I still feel like I could probably hit the ball a little bit better, but it was pretty windy out there and the conditions weren’t easy.
You know, whenever you play someone who’s won I think five matches in seven or eight days, whatever it is, including quallies, he’s got to be hitting the ball well.
I said the other day that that doesn’t happen by accident. So I knew it was going to be tough. He plays pretty high risk, and a lot of times there’s not a lot you can do besides let him take his swings and hope eventually he might punch himself out.

Q. Why did the second set look so much different than the first? Was there some kind of pattern that you cracked?
ANDY RODDICK: I started serving a little better. I didn’t serve well again, which I’m going to have to fix. I felt I was solid all around. If he was going to win points it was maybe six or seven shots as opposed to two or three and over the course of a set that makes a difference.

Q. How much do you know about Benneteau?
ANDY RODDICK: I know a lot. I forget how many times ?? I think we played three times as pros. Yeah, three times, and I think I lost the last time. We’re similar in age, so I’ve seen him since juniors.

Q. You know what the ups and downs are of being in the spotlight, and I know Brooklyn has been in the spotlight herself. But do you feel like she knows what she’s in for?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. You know, she’s a very, very smart girl, so I think ?? I think so. But, you know, to be honest, I think it’s big news today. I don’t know if it will be big news next week.

Q. Are you and Mardy going to share wedding planning tips and stuff?
ANDY RODDICK: Hopefully that’s ?? I was just trying to take heat off Mardy. Hopefully they can talk wedding plans and maybe we can go do golf or something.

Q. Who introduced you?
ANDY RODDICK: Guys, let’s get to tennis, please.

Q. At what point when the draws were published and everything did you notice that you and Federer are kind of on a path for each other in the quarterfinals?
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, I don’t know. I wasn’t really looking for it. Probably about the same time you saw that the draw was out.
You look at it, but it’s irrelevant. I’m not playing Roger Federer. I’m playing Julien Benneteau. If that match comes to fruition, then we’ll talk about it then.

Q. You’re a fan of all sports. Do you think tennis belongs in the Olympics?
ANDY RODDICK: Umm, yeah, I think so. You know, it’s just ?? it’s just unique, because I don’t think any other sport plays 11 months a year and all of a sudden every fourth year has to put the biggest sporting event in the world smack dab in their season.
So I think if you’re going to have the Olympics you have to make some adjustments. I don’t know if you can fit four pounds of dirt into a three?pound bag.
You know, so I think the ?? playing tennis at the Olympics is a great thing. It’s just we have a full schedule on a nonOlympic year, so when it is an Olympic year, you know, and you do have to make a 20?, 24?hour trip, it is tough.
You know, I’m watching Sports Center last week and I’m getting a chuckle because I see where they’re debating whether the Red Sox or the As are going to have jet lag and that’s going to affect them six months down in the season.
I said, You’ve got to be kidding me. We do that three weeks in a row. But it is pretty extreme. Unfortunately this year I had to make a decision.

Q. Do you get the sense most of the top players are excited about the Olympics, it’s something they really want to do?
ANDY RODDICK: Sure. And being at the Olympics was an honor in ‘04, and I’m really glad that I got to experience it, and really glad that I went. It’s one of the neatest things that I’ve done.
That being said, maybe let one of the other guys have the experience. At this point in my career I’d like to put another major on the board, and that’s my focus.

Q. Was it a tough decision for you?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it was extremely difficult, yeah.

Q. You brought up just now that you want to get the talk on tennis and everything. How much would winning out the rest of this do for that?
ANDY RODDICK: Sorry?

Q. You talked just now about wanting to bring the attention away from maybe your love life and back to tennis. How much can you do toward that this week?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I don’t know if me winning here would bring up my love life more or if I lost and disappeared for a couple of weeks I wouldn’t have to talk. It’s kind of maybe a little bit of a Catch?22, but it is what it is. I’m here this week to play a tennis tournament.

Q. When you talk about tweaking your serve, what do you mean exactly? What are you trying to fix?
ANDY RODDICK: I know how to serve. I was almost overthinking it. When I kind of got back and just let it go it worked a little bit better.

Q. They’re not going to have a five?set final here anymore. How do you feel about that?
ANDY RODDICK: I like that, just because I feel like if you start a tournament one way you should finish it one way.
I feel like a three?out?of?five set tournament is a totally different beast than a two out of three set. So it’s almost changing the dynamic. If someone’s hot and then all of a sudden ?? it’s a different dynamic, and I think it should be consistent across the board, so I like it.

Q. There’s always been talk that this tournament is considered like the fifth Slam. How is it among the players? Do you feel the same, or do you feel something the media is hyping a little bit?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I mean there is no question there’s a lot of hype around events. It is in Miami, and there’s a certain vibe that goes along with that. There’s a lot of attention that goes along with that maybe from outside the sport here.
Yeah, I think it is ?? I think it is a big event. You don’t see very many of the past champions who haven’t gone on to be really successful in other events, and in Grand Slam events, and I don’t think that’s coincidental.

Q. How would you assess Etienne’s job after two and a half years?
ANDY RODDICK: Well, I think there are really good things. I mean, he’s not scared to make a move. Tennis had been the same for a hundred years, and changes isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The thing is, if you’re going to step up and make decisions, you can’t ask a guy to change things and then if he does and there’s something in particular that you don’t like you criticize him for it.
I think a lot of the players were asking for change, and he came in and is swinging for the fences and isn’t apologizing for it. I can respect him in that regard.

Q. Although you’re not playing the Olympics because of your concern for the US Open, you’re probably aware some athletes feel very uncomfortable playing in China because of the human rights issue. I just want to know, is that part of the factor, or was that any consideration at all for you?
ANDY RODDICK: No. That wasn’t ?? that wasn’t a factor in my decision at all. It was purely from a tennis standpoint.
Source!

Andy Roddick Engaged

Dirrty — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:14:38 +0000

It’s love - love for Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker ? they’re engaged!

The tennis star is officially off the market after popping the question to Decker last Tuesday, sources, including Decker’s rep, confirm to PEOPLE.

On Roddick’s official Web site, andyroddick.com, a statement tells fans, “The couple wanted to tell their family and close friends first but good news travels fast. By the time Andy arrived in Miami for the Sony Ericsson Open, the tournament was bustling with the news.”

The pair, who have been dating since 2007, first met after Roddick, 25, asked his agent to track down a number for Decker, 20, a model who has appeared in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.

“With their hectic travel schedules, Andy and Brooklyn plan to enjoy their engagement and will wait to set a wedding date,” adds Roddick’s online statement.
Source: People.com

Well, congrats to Andy!

Pacific Life Open

Dirrty — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:33:25 +0000

I added more than 40 HQ pictures of Andy in the 1st round of the Pacific Life Open against Tommy Haas

Andy Roddick Interview - Indian Wells, Mar 16

Dirrty — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:53:29 +0000

Q. So the winning streak was broken. Was it mostly him, or was it you weren’t hitting the ball the way you wanted to?
ANDY RODDICK: You know, I was hitting the ball the way I wanted to. It was just little things like second set missing the second serve return on break point, stuff that I haven’t been doing. You know, I don’t know if I adjusted to the changing conditions as well as I should have.
You know, but I don’t think my confidence is really affected. I felt like I was hitting the ball well. I just needed to kind of get into it a little bit more and bear down on the big points, which I didn’t do today.

Q. He can be tough, too, Andy, huh? He had a reasonably slow start to the year, but he was due for a good match.
ANDY RODDICK: He played well. He played well. We had some rallies that were 20-, 25-ball rallies, moving it around. I thought he played well today.
You know, to get broken in the second, I felt like I actually played a pretty good game. He was coming up with some serious passing shots. He deserved a lot of what came his way and got the breaks today, also.

Q. Did you return like you wanted to, or was he serving that well?
ANDY RODDICK: He served a high percentage. It’s weird, first serve returns I was hitting them well. Second serve returns I probably didn’t hit them as well as I wanted to.
I struggled a little bit during practice this week with second serve returns. The court is almost comparable to a piece of sandpaper, so they hit and check up. I was out in front of a lot of returns this week, especially coming off of Dubai, which is a slicker surface so they’re coming to you a little bit more.
I struggled with that this week in practice and I don’t know if I ever really got comfortable on second serve returns.

Q. Now you got a good amount of time off with Miami. You don’t play doubles, so what’s the plan?
ANDY RODDICK: I’ll probably head back to Austin. I’ll probably try to find a player here maybe that lost early and maybe get home for four or five days, you know, of good training, and then head down to Miami and get ready for that tournament early next, the week after.

Q. This isn’t a flip question, Andy, but good to be home next weekend for the start of the NCAAs?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it’s good to be pretty much anywhere where you can watch the games. I love March Madness, and this press conference is interrupting the selection show right now, so I’m going to have to get back to that momentarily. I’m going to have short answers from here on out.

Q. How many times have you had a match point be a net cord?
ANDY RODDICK: I don’t know. I’m not sure.

Q. It’s happened before, though?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I think it’s like recently, you know, in the last six months or a year, so I’ve been on the short end of them. But I promised myself I’d never complain again about let cords after the one I pulled on Thomas Johansson in Wimbledon. I think it was ‘05 in the semis. In the fourth it was 5-All in the breaker, and I hit the ugliest hack return ever straight line drive, and it probably would have gone ten feet out and it hit and just dropped over to give my match point.
So I said I wouldn’t complain anymore, but I really, really, really want to.

Q. Sorry to interrupt the flow here, but what’s your thoughts on coaches in the near future?
ANDY RODDICK: You can check the monologues. I’m fine with the team I have right now.

Q. Is it kind of strange Dean in the other camp?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it was a little weird. You know, it was weird seeing Max beforehand and his little son and seeing the whole crew.
But, you know, I’ve always had a lot of respect for Dean, and I’m glad to see him back out here.

Q. Some parting thoughts maybe on Davis Cup? Seem pretty pumped up to see you guys, the French?
ANDY RODDICK: They seem?

Q. Yeah.
ANDY RODDICK: Tsonga has been talking a little bit of stuff, which is fun. You know, it adds to it. And, you know, they should be pumped up, but I think we’re pumped up, also. I think we have a lot of respect for whoever their team may be. I think there’s a little bit of a question right now over who the second player is, and I see a potential third-round matchup between those two here.
I’m sure there might be some implications there. You might want to plant that seed, you guys, with the pressure that might be on that match as far as be sure to ask them about that. But I think we’re excited.
You know, I’ve lost to Richard before, and their team is one of the few that’s beat the Bryans. It’s probably the toughest second round that’s going, and we have a lot of respect for their team, that’s for sure.

Q. Is there something about Haas that give you a little bit of trouble?
ANDY RODDICK: Apparently.

Q. You had ups and downs now and then, and because you’re such a vet, you seem to handle it now to come back after a downer or you get back up again.
ANDY RODDICK: Uh-huh.

Q. Is that accurate?
ANDY RODDICK: It’s going to happen in tennis. You know, there’s probably very few guys, you know, probably just Roger, who’s been consistently on top for the last — for a while.
But guys are so good — you’re going to have a week where you — like today. I don’t feel like I hit the ball badly. I maybe didn’t play as well as I should have on the points I should have won well on.
Whenever that happens and someone is in form and plays a good match, you’re going to get beat. That being said, I’ve been playing very, very well for the last month, and so I’m not going to freak out over this loss and forget everything I’ve been able to kind of work towards in the last month.
My confidence is fine. I feel fine and I feel optimistic about the tournaments coming up.

Q. Do you think that Haas still has the potential to come back to the top 10?
ANDY RODDICK: It’s a long road. It’s a long road to the top 10, and the players there aren’t getting any — it’s not getting any easier. You have to put a lot of weeks together consistently.
There’s no question he can beat anybody on a given day, as evidenced by today. It’s a long road back to the top 10, but, you know, he’s certainly been there before.

Q. Judging by the fact that you pulled out of the Olympic team to concentrate on the US Open, do you have any attitude towards the French Open and the clay court season, something that you don’t concentrate on as much as Wimbledon?
ANDY RODDICK: What relevance does the Olympics have with the French Open?

Q. I’m just talking about the preparation for a major event.
ANDY RODDICK: Sure.

Q. Like Wimbledon is a priority, I imagine, as is the US Open.
ANDY RODDICK: Sure.

Q. Does the French Open clay court season not favor as highly in your priorities?
ANDY RODDICK: I think — I think it’s the one that, if I’m being completely frank with you, it’s the one that I believe I can win the least, you know. So obviously that factors in.
I feel like my best chances are probably at Wimbledon and at the US Open. So preparations probably are different. You’re not going to see, you know, Rafa not preparing for the French not playing every week in the leadup. He knows that’s his best chance, and I think it’s only professional to prepare that way and give yourself the best chance when you think that you have, you know, a chance to do it.

Q. You mentioned that everyone’s going to have an awful match every once in a while. Seems to be kind of a top tier right now in tennis with Nadal and Federer and Djokovic. Is it eating at you a little bit about you’re on the outside looking in a little bit?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I should try beating those guys sometime in the last 10 days.

Q. Andy, this is about as calm after a loss you’ve been in quite some time, at least in my memory. Does that mean your confidence is at an all-time high?
ANDY RODDICK: I feel pretty confident. I feel good about the way I’ve been playing. Since that loss in Australia, I’d probably say this is the only bad match I’ve played out of 16 or 17 since then, or whatever the number’s been.
Even when I lost in Memphis I feel I got outplayed, but I played okay. It’s a lot easier sitting here after this loss today, you know, kind of having put together the body of work I have over the last month. It’s probably easier to take and probably affects your confidence a lot less.
Back to your question, sure. You know, I know I have some work to get back to that top echelon, but I did beat two of the guys last week and feel like it’s a possibility.

Q. You got sort of ambushed in here the other day. Any lingering effects of that could have affected your play? (laughter.)
ANDY RODDICK: No, no.

Q. Weirdest press conference ever?
ANDY RODDICK: Weirdest press conference ever?

Q. I know there’s been some.
ANDY RODDICK: I think you’re asking the right guy for that one. (laughter.)
You know, I have trouble generalizing that as a whole, because the English ones are pretty good sometimes. They got some good press conferences over there. That was just kind of one question that lasted forever. Weirdest question, I’ll go with that. I’m still on the fence about weirdest press conference, though.

Q. Exactly what did Tsonga say that caught your attention? I missed it.
ANDY RODDICK: What did he say? Do you recall — he said, They should fear us, I think. Right? That’s the — you said that in San Jose, right? He said, They should fear us. Last I checked, we were the champions.

Q. Respect them?
ANDY RODDICK: Of course we respect them, but I think I might be able to get out there and play a tennis match without shaking. You know, we have a lot of respect for them, and I think he’s he still has to earn a spot. Last I checked, there’s two guys ahead of him in France.

Q. So are press conferences more fun or more of a pain in the neck for you?
ANDY RODDICK: Oh, gosh, it really depends on what kind of mood I’m in. Haven’t you heard? You just don’t know. You don’t know what you’re going to get.

Q. It’s part of the fun.
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah. I’d say 95% of the time they are. They’re a lot of fun.
Source!

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

Dirrty — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:43:12 +0000

I added HQ pics of Andy in the semi-final and final of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

I added some HQ pics of last yesterdays match against Rafael Nadal

053 x Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships: Semi Final - Against Novak Djokovic
047 x Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships: Final - Against Feliciano Lopez

Pacific Life Open: Andy Roddick, March 14, 2008
Q. Got to be feeling good after that tournament win, Andy? Took down a couple big scalps there?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I feel really good. I hit the ball real clean. I told you in San Jose I thought I was close to playing really good tennis, and that came around in Dubai. So it was a good week.

Q. What made you feel you were close to playing really good tennis?
ANDY RODDICK: You know, you wish you could put a finger on it. It’s something about you’re in a match, even when you’re in a tough one, when you feel like you’re about to play well you play well and you feel like you’re going to win it.
When you’re not you just feel like you’re just hanging on. Even in San Jose I felt like I was going to get through those matches, and I was able to get through a couple tough ones not playing my best. When you do that you give yourself an opportunity to play well.

Q. You seemed a little feisty today during practice. Is that the right word?
ANDY RODDICK: I’m feisty most days during practice.

Q. You know Charlie thinks that these courts really suit you here at this tournament. He also thinks you maybe haven’t played your best at this tournament even though you’ve had good results. What you are your thoughts about this tournament? Does it suit you?
ANDY RODDICK: I don’t know if it suits me per se. I mean, it’s really slow and kind of very high bouncing.
I don’t think it’s surprising that Nadal won this last year. But it’s — I mean, it’s all right. He’s probably right with saying I’ve played okay but probably not my best here. So I probably would agree with most of what he said.

Q. The story about you and Jimmy splitting came the day or right around your victory in Dubai, and I’ve only seen stuff on the wires. Are you making comments on it? Has it affected you mentally? Do you have a new coach? Obviously you’ve changed coaches over the years. Is this just another change?
ANDY RODDICK: That’s a lot to process (Laughter.)

Q. That’s a lot, but it’s true.
ANDY RODDICK: Which part of that do you want me to go for?
Read more!

Roddick ready to rumble again
One degree of separation. Andy Roddick has split with Jimmy Connors. Or rather, Jimmy Connors has split with Andy Roddick. As if there’s any difference.

Jimmy goes back to walking his dog and knocking wedges onto greens. Andy goes on to, well, we can only hope it’s the place predicted a few years back.

Roddick inhabits that slightly bizarre world of high-class tennis, the one where great athletes mix with celebrities and, as became obvious the other day when Andy was being interviewed as part of the Pacific Life Open, with individuals of somewhat questionable character.

Andy is now 25, already four and half years away from that momentous U.S. Open victory that led us ? or misled us ? to believe he would be the next Pete Sampras, a winner who also was an American.

Part of his problem was he didn’t progress. Part of his problem was that people such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic did. So from briefly being ahead of all, ending 2003 No.1 in the rankings, Roddick slipped and tumbled, at the moment standing sixth.

That doesn’t mean he no longer can play. At the moment, in fact, he’s the hottest male player around, the last month alone winning two tournaments, while Federer and Nadal have not won any.
Read more!

Andy wins Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

Dirrty — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:19:18 +0000

Andy just beat Feliciano Lopez in the final on the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in 3 sets 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. So congrats to Andy! I’ll be back when I get my hands on some HQ pics of the match.

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

Dirrty — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:31:20 +0000

Great news, Andy just beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets (7-6(5), 6-3) to reach the final of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. He will meet Feliciano Lopez in the final.

I added some HQ pics of last yesterdays match against Rafael Nadal

As soon as I get my hands on some HQ pics from todays match I will post them on the site

Andy Roddick announces split with coach Jimmy Connors

Dirrty — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:26:14 +0000

In the end a common bond of American brashness and a reluctance to accept second best to anybody wasn?t enough to save the 21 month coaching allegiance between Andy Roddick and so many of his compatriots? tennis idol Jimmy Connors.

Officially it was 55 year-old Connors, winner of eight Grand Slam titles, who decided the things had reached the end of the road with the 25 year-old world no.6. But both men had come to realise the relationship was no longer truly viable because of Connor?s reluctance to travel.

Much of his advice was offered over the telephone with Roddick?s elder brother John taking over the role of coach. After winning through to the semi-finals of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships with an impressive 7-6, 6-2 win over world no.2 Rafael Nadal, Roddick revealed the split and said: ?I?m just happy I was able to spend a little bit of time with such a legend.

?But communication got tough when Jimmy was not there. Maybe the match wasn?t on television. You came off the court and struggled to explain where your head was at. I think we did the mentor bit as well as we could but when I am going from Australia to Austria to California to Memphis to Dubai like I have done so far this year it becomes difficult.

?It was as much a matter of logistics as anything and it was tough to ask him to come on the road two or three or four weeks at a time. He?s got a great family and he likes walking his dogs every morning. Plus I was keeping him away from the golf course a little bit too much. I am sad about it, as much from a personal stand point as anything. I really enjoyed my time with him.?

Connors had purposely distanced himself from the sport after retiring competitively in 1996 with his 44th birthday fast approaching. But he embraced the challenge of trying to push level back to the elite level occupied by Roger Federer and Nadal. ?Maybe we didn?t get the results he wanted and it was tough for him to do it part-time but he was retired before we got together,? said Roddick.

?It?s completely amicable and we are still friends. I just have so much respect for him as a person and I?m thankful for what he was able to give to me as well as taking some time out of his retirement to spend it with me. I?m sure the phone number is still there for me if I need to bounce something off him. We?ve not talked about it but I don?t see him hanging up the receiver if I want to ask him a question. It ended up just about as well as something like this can be.?

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Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

Dirrty — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:24:14 +0000

Good news! Andy just beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets (7-6, 6-2) in the quarter final of Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. I will post HQ pictures of the match as soon as I get them.
In the meantime, I uploaded some HQ pictures of the Andy’s 2nd round match at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships

Roddick and Murray call for revised Davis Cup format
Andy Roddick and Andy Murray have called for changes to the Davis Cup format, believing alterations should be made to ensure more top players took part.

Various suggestions have been put forward, including holding the competition every two years and during a two-week period in an effort to get more big names to participate.

Roddick believes that would harm the smaller countries who rely on Davis Cup revenue to support their national associations and tennis development, while teams could lose the thrill of playing at home.

“Belarus made the semis four years ago and probably paid for development for 10 years with that run and a couple of home ties,” the American told reporters.

“You don’t want to lose out on home court advantage and the enthusiasm. If you’ve been in a tight Davis Cup tie it’s as intense as anything in tennis.

“That being said, I probably would support change, minimum saying the two finalist teams get a bye next season.

“To win it and then turn around and go off a high of playing in front of a sold out crowd and winning, and then all of a sudden playing in Austria on a suspect court a month and a half later, it’s not easy.”

Roddick urged the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to demonstrate more flexibility on the Davis Cup.

OPEN TO CHANGE

“I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m a genius and have it all laid out, logistics and finances and the whole deal,” he said. “But I wish the ITF would be more open to change.”

Most of the top players scheduled to play in the first round 10 days after the completion of the Australian Open promptly withdrew.

Murray, who pulled out of Britain’s tie in Argentina citing a knee injury, called for a longer break after the majors to prepare for the Davis Cup.

“I don’t want to speak for all the players but everyone says the calendar does need a bit of a shuffle,” said the 20-year-old Scot.

“If the Davis Cup wasn’t straight after the slams it would make it easier. But so many things go into the scheduling, so I don’t know if it’s going to change.”

Roddick in contrast supports playing Davis Cup immediately after a grand slam event.

“I actually support having it the week after because it’s really only going to affect two people, the people in the finals, as far as long travel and what not,” he said.

“And those two people are probably playing well enough to give it a go just on confidence alone.”
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