Andy Roddick Interview - Rome, May 6

Andy Roddick's post match interview after beating his friend Mardy Fish:
May 6, 2008
Rome

Q. How did you feel today?
ANDY RODDICK: I feel pretty good. My goal was to you know, Mardy is an attacking playing player, and if he was going to attack make him do it from deep in the court, and I was able to do that. You know, I played pretty solid.

Q. How much time have you had on clay for the last couple weeks?
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, I've been training at home, but it is never really the same as an actual tournament atmosphere, especially coming from American clay courts trying to practice and coming over here. It's a little bit different. So, you know, it's good to be able to get through the first one so at least you're getting some matches in.

Q. Apparently there's been some discussion in the Spanish camp about where they're going to play the Davis Cup: Madrid or down by the coast. You guys have any preference about that?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I hadn't really been following, to be honest. I mean, it's three or four months away, so... There's a lot of the big events between now and then to be honest, so it's not something I think about daily. I'm sure wherever it is it's going to be fine. It's always nice when there's interest. I heard something like ten cities actually bid on it, you know. So any time there's that kind of, you know, attention drawn to tennis and that excitement it's not going to be a bad thing.

Q. What's the thing you like the most on clay, and which of the thing you dislike the most on clay?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I enjoy the challenge of clay. It's obviously probably my toughest surface, so, you know, that makes the wins that I do get that much more satisfying. What do I dislike? Obviously it's slower. It takes away a lot of my weapons which isn't fun, but that also plays into the first answer I gave you.

Q. Sam was saying in Monte Carlo that he found his serve could go through the surface and he enjoyed that, and he had more time to set himself up for his shots. Were you surprised that he did well in Monte Carlo first visit, and does any of that relate to you?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I think we're all surprised that he did that well. You know, as far as he has some bigger swings than I do. He doesn't really play in center court as much, so that probably makes sense. He has pretty loose strokes and big windups. As far as having more time, that would make sense for him. I don't really think we're outside of serving the ball hard, I don't really think we're that similar was as far as the way we play.

Q. You were saying the other day that you're prepared to stay over here the whole time through the French. In past years you've gone home between. What's different this year as far as your schedule?
ANDY RODDICK: You know, yeah.

Q. That's it?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah.

Q. Usually you go home between the two?
ANDY RODDICK: I have sometimes in the past; sometimes I've stayed. I've done each. But I'm here and I'm scheduled to play Hamburg. After that I'm scheduled to play Dusseldorf as well. I left that week open before, so, yeah.

Q. Maybe just putting a little more into the clay court season this year?
ANDY RODDICK: Just hanging out, man.