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CNN Live Today
American Andy Roddick Wins U.S. Open
Aired September 08, 2003 - 10:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: To professional tennis now. The American champions have passed the baton. The semifinal loss by top seed Andre Agassi, and the stage was set for another American seen as a star-in-the-making. Yesterday at the U.S. Open, Andy Roddick arrived.
Our sports reporter, Josie Burke, has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSIE BURKE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After adding one title to his name, grand slam champion Andy Roddick immediately went to work trying to rid himself of another.
ANDY RODDICK, 2003 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: No more what's it feel like to be the future of American tennis crap. No more.
BURKE: By winning the same U.S. Open that witnessed the retirement of American legend Pete Sampras, it was easy to change future to present. The more difficult challenge for Roddick was comprehending that the trophy in his arms was proof he'd actually won.
RODDICK: I can't believe I'm sitting here doing a press conference as the U.S. Open champion. I mean, it's just -- I can't imagine my name and U.S. Open champion together. I mean, it's just -- it's more than I could ever dream of.
BURKE: This U.S. Open will be remembered for Roddick's coming- of-age. It's a milestone he might not have reached without the help of Brad Gilbert, the coach he hired only four months ago.
Gilbert didn't tinker with Roddick's game. Instead, he went to work on his mind.
RODDICK: We just clicked, and, you know, he knows what to say to me, when to say it. And we make things -- he makes things simple for me, which helps a lot.
BRAD GILBERT, RODDICK'S COACH: When he would get his emotions a little high and get angry out there, get a little too charged up, it would affect, you know, his concentration out there. And, you know, then he would tend to, like, try to go big and bigger. You know, I tend to think that if you stay calm out there and use your head, you know, it's -- good things can happen.
BURKE (on camera): Not only did Roddick have a hard time believing he'd won, he also had a difficult time recalling exactly how exactly he had won, even asking at one juncture, "What happened on match point?" The U.S. Open champion with the huge serve should not have been surprised by the answer. He won the game and the tournament with an ace.
Josie Burke, CNN, Flushing Meadows, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 8, 2003 - 10:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: To professional tennis now. The American champions have passed the baton. The semifinal loss by top seed Andre Agassi, and the stage was set for another American seen as a star-in-the-making. Yesterday at the U.S. Open, Andy Roddick arrived.
Our sports reporter, Josie Burke, has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSIE BURKE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After adding one title to his name, grand slam champion Andy Roddick immediately went to work trying to rid himself of another.
ANDY RODDICK, 2003 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: No more what's it feel like to be the future of American tennis crap. No more.
BURKE: By winning the same U.S. Open that witnessed the retirement of American legend Pete Sampras, it was easy to change future to present. The more difficult challenge for Roddick was comprehending that the trophy in his arms was proof he'd actually won.
RODDICK: I can't believe I'm sitting here doing a press conference as the U.S. Open champion. I mean, it's just -- I can't imagine my name and U.S. Open champion together. I mean, it's just -- it's more than I could ever dream of.
BURKE: This U.S. Open will be remembered for Roddick's coming- of-age. It's a milestone he might not have reached without the help of Brad Gilbert, the coach he hired only four months ago.
Gilbert didn't tinker with Roddick's game. Instead, he went to work on his mind.
RODDICK: We just clicked, and, you know, he knows what to say to me, when to say it. And we make things -- he makes things simple for me, which helps a lot.
BRAD GILBERT, RODDICK'S COACH: When he would get his emotions a little high and get angry out there, get a little too charged up, it would affect, you know, his concentration out there. And, you know, then he would tend to, like, try to go big and bigger. You know, I tend to think that if you stay calm out there and use your head, you know, it's -- good things can happen.
BURKE (on camera): Not only did Roddick have a hard time believing he'd won, he also had a difficult time recalling exactly how exactly he had won, even asking at one juncture, "What happened on match point?" The U.S. Open champion with the huge serve should not have been surprised by the answer. He won the game and the tournament with an ace.
Josie Burke, CNN, Flushing Meadows, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
