"I Feel Good"

Thursday, March 25, 2010

bye Indian Wells, hello Miami…

After defeat to Robin Soderling in the desert, Andy is looking for a big week in the Florida city which he loves, and where he’ll begin his title defence with a match against Mardy Fish.

“Obviously I would have liked to have done a bit better at Indian Wells,” said Andy. “I think I’ve got to kind of look forward to this week. Had a good chat with Miles and Alex after I finished there about what I wanted to do, you know, in the week that I had to get ready, and what my goals and stuff were for this week. I feel good.”

Miami champ, 2009

For several weeks after Wimbledon and in the winter, Miami becomes home for Andy and his team. What with the climate, the lifestyle, and the understanding locals, it’s the perfect place to train.

“The whole feel of the tournament is nice for me, because I live like eight, ten minutes away,” added Andy. “I don’t live here, but I spend a lot of time here training and stuff, and I practiced here in December. I’ve played a lot on the courts, so it doesn’t take me that long to get used to the conditions and stuff because I spend so much time here.”

And he does. The Miami Masters may only take up a fortnight but Andy hits at Crandon Park all year round, long after the Tour has moved on. It’s an advantage that might be worth a point or two.

“I think so,” agreed Andy. “I think it does make a difference if you practice at the place where you’re gonna be playing. It’s a little bit like – if you train in the same gym and lift the same weights all the time, and then you if you go to a different gym, even though the weights say the same, they always feel a little bit heavier, a little bit different. Always takes you a little bit to get used to it psychologically maybe.”

Andy plays the winner of Mardy Fish and Leonardo Mayer after receiving a bye through the first round.

» Go to the top of the page Close and go back