The day was filled with a slew of player interviews, and while they can be filled with a lot of mindless blather, they also provide a unique opportunity to get to know the players better. Not so much by what they say, but by how they say it. Take, for example, Novak Djokovic who has had a talent for rubbing some people the wrong way. Whether it was for dubious retirements (sometimes deep into a match he's losing) or for poking fun at other players before he had "paid his dues," Djokovic earned his fair share of detractors over the years. But now I wonder if he's just uncomfortable in front of large crowds. In his press conferences, he is an entirely different man. He is sincere, thoughtful, self-deprecating, and likable. As he has been for some time now the "best player in the world... after Roger and Rafa," I asked Novak just how important it is for him to someday become the best player in the world. He dropped his eyes for a moment, took a couple of breaths, and replied softly, "I have been dreaming about it all my life." The look in his eyes revealed just how hard he is going to work to achieve that dream.

 

Unlike Novak, Andy Roddick's off-court character is the same as his on-court persona. As Andy is asked a question, one gets the sense that he's not so much thinking of an answer; he's already thinking of a way to get a cheap laugh. He tries hard to be funny, and I know some people think he tries too hard. But actually, he walks a very fine line, and he does it well. Andy won't try to hide the fact that he's heard your question at least 50 times before, but he'll tease you in way that you're not quite sure if he's laughing at you, or at himself. If you want a serious answer, be careful with your wording. One reporter, trying to get Andy's thoughts on Djokovic's game asked, "Where do you think Novak is at right now?" Andy glanced to his left, pointed, and replied "He's in that room!" The room cracked up but the reporter got no answer.

Soon after, Djokovic actually walked through the interview room, and the gags continued. Roddick asked Djokovic jokingly to. "Get out of here, because they're asking me a question about you. This is awkward!" But the Serbian wouldn't leave before settling an important matter. "Follow my tweets," Novak asked of Roddick. "You never say anything funny," the American replied. "You don't like my tweets?" Djokovic left the room in mock despair. .

Now the new interview king might just be Milos Raonic. Raonic has rapidly gone from obscurity to the international spotlight and his ranking has risen so fast that he's almost seeded at tournaments. He may be getting some media coaching, but it is clear in his interviews that he doesn't really need it. Milos is humble, sincere, forthcoming, and did I mention humble? For a young man being compared to the likes of Pete Sampras, he is taking things in stride. Over the years we've watched countless young prodigies quickly touted as a "future No. 1." only to watch them struggle or flame out under the intense spotlight and pressure. I had heard that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) will be doing a major story on Raonic next month, and asked how he's doing with the demands on his time and the expectations of a nation (albeit a small one with a subdued tennis following). From my question, he knew I was Canadian, and expounded for about five minutes on everything from Canadian fans and the support he gets at matches, to Tennis Canada, junior development, and Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby (specifically, how most Canadian athletes are playing hockey and not tennis in their formative years.) While some reporters left the room griping about Milos' long-winded replies, I walked away with an image of a mature young man, honored to be where he is, and very dedicated to the cause of Canadian tennis development. With his backing, it's easy to see a great future in the program.

The other big story of the day was top-ranked singles players in the doubles draw. By the end of the day, the second, fourth, and sixth seeds in the doubles draw were out, losing to teams that included players like Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic. The 5th seeds Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner barely managed a win, 12-10 in the match tiebreak, over David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro. On Saturday, more dangerous matches are scheduled, including the top seeded Bryan Brothers facing Feliciano Lopez and Raonic. Doubles specialists will normally tell you it's good for the game to have the top-ranked singles players playing doubles because it brings more attention. But considering this is their livelihood, and they're not just moonlighting on their day job, it might be fairer to recognize the top ranked singles players and seed a few of them based on that. This is not to say that any top singles player can switch to doubles and win easily. It does take an all-court game and aggressive net play. But to paraphrase Peter Fleming (who said it about his partner John McEnroe), the best doubles team in the world might just be Roger Federer and anyone.