Andy Roddick said he is relieved to be back to full health after struggling physically for much of last season.
Roddick arrived in Brisbane earlier this week in preparation for the defence of his title. The American has been working himself into the ground over the off-season in order to arrive down under in the best possible physical shape. His trainer revealed that he has never seen Roddick working so hard and his team have taken the most meticulous attention to detail with everything, even his nutrition.
He will be hoping the results show immediately but the Brisbane field is strong and headed by world number five Robin Soderling.
However Roddick insisted that he will not be feeling any pressure as defending champion. Quite the opposite in fact, he's just relieved to be healthy again.
"For me, it's just a matter of getting right, getting healthy,” Roddick told Australian media. “I battled sickness for a big part of last year and from there I just felt like I was playing catch-up. You train hard and you get hurt in training coming back. You don't train you rest and you try and come back and your body is not right and it shows.”
"I think it's the first time I've felt right since last May so when you are fit it takes a lot of the mental pressure off. You feel like you can play any way you want so I feel fresh and I feel enthused and ready."
