Roddick happy to play for the late-night 'crazies'

Andy Roddick closed Monday's opening night at the U.S. Open before a sparse crowd of "crazies" at Arthur Ashe Stadium after taking the stage at about 11:15 p.m.

He said it was all part of the show.

"It's just unique," the fifth-seeded American told reporters after his 6-1 6-4 6-2 demolition of Bjorn Phau of Germany.

"You play in all sorts of atmospheres. You know, there's not as many people, but the ones that are there sure are vocal/drunk."

Roddick agreed with the suggestion that the boisterous crowd that stays into the wee hours were "crazies."

"I think so," he said. "I guarantee half the people out there were probably here all day, too. They have to be pretty passionate and really enjoy what they're seeing and the whole experience of it.

"It's one in the morning. I guarantee you, they all have to work tomorrow. They certainly have to get up earlier than I do.

"It is kind of unique and pretty cool."

Roddick said the special character of the different grand slams help make tennis interesting.

"It's all part of our game," he said. "We don't play on the same surface. We don't use the same balls. We don't play in the same place. It's all different all the time.

"The thing that makes Wimbledon so cool is the tradition and the whites. I get into that when I'm there. I love it. I think it's great.

"I think the equivalent of that here is the night sessions and the craziness, the fact that it's a show and it's an event as well as a tennis tournament.

"The more things that we have that make our events unique, I think the better our sport is for it."