September Journal! - CR by: Andy 9/24/2004 -- Hey guys! Checking in from the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. I had no idea how nice this place was! If you have not been here, I suggest making a trip. This has definitely been one of the most thrilling summers in my life. Although I was very upset to not win a medal in Athens, it surely was an experience of a lifetime. I watched every sport imaginable, and met some incredible athletes. Everyone had their own unique and impressive story. I was really happy for Mardy. If I could not win a medal, I was glad to see him up on the podium. Attempting to defend my title at the US Open was also an incredible experience. As usual, the US Open crowds were awesome, and playing on Center Court under the lights brought out my best tennis. Coming into the quarterfinals I was riding high with confidence. We all know what happened next. A slow start and missed opportunities in the second and fifth sets cost me. Johannson is someone I have known and competed against since the Juniors. He has always had a big game, and been a very tough player to beat. I am already excited to return to New York next year. I was exhausted after the US Open, and really tried to relax for a few days when I came home to Austin. I had some friends out from Boca, and really tried to take advantage of my boat and the time off. On Thursday it was time to get working again. I thought it would be fun for the entire team to come down for the weekend and train. Mardy, Bob, Mike, and Pat, along with the Bryans Coach, Phil Farmer came down. We practiced twice each day, and had some great meals. The conditions were nice and hot..perfect preparation for Charleston. On Sunday, the USTA flew us over to Charleston. In addition the four of us, Scoville Jenkins and Scott Oudsema are on the team this week. These guys are our practice partners. Both Scoville and Scott guys have big serves which should help us prepare for Mirnyi and Voltchkov. As you can tell, I am very much looking forward to this weekend"s Davis Cup Tie with Belarus. In 2002, during my second year of competing on the team, we reached the semifinals, but we lost a close match to France in Paris. Winning the Davis Cup has always been a dream of mine! Throw in the fact that my teammates are also some of my best friends. We are pumped for this weekend! Talk to you soon, Andy --

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