Hot Rod: Andy celebrates

"When I saw the schedule last night I was looking for my name and I didn't see it at first because I was looking at the other courts. Then I looked at Centre and thought, 'Alright, cool!'"

Roddick is already a star stateside, but the British are still getting used to his face.

"I put my identification back on before I left the court because I have been getting stopped by the security guards everywhere I go. You'll see 18 players walking before me and I'll be the one pointed out.

"I guess they think I am trying to sneak in to the locker rooms!"

The slightly star-struck innocence is engaging when he describes his first Wimbledon experience.

"To get the chance to play here at such a young age is something I'll really cherish. Centre Court is a majestic place.

"I mean, it's like Wrigley Field or Fenway Park," said Roddick, in the parlance of a wide-eyed baseball-loving American teenager.

But Roddick, a natural athlete who excelled at many sports before opting for tennis, is not naive when it comes to his chosen sport.

Asked if he found the hype of being tipped as the next great American star off-putting, he answered with a bemused, "No".

Dangerous, very dangerous.