MELBOURNE, Australia(AP) Andy Roddick is laughing off a loss to Serena Williams, saying that it came 16 years ago when he was a skinny 10-year-old and she was ``bench-pressing dump trucks.''
Williams said earlier this week that her triumph over Roddick when they were preteens training together in Florida is one of her greatest wins. Though she was clearly having fun at Roddick's expense, she's proud enough of the victory to mention it on her Web site.
Any chance she gets, she just does it to get under my skin, and she does it very successfully,'' said Roddick, who has advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals after a fourth-round win Sunday.She forgets to mention that it was 1993.''
He said they laughed about it on court Saturday as Williams sat him down to list the male players she claims to have indirectly beaten by having bested Roddick.
But he complained that the game wasn't fair.
When we were 10, I had to literally run around in the shower to get wet,'' he said.She was bench-pressing dump trucks already at that time.''
Roddick also disputed Williams' recollection of the score, which she says was 6-1.
She's good at not letting the truth get in the way of a good story sometimes,'' he said, smiling.I think it was 6-4.''
He said he never played against Williams' older sister, Venus, because she was ``way too good.'' He is proud of the success they have enjoyed since their years training in Delray Beach, Fla.
We just spent hours and hours out there just playing,'' Roddick said.We all have done pretty well, and all three of those little kids out there got to No. 1, which is pretty cool.''
Serena Williams is playing her fourth-round match Monday against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
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WELCOME BACK: Jelena Dokic's surprise run at the Australian Open continued Sunday with a 7-5, 5-7, 8-6 win over Russia's Alisa Kleybanova. Even a turned ankle in the third set couldn't stop her from completing the win.
This is unbelievable,'' an emotional Dokic said.To be in the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam is just amazing.''
The 25-year-old won a wild-card tournament to gain a spot in the Australian Open, her first appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam in three years. Each of her matches so far has gone to three sets.
I was really exhausted physically, but I kept on fighting and the crowd got amazing in that third set,'' Dokic said.It was hard to stay positive in the third set but I kept on fighting and it paid off.''
The former No. 4 had fallen to 621 in the rankings after a tough few years in which she fought depression and became estranged from her family - particularly her father, Damir.
Dokic, who moved here from Europe with her family in 1994, renounced her Australian citizenship in 2001 to play for Serbia. She returned in 2006 and has been embraced by Australians.
Dokic shrugged off reports that her father might be making a surprise trip to Australia.
I've said always my whole story with him is finished,'' she said.It would have to be an unbelievable miracle for him to change. I don't see that happening. I have my tennis and I have my life. I want to do it that way. Knowing him, I just don't see any possibilities.''
Dokic has won over the Australian public - and in particular the crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
After the match, a courtside television announcer for Australia's Seven Network, former world No. 1-ranked squash player Chris Dittmar, told her: ``This is why we love you so much ... you're courageous.'' Most of the crowd gave her a standing ovation.
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SHADOW OVER HAWK-EYE: The electronic line-calling system at Rod Laver Arena failed Czech player Tomas Berdych on Sunday, leading him to add his voice to opposition of the Hawk-Eye simulator.
``I mean, if they bring some new system and doesn't work, why should it be on the courts?'' Berdych asked after the simulator was unable to offer a verdict on a disputed line call during his fourth-round match against Roger Federer.
Heavy shadows over the line apparently left the system unable to determine the ball's precise landing position. As a result, the original out call had to stand.
``I don't care about officials, I just want to see my ball,'' an angry Berdych told the umpire when the simulation did not appear on the screen.
Berdych lost that point, and lost the match 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
The Hawk-Eye technology reconstructs the ball's path by combining its trajectory using images from cameras, giving what was statistically most likely to have happened.
The system is used in most major tennis tournaments.
Federer has long opposed it.
I don't like it, no,'' he said.Tomas doesn't like it since today. Finally one guy understood.''
He said the Hawk-Eye could be useful - ``If it's 9-all in the fifth set, you got to use it and there's a terrible call because the linesperson was sleeping and the umpire was drinking coffee, of course then it's good you have it.''
But you don't win or lose a match on the challenges, Federer said.
You have four eyes looking at every line. You could really mess up,'' he said.Yeah, the ball Tomas was questioning was out. But still, a system like this is in place, it shouldn't happen, right?''
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INTO HER GROOVE: Women's No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic said it takes her some time to get on top of her game at the beginning of a new season.
That would explain her straight-sets loss to 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli on Sunday.
I'm this kind of a player who needs a little bit of time to get used to it, you know, to get the routine playing matches and get the confidence,'' she said.Then, you know, I feel that I can do whatever I want on the court. At the moment I'm still not there. I'm still, you know, finding my range, to get that confidence when I'm playing.''
The 23-year-old Serb said she is not concerned about the possibility of losing her No. 1 ranking after this week.
Maybe it will change, the No. 1 ranking, but it's not important what you do now, it's the whole year ahead of us,'' she said.The most important thing is how you finish, not how you begin.''