Where: Qwest Center Omaha Tickets: $28 to $88
Tennis star Andy Roddick calls it “living in the belly of the beast.''
But living in Austin, Texas, doesn't keep the Omaha native from cheering on the Nebraska football team.
“I'm a Husker through and through,'' he said.
Roddick left Omaha when he was 4, but said his family has been diehard Husker fans forever. He'll try to fit in an NU football game when his busy schedule allows.
Despite his many obligations, Roddick will make time to come to Omaha for the Rock-N-Racquets tennis event Dec. 3 at the Qwest Center Omaha.
Tickets go on sale next Monday at the Qwest Center box office and TicketMaster outlets.
Roddick, ranked ninth in the world, will put on an exhibition with Hall of Famer Pete Sampras and the No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan, recent champions at the U.S. Open. Roddick and Sampras will team up to play the Bryans and then take on each other.
This will be Roddick's second event in Omaha. He brought Serena Williams with him in 2007 and said she enjoyed the visit.
“To show the people of Omaha Serena and having Pete come is great as well,'' he said. “I think it's my responsibility to bring top-level tennis to Nebraska whenever possible.''
Roddick said he likes coming back, although he'll likely fly in for the tennis the night before and be gone by the next morning. He got to see a little more of the state when he visited for the Special Olympics in Lincoln this summer.
Roddick says Sampras, winner of 14 Grand Slams, has been a mentor. He's known the Bryans for a long time, which makes the event more fun. The laid-back atmosphere, Roddick said, allows fans to get a feel for the players' personalities.
“We've been Davis Cup teammates for 10 years or so,'' he said of the Bryans. “It's always good to get together with them.''
The Bryan Brothers Band will perform and their father, Wayne, will emcee the event that will raise money for ConAgra's Shine the Light on Hunger program.
Despite an early exit at the U.S. Open, Roddick said he's feeling much better than earlier this summer when he found out he was suffering from mononucleosis. He was feeling lethargic and hitting the wall after 20 to 30 minutes.
“The questions can kind of grind on you when things aren't going the right way,'' he said.
The diagnosis was a relief. At 28, he said he'll continue playing for as long as he feels he can win.
Although he's married to Brooklyn Decker, who was on the cover of the most recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, Roddick said they lead a laid-back life in Austin.
They don't seek the spotlight, and Roddick said he likes to spend his free time golfing or on his boat.
And, of course, he keeps up with Husker football. He's all for Nebraska's move to the Big Ten next season. There are teams in that conference, he said, with the same kind of traditions as the Huskers.
“I'm excited,'' he said. “I think it just fits. I'm glad they made it.''
Roddick said he'd love to see Nebraska's Oct. 16 game with Texas, but if he gets to go, it likely will be a last-second decision.
Roddick said that atmosphere likely will be different than the NU-Texas game in Austin in 2007, when he sat in a skybox with Husker Athletic Director Tom Osborne.
The Huskers led after three quarters, Roddick said. That's when he said he heard the whole stadium booing.
“It was me and Coach Osborne on the big screen,'' he said. “I don't think (Texas fans) were too thrilled.''
Texas won the game 28-25.
Contact the writer:
444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
