He draws laughs with fashion statements in interview room after third-round win at Australian Open.

MELBOURNE, Australia � Andy Roddick once was host of "Saturday Night Live" � at least when John McEnroe let him get in a word or two � so it's no surprise that he excels at give-and-take in post-match media sessions.

But even Roddick has been at a loss for words a couple of times during his on-court TV interviews with Jim Courier, who is here for Australian TV. Then there was the interview-room session today after the second-seeded Roddick defeated Jurgen Melzer of Austria, 6-2, 6-2, 7-5, at the Australian Open. He had 22 aces and did not double fault in the 1-hour 35-minute third-round match.

A reporter asked Roddick about the retro look of wearing longer, calf-length shorts on the court, currently sported by Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Rafael Nadal, asking whether it was too "campy."

Question: "Do you think maybe it's too metrosexual?" Roddick laughed and put his head on the table in front of him. "You said it; I didn't," Roddick said. "I can't think of anything funny to say that would not get me in trouble. I'm going to leave that one alone."

There was more laughter when the issue of pants surfaced again. Roddick's buddy, qualifier Bobby Reynolds, was scheduled to play Nadal several hours later, and Roddick was asked for his thoughts on the third-round match.

"Bobby will not be wearing pants," he said.

This brought the obvious line from one reporter: "At all?" Said Roddick: "Touche. Well done. I hope that's not the case."

ED NOTE: CNN/SI's Jon Wertheim gave Rafael an A- in his Australian Open Mid-Term grade report, explaining "But for the pants, he would have had a solid A." The pants, which are the subject of some controversy, apparently were designed by Nike specifically for Lopez and Nadal.