 |
| Andy Roddick has decided to sit out of the Mercedes Benz Cup in Los Angeles© Matthew Stockman/Getty Images |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Andy Roddick pulled out of next week's U.S. Open tuneup at Los Angeles because of soreness in his right knee.
The hard-court tournament announced the withdrawal Friday, a few hours after the 2003 U.S. Open champion lost in three sets to Robby Ginepri in the quarterfinals at Indianapolis.
Roddick didn't mention the injury in his postmatch news conference. He did, however, complain about the demands of the ATP Tour's crowded calendar.
"This is ridiculous, the schedule we're expected to play, year in and year out,'' he said. "The last two years, I overcame it; this year, I didn't.''
After reaching the July 3 Wimbledon final, Roddick had two weeks away from tournament competition before starting the summer hard-court circuit in Indianapolis.
"After consulting with my coach and trainer, we feel that it is critical that I have some recovery time,'' Roddick said in a statement released by organizers of the Mercedes-Benz Cup, which starts Monday.
Roddick is ranked No. 3, and he would have been seeded No. 1 at Los Angeles. His best showing there was reaching the semifinals in 2002.
He'll be replaced atop the seedings by three-time tournament champion Andre Agassi.