• Legg Mason Tennis Classic

Roddick happy with form ahead of US Open

Andy Roddick has won two hard-court titles this year © Getty Images

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Andy Roddick is confident he has rediscovered his best tennis heading into the US Open series.

Roddick is seeded second at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington this week, and the three-time champion admits he was forced to adjust his schedule after his early exit at Wimbledon. The world No. 9 returned home after a disappointing defeat to the unseeded Lu Yen-hsun in the last 16 at Wimbledon, having reached the final last year.

"It was a matter of going out early at Wimbledon then finding the happy balance between training and going into Atlanta a little short on preparation," Roddick said. "I played Atlanta because I wanted to play well here in Washington. I'm glad I went there and took my lumps. It's a constant give-and-take.

"Last year I needed to rest after Wimbledon. This year it's a little bit different. With the way my schedule was set up, I was planning to do better at Wimbledon. When that happens, you make adjustments."

Roddick took a wildcard at the Atlanta Tennis Championships a fortnight ago, where he lost to eventual champion Mardy Fish in the semi-finals, but he believes he is returning to the kind of form that saw him win the Masters title in Miami in March.

"I'm hitting the ball a lot differently than I was eight or nine days ago," he said. "It's certainly one of the best times of the year for me. I always get excited about it. I've played well. But I don't feel like I've gotten my feet into the summer yet.

"The next three events [Washington, Toronto and Cincinnati] are what you circle as your US Open preparation. But overall I feel great. I've always felt comfortable on hard courts."

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