Roddick looks for match practice ahead of U.S. Open

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former world number one Andy Roddick admits he needs to get as many matches as possible under his belt over the next two weeks to lift his confidence ahead of the U.S. Open.

The American, who chose to skip the Olympic Games to prepare for the event where he won his only grand slam title in 2003, has played only one tournament since Wimbledon and missed last week's Masters Series event in Cincinnati due to a neck injury.

Roddick said he hoped to find form at this week's Los Angeles Classic, where he is the top seed, and next week at the ATP event in Washington.

"Not playing doesn't help," he told reporters at the Los Angeles Classic.

"I've always been a player who prepares for tournaments by playing matches and this time of year I've always done really well -- that's why this year and next week are important. They will give a proper read on how my form is going in there."

Roddick, who has slipped to ninth in the world rankings, beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal early in the year before a series of injuries checked his progress.

FOOT FORWARD

"It's been frustrating," he said. "I don't feel like I've got a foot forward in the last four months.

"Losing and not playing well for a stretch is a lot easier, because you feel responsible for it. To not be able to play is frustrating and something I haven't really had to deal with before.

"The ranking I am not too concerned about because it's not like I have been out there playing and not getting the results. When I have been healthy, through April and even the start of the claycourt season, I was playing well."

Roddick said he stood by his decision not to travel across the world to China but admitted that he would have one eye on Beijing over the next fortnight.

"I am sure that when I am watching the events, I'll certainly miss it and there's going to be a part of me that wishes I was there," he said. "But as far as tennis goes, this is probably the best scenario.

"At this point in my career I am trying to focus on making runs at (grand) slams. I didn't feel like flying across the world and back and then starting a grand slam four days later was the ideal preparation."

Roddick begins his campaign in Los Angeles on Thursday against Serbian Dusan Vemic.

The U.S. Open runs from August 25 until September 7.

(Editing by John O'Brien)