Roddick's return to action on horizon
SHANGHAI -- Andy Roddick will not need surgery on the knee injury that forced him to retire from this week's Shanghai Masters and is expected to be back in action in three weeks.
The world's sixth-ranked player, who still needs to secure a berth at the season-ending World Tour Finals, pulled out of his match against Stanislas Wawrinka on Tuesday.
"Results of the MRI showed a mild sprain of his medial collateral ligament of the left knee," a statement on Roddick's Web site read. "The news was very good for Andy. No surgery will be needed and Andy is expected to make a 100 percent recovery. Andy will rest and receive treatments and will be expected to start activity in two to three weeks."
That would make Roddick available for the Nov. 8-15 Paris Masters, where he should be able to secure his spot at the season finale, which takes place in London beginning Nov. 22.
Five players -- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro -- have already qualified, leaving three spots remaining.
Despite losing his first match in Beijing last week and retiring in Shanghai, Roddick is in sixth place in the 2009 ranking points list that determines who qualifies, and has a comfortable, if not insurmountable, lead over the other contenders.
