Top-seeded Andy Roddick used his overpowering serve to win the SAP Open for the third time in his career, beating fourth-seeded Radek Stepanek 6-4, 7-5 in Sunday's final.
Roddick never faced a break point as Stepanek had no answer for his booming serve. Roddick closed out each set with an ace to win his 23rd career title.
There were only two service breaks in the match. Stepanek lost his serve at love to open the match and never recovered. Then at 5-all in the second set, Roddick came up with the two powerful groundstrokes he needed to close out the match.
PHOTO: EPA
He hit a forehand down the line off the first serve that handcuffed Stepanek as he approached the net to earn a break point. Then he went up 6-5 with a topspin forehand passing shot.
After that, it was just a formality as Roddick started the next game with an ace and two service winners. Roddick made two errors before finishing it off with a 208kph ace down the middle.
Stepanek was looking for his third career title. The Czech tried to win over the fans in San Jose by wearing a Joe Thornton Sharks jersey when he came out onto the court. But that was probably a bad omen, considering the Sharks have one of the worst home records in the NHL.
PHOTO: AFP
Roddick improved to 4-0 in his career against Stepanek, also beating him last summer in Washington in a match he said he was lucky to win. He needed no such luck this time, adding the title to the ones he won here in 2004 and 2005.
■ ABN AMRO
AP, ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Michael Llodra of France won his third career title on Sunday, beating Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the ABN Amro final.
Llodra previously won the Ordina Open in 2004 and last month defeated Jarkko Nieminen to win in Adelaide, Australia.
Llodra served 22 aces to become the first French winner of the tournament since Nicolas Escude won in 2001 and 2002.
"When I came here and saw the draw, I thought that it would be very difficult," Llodra said. "Now I stand here with the trophy in my hands."
Soderling had hoped to become the first Swede to take the title since Anders Jarryd in 1993, and was playing in only his second event since a six month injury layoff.
Soderling beat Gilles Simon in the semifinals while Llodra beat Ivo Karlovic.
All eight seeded players, including second-ranked Rafael Nadal, lost in the opening two rounds.
■ QATAR OPEN
AP. DOHA
Maria Sharapova stretched her unbeaten streak to 12 matches and won her 18th career title on Sunday by defeating Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in the Qatar Open final.
The Australian Open champion is 12-0 this season, and 9-0 in her career in Doha, where she also won in 2005. Sharapova is also 2-0 in the Fed Cup this year.
Sharapova broke her opponent twice in the first set, but Zvonareva answered with two breaks of her own in the second before the fifth-ranked Russian swept the third.
"I played five matches in five days and that is not an easy thing to do," Sharapova said. "I think what I have done is just great."
The win earned Sharapova US$414,000, the largest amount on the WTA Tour outside the Grand Slams.
"She [Sharapova] stayed aggressive right throughout the match," Zvonareva said. "She didn't give me much of a chance."
■ COPA COLSANITAS
AP, BOGOTA
Spanish qualifier Nuria Llagostera Vives won her second WTA Tour title when she defeated Argentina's Maria Emilia Salerni 6-0, 6-4 in the Copa Colsanitas final on Sunday.
Despite sweeping the first set, Llagostera Vives had to rally from 4-2 down in the second.
"I wanted to be aggressive for the entire match and not give my opponent any chance, not let her breathe," Llagostera Vives said.
She didn't drop a set in winning three matches in qualifying then five in the main draw. She said going through qualifying probably helped her adapt to playing at an altitude of 2,650m.
Llagostera Vives, ranked 114th, won her other title at Rabat, Morocco, in 2005 then missed most of 2006 with a right wrist injury.
Emilia Salerni, the junior world champion in 2000, played in her first career final.
■ COPA TELMEX
AP, BUENOS AIRES
David Nalbandian won his first ATP title on home soil on Sunday, beating Jose Acasuso 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Copa Telmex final.
It was the 11th-ranked Argentine's eighth career title.
"I'm very happy to win at home," Nalbandian said. "It's beautiful to pull off something I could never do before here."
Acasuso won the first set by taking advantage of Nalbandian's errors on long rallies. The baseline play continued in the second set, but Nalbandian's serve improved and he broke to take a 4-1 lead.
More errors followed, however, and Acasuso broke back in the ninth game. Acasuso then saved two set points in the tiebreaker, but Nalbandian eventually forced the deciding set.
"I played some breaks badly and made mistakes," Nalbandian said.
Former Argentina soccer captain Diego Maradona was in the crowd at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club.
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