Roddick beats Federer in Melbourne

Melbourne, January 13:

Andy Roddick snapped his losing streak against Roger Federer. Unfortunately for him, the result will not count on their official records.

The defending champion picked up a confidence boosting 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win on Saturday over top-ranked Federer in the final of the invitational Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament. Andy Murray placed third in the Kooyong event, beating 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin 7-6 (2), 6-2.

The 24-year-old American did not concede a point on serve between the second game of the opening set and the second game of the second set.

He broke Federer in the fifth and seventh games and finished off on three consecutive backhand errors from the Swiss star. Federer rallied in the second, breaking Roddick in the second game and missing two set points at 5-2 before holding serve at love to pull even, capping the set with an ace.

Sydney Int’l

SYDNEY: Defending champion James Blake made it two in a row at the Sydney International, beating Carlos Moya 6-3, 5-7, 6-1. It was Blake’s sixth title in the last year. Only Roger Federer, with 12 wins, had more tournament triumphs last year.

Striking clean winners to all parts of the court, the Blake led by a set and 4-0. But bidding to become the oldest champion in Sydney since Australian John Alexander in 1982, the 30-year-old Moya won seven of the next eight games to force a deciding set.

The third set belonged to Blake, who became only the fourth player to defend a Sydney men’s title. Pete Sampras (1993-94) and Lleyton Hewitt, who has achieved the feat twice — in 2000-01 and 2004-05 — are the only other players in 40 years to have defended their title at the third-oldest tournament in world tennis. — AP