Roddick Outlasts Blake for Title

ATP Tour finals between American players have been rare in recent years. That may be about to change.

Andy Roddick defeated Davis Cup teammate James Blake, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, Sunday in the Kroger St. Jude tournament championship at Memphis, Tenn.

The match was only the 11th all-American ATP Tour title match since 1997, and the third time that one of the players wasn’t Andre Agassi or Pete Sampras.

“I hope those rumors of American tennis dying are starting to quiet down a little more,” Blake said.

“Andy can bear that load on his own, I think. With me improving and all of us improving and seeing how he’s done, it’s helping the whole depth of American tennis. I’m doing better. You see how Andy’s doing.”

Roddick, who became the first teenager to win the tournament since Agassi in 1988, pointed out that he and Blake are not alone.

“There are some other great players coming up. I’m definitely excited to be a part of it,” he said.

Roddick, 19, and Blake, 22, put on a thrilling display that had fans on the edge of their seats and prompted a standing ovation during a third-set changeover. Roddick showed up with his booming serve and Blake mixed speeds, angles and shots.

Blake was trying to become the first African American player to win an ATP men’s singles title since MaliVai Washington in April 1996.

Camarillo’s Mike and Bob Bryan fell in the doubles final to Brian MacPhie and Nenad Zimonjic, 6-3, 3-6, 10-4 (tiebreak). The twins, runners-up for a fourth time, were attempting to win their first tournament in 2002 after capturing four in 2001. They will next play events in Acapulco, Scottsdale and Indian Wells.

Nicolas Escude defeated Tim Henman, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, to win the $713,000 ABN Amro indoor tournament at Rotterdam, Netherlands, for the second consecutive year.

Henman has lost in the final three of the last four years. The match lasted longer than two hours.

“When the [match] is longer it’s better for me,” Escude said. “I can stay on the court like a marathon man, but I can’t run the 100 meters.”

Escude, who earned $128,400, is the third player in the 29-year history of the event to win consecutive titles, after Arthur Ashe (1976-77) and Stefan Edberg (1987-88).