Former No. 1 Moya Wins Tata Open Title in India

Top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Moya won the Tata Open singles title, defeating reigning champion Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5), in the final Sunday at Madras, India.

Moya, 27, a former world No. 1 and now seventh in the ATP rankings, won the 15th title of his career by clinching the third-set tiebreaker after a tough two-hour duel with Srichaphan, who was making his third successive final appearance in the tournament.

The 11th-ranked Srichaphan, 24, who last year became the first Asian to break into the ATP’s top 10, had lost the 2002 final to Guillermo Canas of Argentina but returned to win the title in 2003 without dropping a set.

Pinned back by Srichaphan’s accurate lobs that complemented his strong forehand shots, Moya’s accuracy helped him exert pressure despite playing from the baseline.

Moya clinched the first set by breaking Srichaphan’s serve in the 10th game. The Thai player hit a crosscourt wide to present Moya two set points and then double-faulted to drop his second set of the tournament.

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Slovakia’s Dominik Hrbaty won the AAPT Australian hard-court championships at Adelaide, beating French qualifier Michael Llodra, 6-4, 6-0.

Hrbaty won the first nine points of the match and needed only 53 minutes to close out Llodra in the final at Memorial Drive.

In the doubles final, top-seeded Americans Mike and Bob Bryan of Camarillo beat Llodra and countryman Arnaud Clement, 7-5, 6-3.

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Greg Rusedski won his first match since acknowledging he failed a steroid test, beating Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5) today in the first round of the Adidas International at Sydney, Australia.

Rusedski tested positive for nandrolone in Indianapolis in July and faces a hearing next month in Montreal. He maintains that he’s innocent and that the steroid must have been contained in supplements he’d been given by ATP trainers.

In first-round women’s matches, Anastasia Myskina of Russia, seeded fifth, beat Lisa Raymond, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, and Vera Zvonareva of Russia defeated Nicole Pratt of Australia, 6-2, 6-3.

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Laura Granville, seeded eighth, was eliminated in the first round of the Moorilla International at Hobart, Australia, losing to Akiko Morigami of Japan, 6-2, 6-1.

Winter Sports

Bode Miller showed some of his old power, finishing third in a World Cup slalom at Chamonix, France, won by Giorgio Rocca of Italy.

Rocca had a combined time of 1 minute 29.09 seconds for the third World Cup slalom victory of his career. Pierrick Bourgeat of France was second in 1:29.17.

Miller finished in 1:29.52 in the French Alps race, with U.S. teammate Chip Knight in 19th place and Tom Rothrock 20th.

Germany’s Hilde Gerg won a World Cup super-giant slalom at Veysonnaz, Switzerland, for her first victory this season, boosting her confidence after a knee injury.

Gerg finished in 1:21.34 on a forest-lined course covered with soft snow.

Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria was the runner-up in 1:21.58.

The top finishers for the U.S. were Caroline Lalive in 11th place and Libby Ludlow in 14th.

Hannu Manninen of Finland won a World Cup Nordic combined event for the second consecutive day at Seefeld, Austria.

He won the 15-kilometer event, rallying from 11th place after the ski jump.

He finished 8.8 seconds ahead of Felix Gottwald of Austria.

Todd Lodwick of the U.S. was seventh.

Janne Ahonen of Finland won his second World Cup ski jump of the weekend at Liberec, Czech Republic, and kept his lead in the overall standings.

Ahonen jumped 139 meters and totaled 147.2 points on the 120K hill. There was only one round because of strong wind.

Olympian Lars Flora of Anchorage won the 50-kilometer freestyle and Sarah Konrad of Laramie, Wyo., took the women’s 30K by 3.2 seconds in the final races of the U.S. Cross Country Championships at Rumford, Maine.

Miscellany

Louisiana State receiver Michael Clayton will leave school a year early to make himself available for the NFL draft.

Clayton caught 78 passes for 1,079 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and was picked as a third-team All-American.

Florida State basketball player Diego Romero could be reinstated by the NCAA as early as today, a move that would end what effectively was a 15-game suspension for signing two pro contracts in his native Argentina.

The Avengers, who open their Arena Football League season on Feb. 8 at Arizona, begin training camp today inside the Spruce Goose Hangar at Playa Vista.

During training camp, the Avengers also will practice outdoors at their training facility at West L.A. College. The team must trim its roster from 37 players to 24 by Feb. 2.

USAC Triple Crown titlist J.J. Yeley was selected winner of the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy as driver of the year by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Assn.

Yeley was not present for the banquet Saturday night in Pomona because he was battling his way to a third-place finish at the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Okla. Cory Kruseman of Ventura was the race winner.

Passings

Alex Kahn, who worked for United Press International for 40 years, including 15 years as the wire service’s Southern California sports editor, died Saturday in his home in Los Angeles. He was 94. Story in Section B.

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Chris Dufresne has the day off.