Blake Outlasts Roddick, Then Compliments Him

James Blake was happy to win the RCA Championships and seemed to be just as pleased to see Andy Roddick back on track.

Roddick said he played one of his best finals, but Blake won the all-American matchup, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), Sunday in Indianapolis.

Blake replaced Roddick this month as the highest-ranked American man, and lived up to his new status. But he said Roddick is starting to look like the guy who once was No. 1 in the world.

“I feel like I’ve kind of earned the No. 5 ranking,” Blake said. “but I know [Roddick] will be better than that. It’s nice to see the old Andy. I look for him to be No. 1 or two in this U.S. Open series.”

Blake claimed his sixth career ATP win and third of the year.

“It’s the best I’ve ever played, then better,” he said. “That’s what I had to do against Andy.”

Roddick has 20 ATP career wins, but none this year. The subject of much criticism since a third-round exit at Wimbledon, he said he’s starting to regain his confidence.

“For six months, I’ve been hearing I don’t know how to play tennis,” Roddick said. “You don’t get to No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 without knowing how to play tennis.

“I’ve been playing badly for a while ... My confidence has been restored.”

Nothing stopped Blake on Sunday, not even Roddick’s serve that often exceeded 140 mph.

“He’s just playing great tennis right now,” said Roddick, who finished with 17 aces. “It couldn’t happen to a better person.”

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Unseeded Vera Zvonareva completed her sweep of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open, beating fourth-seeded Katarina Srebotnik, 6-2, 6-4, in Mason, Ohio.

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Defending champion Anabel Medina Garrigues won the Palermo International for a record fourth time, denying Tathiana Garbin in her bid to become the first Italian woman to win the 16-year-old tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in Palermo, Sicily.... Novak Djokovic defeated fourth-seeded Nicolas Massu, 7-6 (5), 6-4, in the Priority Telecom Open final to win his first ATP title in Amersfoort, Netherlands.... Pete Sampras lost his singles match, 5-0, to John Paul Fruttero as well as his doubles match with partner Rick Leach, 5-2, to Fruttero and Brian Wilson as his Newport Beach Breakers lost, 23-15, to the host St. Louis Aces in World TeamTennis.

PRO FOOTBALL

Law Rejoins Edwards by Signing With Chiefs

Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law agreed to a five-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Law, 32, spent last season with the New York Jets, leading the NFL with 10 interceptions. He will rejoin Coach Herman Edwards, who left the Jets for the Chiefs in January.

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Officers trying to arrest Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Matthias Askew after a parking violation used a Taser to subdue him and charged him with resisting arrest in Cincinnati.

Askew, 24, also charged with obstructing official business, was freed on his own recognizance and scheduled to appear in court today, a jail official said.

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Toronto Argonauts running back Ricky Williams will undergo surgery today to repair a broken left arm and is expected to miss at least four weeks, the Globe and Mail reported. Williams was injured during Saturday’s game.

PRO BASKETBALL

Mavericks Acquire Johnson From Pacers

The Indiana Pacers will send backup point guard Anthony Johnson, 31, to the Dallas Mavericks for point guard Darrell Armstrong, 38, forward Josh Powell, 23, and swingman Rawle Marshall, 24, Armstrong’s agent said.

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Free-agent guard Fred Jones, 27, will sign with the Toronto Raptors, his agent said. He spent the first four years of his NBA career with Indiana, which drafted him out of Oregon.

PRO HOCKEY

Sabres’ Briere Awarded $5 Million in Arbitration

Buffalo Sabres captain Daniel Briere was awarded a one-year, $5-million contract by an arbitrator.

The Sabres have 48 hours to decide whether they will sign Briere or allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Briere, 28, earned $1.9 million last season.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed Brooks Orpik, 25, to a two-year contract, one day before the defenseman was scheduled for a salary arbitration hearing.

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The Montreal Canadiens avoided salary arbitration with forward Michael Ryder, 26, signing their top goal scorer to a one-year deal worth $2.2 million.

MISCELLANY

McConnell Serio Resigns as coach of the Lynx

Suzie McConnell Serio resigned as coach of the Minnesota Lynx, the last-place team in the WNBA’s Western Conference at 8-15.

McConnell Serio, the league’s coach of the year in 2004, guided the Lynx to a 58-67 regular-season record and two playoffs appearances in three-plus seasons.

First-year assistant Susan Yow also resigned. Another assistant, Carolyn Jenkins, will serve as interim coach.

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Cat Whitehill scored two goals and the U.S. women defeated Ireland, 5-0, in a soccer exhibition in San Diego. The U.S. outshot Ireland, 36-3.