Blake Repeats Stockholm Title

James Blake defeated Jarkko Nieminen, 6-4, 6-2, on Sunday to win the Stockholm Open for the second straight year.

The second-seeded American became the first player since Thomas Enqvist in 1996 to successfully defend his title.

“I’m really happy that I did get a chance to defend. I’ve never done it successfully before,” Blake said after receiving the winner’s trophy from Bjorn Borg. “I’m proud of the accomplishment. I beat some pretty darn good players this week.”

The 26-year-old Blake also improved his chances of reaching the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup next month in Shanghai. He is sixth in the standings with 410 points, with the top eight qualifying.

It was the fifth ATP title of the season for Blake, tying him for second with Rafael Nadal. Only Roger Federer (nine) has won more. Blake also is unbeaten in 10 matches in the Stockholm Open.

*

Vania King rallied past Tamarine Tanasugarn, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, to win the Bangkok Open and her first WTA title in Thailand.

The Long Beach teenager used aggressive groundstrokes and came back from a 4-2 deficit in the third set to win in her first final. She is the first 17-year-old from the United States to win a WTA title since Serena Williams won the U.S. Open in 1999.

“I’m ecstatic to win my first title. I don’t know how to express my feelings,” said King, who turned pro only three months ago.

*

Defending champion Ivan Ljubicic defeated fifth-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, to win the BA-CA Tennis Trophy in Vienna.

The top-seeded Croat, who won his third ATP title this season, held serve throughout the tournament for the second straight year.

Gonzalez trails eighth-place David Nalbandian by 75 points for a final spot at the Masters Cup next month.

*

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko reclaimed his title and teenager Anna Chakvetadze pulled off an upset, winning all-Russian finals at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

Davydenko, the 2004 champion, beat Marat Safin, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, for his fourth title this season and Chakvetadze upset fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova, 6-4, 6-4, to win her second straight tournament. Petrova lost for the first time in six finals this year.

PRO BASKETBALL

No Timetable Set for Fisher’s Return

Utah Jazz guard Derek Fisher suffered a bruised pelvis when he fell hard during Saturday’s exhibition game against the Indiana Pacers, and there is no timetable for his return, a Jazz spokesperson told the Deseret News.

Fisher was hurt after colliding with Jermaine O’Neal on a first-quarter drive and remained down for several minutes.

MISCELLANY

Line Moves Closer to First NHRA Title

Jason Line raced to his fourth pro stock victory of the season in the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals in Dinwiddie, Va., to move closer to securing his first NHRA POWERade world championship title.

Cory McClenathan and Eric Medlen also won their divisions at Virginia Motorsports Park, the 21st of 23 events in the series.

Line, who set a national performance record of 6.558 seconds during the weekend and scored the single-race maximum of 138 points, leads teammate Greg Anderson by 119 points. In the final, Line drove his Pontiac GTO to a 6.597 at 208.42 mph to hold off Tom Martino, 6.645 at 207.78, also in a GTO.

*

Nate Adams won the freestyle motocross season title by finishing third in the Dew Action Sports Tour season finale at Orlando, Fla., and Daniel Dhers took the BMX Park championship after winning the event at TD Waterhouse Centre.

Adams, 22, from Glendale, Ariz., finished with a score of 92.67 points. Mike Mason of Minden, Nev., won with a 95.67, and Jeremy Lusk of San Diego was second at 93.00. Dhers, 21, from Venezuela, won with a score of 96.75. Marcus Tooker of Cape Cod, Mass., was second with a 90.75 after a tiebreaker, followed by Alistair Whitton of Britain, also at 90.75.

*

In his first race as a pro, Solomon Bushendich of Kenya won the Amsterdam Marathon, beating Bernard Barmasai by one second in 2 hours 8 minutes 53 seconds. Rose Cheruiyot of Kenya won the women’s race in 2:28:26.