Roddick conquers unseeded upstart

Top-seeded Andy Roddick wasn’t about to let John Isner have another chance at a third-set tiebreaker, much less let the unseeded American win the first title of his career.

Instead, Roddick put a stop to Isner’s dream week, beating him, 6-4, 7-6 (4), Sunday to win his third Legg Mason Tennis Classic title at Washington.

Roddick, who also won here in 2001 and 2005, earned his 23rd ATP title by solving Isner’s serve, which had carried him to five straight wins in third-set tiebreakers.

“I knew I had to win the second-set tiebreaker because I thought I had no chance in the third-set tiebreaker against him,” Roddick joked. “I was fortunate to be able to hold my own serve because it was just one point. . . . I was happy with the way I controlled the match with my serve.”

It was the second straight day Roddick had to face a powerful serve from a taller player. The 6-foot-9 Isner had 12 aces against Roddick, seven fewer than 6-10 Ivo Karlovic had against Roddick in the semifinals.

Despite the loss, a lot has changed in a week for Isner. In addition to taking home $43,700 in prize money, he will jump from No. 416 to inside the top 200 in next week’s rankings and has been granted a wild card into Cincinnati in two weeks.

Second-seeded Tommy Robredo defeated Jose Acasuso, 7-5, 6-0, to win the Prokom Open at Sopot, Poland. It was Robredo’s fifth title.

Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska routed Vera Dushevina, 6-1, 6-1, to win the Nordic Light Open in Stockholm for her first WTA title.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Two Texas players banished for three games

Texas junior defensive end Henry Melton and sophomore linebacker Sergio Kindle will miss the first three games of this season after being charged in separate driving-while-intoxicated cases over the summer.

Kindle and Melton will miss games against Arkansas State, Texas Christian and Central Florida as punishment for being arrested over the summer. The announcement came from Coach Mack Brown as the Longhorns reported to training camp.

The players will also be held out of the first couple of days of practice when they will visit with an unidentified woman whose child was crippled by a drunk driver, Brown said.

The players must also perform some form of community service on behalf of the team before they will be allowed to play.

Duke junior linebacker Michael Tauiliili was suspended indefinitely for violating team policies, Coach Ted Roof said.

HORSE RACING

Returning Curlin beaten y Any Given Saturday

Any Given Saturday spoiled Preakness winner Curlin’s return by pulling away in the stretch and winning the $1-million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Curlin finished third in his first race since losing the Belmont by a head on June 9.

Nashoba’s Key earned her sixth victory without a loss in the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap at Del Mar but only after being boxed in by Victor Espinoza aboard Balance. Ridden by Joe Talamo, Nashoba’s Key finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Bai and Bai.

MISCELLANY

Gebrselassie remains erfect in half marathons

Haile Gebrselassie won the New York City Half Marathon in 59 minutes 24 seconds, cruising away from elite competitors two-thirds of the way through the race to win his eighth half marathon in eight attempts.

Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for Ethiopia, pulled away from Abdi Abdirahman shortly after they emerged from Central Park along with two-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya.

Hilda Kibet of Kenya won the women’s race in 1:10:32, outkicking defending champion Catherine Ndereba by 1.15 seconds.

Rockets guard Rafer Alston was arrested early Sunday in downtown Houston on charges of assault and public intoxication, police said. Both charges against Alston, 31, are misdemeanors, said a Houston police spokesman.

Colombian cyclist Libardo Nino, a silver medalist in the time trial at the Pan American Games, tested positive for the performance-enhancing hormone EPO. Nino said he will challenge the result.

Two boxers deported by Brazil were back in Cuba after they disappeared during the Pan American Games last month and were arrested at a resort where officials said they partied and ran up an exorbitant bill.

Guillermo Rigondeaux is Cuba’s top boxer and a two-time Olympic bantamweight champion, and Erislandry Lara is an amateur welterweight world champion.