Ivan Ljubicic is just a bit stronger than Andy Roddick in final at Indian Wells

The single point was filled with momentum shifts.

Ivan Ljubicic attempted three passing shots, Andy Roddick was up at the net trying to volley, backhand and forehand. The noisy Croatian fans were chanting “left, right, left, right,” and when Ljubicic finally evaded Roddick’s racket with a backhand that left the American flat-footed, the cheers were from a single corner but quite loud.

That point came on Roddick’s serve during a second-set tiebreaker that gave the 31-year-old Ljubicic a quick lead and a final push to the finish. He wasn’t a lot better than Roddick, but just enough.

Ljubicic earned his first Masters Series event championship, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), over the seventh-seeded Roddick in the men’s final of the BNP Paribas on Sunday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Ljubicic won on his fourth match point with a 134-mph service winner.

That booming final shot had come just at a moment when Roddick was gathering a little momentum.

Ljubicic had served for the match on the eighth point of the tiebreaker but committed one of only two double faults in the match. “I was a little nervous,” Ljubicic said.

Roddick won the next two points on his serve, including a big service winner, and when Ljubicic held the tennis ball again, his second chance to serve out the match, he rubbed his bald head nervously.

And when he won the match, Ljubicic bowed that head and then thrust his hands in the air. Outside of Davis Cup matches, Ljubicic said, this was the best tournament title he’s had and it came after he beat the world’s second-ranked player, Novak Djokovic; the third-ranked player, Rafael Nadal, and then Roddick.

“Looking at my career in general,” Ljubicic said, “I did feel like I was missing it. It’s a really fantastic feeling to finally have it. It gives something special to your career.”

It was Ljubicic’s big serve that Roddick felt was the difference in the match.

“For him, the last two days was an exhibition in how-to on serving big points,” Roddick said. “I felt I had a lot more opportunities throughout the sets than he did but he just served hugely. He had complete control over all four spots. You know, he hit them.”

Roddick spoke generously of Ljubicic to the full Stadium 1 court crowd too. “We had heard last year you were retiring,” Roddick said. “We would have lost a heck of a player. Though I’m not so glad you’re out there today.”

Later Roddick also pointed to Ljubicic’s dedication to playing Davis Cup for Croatia, and to his longevity. “It seems like he always plays the game the right way,” Roddick said. “You don’t see a whole lot of histrionics out of him. And he was pretty dedicated to Davis Cup for a long time. There are a lot of things you can respect about him.”

Right off the bat in the 2-hour 7-minute match, Roddick, 27, was under pressure. He was down, 15-40, on his serve but came back to win the game with the help of a 126-mph ace and a 133-mph service winner. There would not be a service break in the match.

And both players used big serves to offer big stop signs after many long rallies.

“I played well, I hit the ball real well,” Roddick said. “I felt like I was winning my fair share of the rallies once we got into them. I just ran into a guy who served great on the big points. Unfortunately that’s probably the one thing I don’t have control over.”

Ljubicic, the second-oldest winner of this tournament — Jimmy Connors was five months older when he won in 1984 — said he was pleased with his efforts both physical and mental. He said he had changed his training methods in the off-season. “My body feels great now,” Ljubicic said.

And for being able to win both tiebreakers against Roddick and a third-set tiebreaker Saturday when he upset Nadal, Ljubicic credited his strong head.

“It was mental,” he said. “I felt more relaxed. There was strange things happening by the end but that just shows how relaxed I was.”

diane.pucin@latimes.com

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