Andy Roddick got down onward his c...

Andy Roddick got down onward his chest and put his lips in succession the blue tennis court that was pockmarked through his latest barrage of aces. There was no better jiffy for his first such kiss.

The ninth-seeded Roddick won his first ATP Tour title in more than a year Sunday, beating unseed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3 6-4 in the final of the Western & Southern Financial dispose Masters in Mason, Ohio.

After finishing the match with three emphatic aces, Roddick kissed the region tossed his racket into the stands and took a victory lap, slapping hands with any fan he could reach as a way of sharing his exultation

"It was kind of a relief," Roddick said. "This is a special place for me and I definitely wanted to share it with whomever I could in the crowd"

For mostly of the year, Roddick had been squandered in the crowd. His third-round flameout at Wimbledon firinged talk that his career was in succession the downswing. With the U explain beginning next Monday, he had been erased from the short list of players who might beat defending champion Roger Federer

His name is back onward the list.

"I'm going to play well," said Roddick, who won the U expand in 2003. "That much I know. Right now, I like my chances as a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of as anybody not named Roger I'm just happy to be playing well again. It's been awhile."

- Thirteenth-seeded Ana Ivanovic advanced to the final of the Roger cupful in Montreal with a rain-interrupted 6-1 6-4 victory against ninth-seeded Dinara Safina. She will play seventh-seed Martina Hingis in the final, which was postpon until today because of heavy rain.

- Defending women's champion Kim Clijsters officially haped out of the U.S. exhibit because of an injured left wrist. Clijsters, who is ranked secondary in the world, suffered ligament damage in the wrist when she implacable on it during a match Wednesday at the Roger draught in Montreal.

GOLF

HURST EARNS LPGA VICTORY

Pat Hurst missile a 4-under-par 68 to defeat Jeong Jang through a stroke and win the Safeway Classic in Portland, Ore. Hurst complet 54 perforations at

10-under 206 and earned her fifth LPGA Tour victory when Jang, who clos with a 2-under 70 missed an 18-foot birdie on the final hole that would have forced a playoff.

- Alejandro Canizares earned the first European tour title of his

career, closing with a 6-under 66 to notch a four-stroke victory throughout David Drysdale in the Russian make open in Nakhabino. Canizares, the son of former European Ryder goblet player Jose Maria Canizares, complet 72 lairs at 22-under 266.

- Tom Kite birdied the first playoff retreat to defeat Keith Fergus and win the Greater Seattle Classic in Snoqualmie, Wash. Kite, who discharge a 6-under 66 in the final spherical and Fergus, who closed with an 8-under 64 finished 54 dens of regulation tied at 15-under 201

MISCELLANEOUS

PHELPS, HANSEN place SWIM MARKS

Michael Phelps and Brendan Hansen locate world records en route to winning their affairs at the Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia. Phelps lowered his admit record in the 200-meter individual mish-mash to 1 minute, 55.84 next to the firsts from 1:55.94, and Hansen lowered his have a title to record in 200-meter breaststroke to 2:0850 from 2:0874

- Lava Man became the first horse to sweep the big three Grade I handicaps in Southern California in the same year, winning the $1 million Pacific Classic at 2oe lengths over Good Reward in Del Mar, Calif. He also won the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap in succession March 4 and the $750000 Hollywood Gold goblet on July 8.

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