Roddick wins 1st '09 title in Memphis

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Andy Roddick won his first title of 2009 and the 27th of his career Sunday, beating Czech Radek Stepanek 7-5, 7-5 in the finals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

Only Roger Federer (57) and Rafael Nadal (32) have won more titles among active players.

Roddick got a bit of revenge for losing to Stepanek in the semifinals in San Jose last week and improved to 5-1 all-time against the man trying to become the first Czech to win in Memphis since Ivan Lendl in 1991.

Roddick survived a tight match with lots of long rallies by breaking Stepanek in the 12th game of each set.

Roddick extended his streak of years with at least one title to nine, though Federer could match him with a victory this year.

The world's sixth-ranked player took home the US$300,000 winner's cheque and 500 ranking points for the ATP World Tour. He improved to 17-3 in match play this year. Of his 27 titles, 19 have come in North America, and this is Roddick's second at Memphis.

The American, with his fiancee, model Brooklyn Decker, cheering him on at courtside, was coming into the final off the longest match of the tournament. He needed two hours, 11 minutes to beat Lleyton Hewitt compared to the 57 minutes Stepanek breezed past qualifier Dudi Sela.

Stepanek came in enjoying the best start to a year in his career with two titles already to his credit and trying to win for the second straight week. He had won nine consecutive matches but started slowly.

Roddick broke him in the second game to go up 2-0. Stepanek trailed 3-1 when he broke Roddick and then held serve to even the first set at 3-3.

They appeared headed toward a tiebreaker when Stepanek trailed 30-40 and hit a forehand long to give Roddick the first set.

Tied at four in the second set, Stepanek had a chance to break Roddick at 15-40. The American fought back to force deuce, served up one of his eight aces with a 130 m.p.h., before Stepanek hit a forehand wide after a long rally.

Stepanek kept the match entertaining, at one point using his head to knock a ball back to a ball girl and then hitting a ball over to a ball boy through his legs.

When needing to hold serve to force a second-set tiebreaker, Stepanek won only one point off a forehand Roddick hit long up 0-40. Roddick then closed out the title with a forehand passing shot, celebrating by raising both arms in the air.