NEW YORK, 27 July 2004 — American top seed Andy Roddick held on to his RCA Championship title with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 victory over Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer on Sunday.

World No. 2 Roddick became the first player to retain the title in Indianapolis since the great Pete Sampras had back-to-back victories there in 1991 and 1992.

Roddick’s three aces in the final game rounded off a fine performance against his outclassed German opponent who made 21 unforced errors as he slumped to defeat in less than an hour.

The American left nobody in any doubt that he would control the match from the start just the day after he had to save three match points to beat Croat Ivan Ljubicic in the semifinal.

“I came ready to play today,” Roddick told reporters. “Yesterday he (Ljubicic) was the one who took it to me early. Today, I forced my game.”

It was Roddick’s fourth tournament win of the year, after victories in San Jose, Miami and Queen’s Club in London, and his third straight appearance in a final.

He reached this year’s Wimbledon final where he lost to Switzerland’s world number one Roger Federer.

Roddick was cheered on by a partisan crowd, which braved showers that delayed the start of the match for 20 minutes and caused a further delay of 13 minutes in the first set.

Kiefer has lost his last seven ATP finals since beating Mark Philippoussis in Hong Kong in October 2000. This year he has been beaten in finals at Scottsdale, Memphis and Los Angeles.

Davenport Stuns Serena

to Win JP Morgan Chase

In Carson, California, Lindsay Davenport stunned top seed Serena Williams 6-1, 6-3 to capture her fourth JP Morgan Chase Open on Sunday.

The third-seeded American played superbly to win her second title in two weeks by dictating play from the baseline and attacking her erratic opponent’s second serve.

Davenport came into the final with a 2-9 career record against Serena and had lost their last four matches.

However, she was the far more consistent player on the day, committing only 12 unforced errors to 29 from Williams.

“I don’t know why it clicked all of a sudden,” she said.

“One unforced error from me in the first set is a wonder. I was in control of the points, which I had a difficult time doing against her in the past.”

Playing in front of a near sell-out crowd just five miles from where she grew up, Williams never found the game that brought her six grand slam titles.

She was blown away in the first set and although she held break points in the last three games of the second set, she never managed to convert on Davenport’s serve.

“I feel like the last 10 months I’ve been building a stronger base physically, can withstand the power and run down some balls,” Davenport said. “I have a lot of inner confidence now.” Williams has won only title since returning to the tour in March after eight and half months off due to a knee injury.

“I played like a nightmare,” Williams said. “I tried to commit suicide out there. I pretty much killed myself. I had an awful, horrendous, terrible, miserable and horrible day.”

Back Pain Sends Ferrero Out

at Canadian Masters Event

In Toronto, Spanish seventh seed Juan Carlos Ferrero walked away from the ATP Masters Series Canada hardcourt tournament yesterday, retiring from his first-round match with back pain.

Fabrice Santoro was leading 3-2 when Ferrero retired with the back problem, giving the Frenchman a spot in the second round against either Slovakian qualifier Karol Beck or Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.

Spain’s David Ferrer beat Canada’s Simon Larose 7-5, 6-2 and Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela beat Belgium’s Xavier Malisse 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in other opening-day matches.