WASHINGTON, 8 August 2005 — Top seed Andy Roddick served like lightning while medical comeback marvel James Blake served notice he is back here Saturday, each advancing to the final of the $600,000 ATP Washington Classic.

Fifth-ranked Roddick unleashed a barrage of sizzling serves in sweltering heat to defeat Thailand’s 42nd-ranked Paradorn Srichaphan 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 while 101st-rated Blake ousted Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-3 in semi-final matches.

Blake and Roddick each surrendered only one point on their serves in their second set. Blake, who fired nine aces, lost his point in the third game while Roddick, who blasted 13 aces, dropped his in the final game of the match.

Roddick seeks a 19th career title and fourth of the year in an all-American final, having earlier won at San Jose, Houston and Queen’s. Blake bids for his second crown, his first having come here in 2002 over Paradorn in the final.

Blake, 25, reached his fourth ATP final, his first since 2003 at Long Island and his first since a 2004 illness called Zoster that affected his hearing and vision and caused temporary facial paralysis.

Roddick is 5-0 against Blake in ATP matches, having taken only one set off the 22-year-old powerhouse who is a close friend and frequent practice partner.

Roddick displayed true firepower at 44 degrees Celsius with a 73 percent first-serve accuracy rate against Paradorn. Roddick lost only four points on his own serve in the 82-minute match.

Roddick improved to 43-9 this year and 6-1 lifetime against Paradorn, who has lost five in a row to Roddick since his lone triumph came in a 2002 Paris quarter-final.

Paradorn, 26, fell to 20-22 for the year but enjoyed his deepest ATP run since losing to Carlos Moya in the Chennai final in January.

Pierce to Meet Sugiyama

in San Diego Final

In Carlsbad, California. Mary Pierce crushed China’s Shuai Peng 6-2, 6-2 to reach the final of the San Diego Classic on Saturday.

The sixth-seeded Frenchwoman will meet Japan’s Ai Sugiyama in the final after she advanced when compatriot Akiko Morigami retired with a knee injury while 4-3 down in the second set.

Sugiyama had won the first set 6-4 in a protracted baseline battle that was characterized by several long rallies. Blasting the ball from all angles of the court, Pierce never allowed China’s top-ranked player into the match, serving with weight variety, punishing her foe’s second serves and keeping her groundstrokes deep. “She’s a dangerous player if you let her play, so the key the ball was hitting the ball hard and deep, staying aggressive and trying to come forward,” said Pierce, who ripped 28 winners to only 13 from Peng.