Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia - James Blake won the Sydney International for the second straight year, beating Carlos Moya 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in Saturday's final.
It is Blake's sixth title in the last year. Only Roger Federer has more victories in that span with 12.
Striking clean winners to all areas of the court, Blake led by a set and 4-0. But bidding to become the oldest champion in Sydney since John Alexander in 1982, the 30-year-old Moya won seven of the next eight games to force a deciding set.
The third set belonged to Blake, who became only the fourth player to defend his Sydney title.
Pete Sampras (1993-94) and Lleyton Hewitt, who has achieved the feat twice - in 2000-01 and 2004-05 - are the only other players in 40 years to have successfully defended their title at tennis' third-oldest tournament.
Moya and Blake will meet again Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.
"Maybe I'll lose again against him next week, but if I play like this, I'll be happy anyway because that means I'll be losing to a great player, a great champion," Moya said.
"Now I want to relax a little bit. These five days have been really hard for me and now I need a break and then come back for Melbourne."
SYDNEY, Australia - James Blake won the Sydney International for the second straight year, beating Carlos Moya 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in Saturday's final.
It is Blake's sixth title in the last year. Only Roger Federer has more victories in that span with 12.
Striking clean winners to all areas of the court, Blake led by a set and 4-0. But bidding to become the oldest champion in Sydney since John Alexander in 1982, the 30-year-old Moya won seven of the next eight games to force a deciding set.
The third set belonged to Blake, who became only the fourth player to defend his Sydney title.
Pete Sampras (1993-94) and Lleyton Hewitt, who has achieved the feat twice - in 2000-01 and 2004-05 - are the only other players in 40 years to have successfully defended their title at tennis' third-oldest tournament.
Moya and Blake will meet again Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.
"Maybe I'll lose again against him next week, but if I play like this, I'll be happy anyway because that means I'll be losing to a great player, a great champion," Moya said.
"Now I want to relax a little bit. These five days have been really hard for me and now I need a break and then come back for Melbourne."