SAN JOSE, Calif. - Andy Roddick sliced a 107 mph ace to the corner on match point to finish off an opponent who put up a bigger fight than expected.
The top seed advanced to his first final of the season, winning 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 Saturday against wild-card entry Robert Kendrick in the Siebel Open. Roddick, ranked third in the world, dropped just three points on serve in the first set.
Roddick improved to 11-2 this year and reached his first final since winning his first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in September. Kendrick, ranked 139th, reached the semis of an ATP tournament for the second time.
GAZ DE FRANCE: Top-seeded Kim Clijsters routed Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-1 in Paris to set up a final with Mary Pierce, who lives in Sarasota. Pierce downed 16-year-old Tatiana Golovin 6-4, 6-0. Pierce, returning after a three-month break, used her big serve to reach her first final since winning the 2000 French Open.
VENUS OUT: Two-time defending champ Venus Williams withdrew from this week's Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium, after aggravating a knee injury.
CYCLING: Former Tour champ dies
Marco Pantani, 34, the 1998 Tour de France and Giro d'Italia winner who has been plagued by doping accusations and suspensions in recent years, was found dead in a Rimini hotel, Italian news reports said. Prosecutor Paolo Gengarelli said different types of medicine were found in the room, including tranquilizers. No cause of death was given.
SAILING: Local man leads at trials
David Fagen of St. Petersburg and Ned Gross of Madison, Conn., were first in the 49er class after the first day of the U.S. Olympic trials in Key Biscayne. Wisconsin's Sally Barkow and crew won both races in the women's Yngling, which will make its Olympic debut in Athens.
NOOD REGATTA: Tampa's Robert Glaser led the J105 class, with St. Petersburg's Steve Olinger in second at the World National Offshore One Design series in St. Petersburg. Tampa residents swept the Level 72 class: Jose Suarez Hoyos, George Haynie and Jeffery Fishman. St. Petersburg's Michael Carroll was second in the Henderson 30 and Kirk Woodle second in the Wavelength. Finals are today.
WINTER SPORTS: Ohno ends with a win
Olympic star Apolo Anton Ohno won the 3,000 meters in Bormio, Italy, the season's final World Cup short-track speed-skating meet. Ohno finished in 5 minutes, 11.538 seconds, edging Canada's Steve Robillard (5:11.864). Hyun-Soo Ahn of South Korea led the overall standings with 198 points; Ohno was third (193).
MOGULS: American Toby Dawson (25.45 points) won a World Cup event for his second title this season, with countryman Jeremy Bloom (24.11) finishing third in Inawashiro, Japan.
SOCCER: Howard solid in goal
U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard made several strong saves and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice, leading Manchester United 4-2 over Manchester City in London for a spot in the FA Cup quarterfinals. United, winner of 10 FA Cups, had not advanced past the fifth round since it last won the title in 1999.
ET CETERA
AUTOS: Rookie Giorgio Pantano, a former World Kart champ, was named Jordan's second driver for Formula One this season.
BASEBALL: Greg Maddux rejected the Giants' multiyear offer, leaving the Cubs in good position to reel in the free-agent pitcher. If the Giants drop out, Maddux may have to accept the two-year deal the Cubs offered Jan. 13.
SWIMMING: Michael Phelps picked up his fifth title in five races in the 200 individual medley at the Spring Nationals in Orlando. The five wins tie a record for most individual titles in a national meet that Phelps set in the summer.
