11 October 2004	Monday	25 Shaban 1425

TOKYO, Oct 10: Jubilant Jiri Novak celebrated the sixth title of his workmanlike career on Sunday after staging a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 comeback to win the 860,000-dollar Japan Open.

The 29-year-old Czech family man rallied past the big serve - but double-fault dilemma - of seventh seed Taylor Dent to hand the American his first-ever defeats in a trophy match.

Dent's serving miscues cost him badly in the first set, though he won it as Novak doubled on set point. But the American's game went downhill from that moment onwards. It took two and a quarter hours for the steady Novak to turn the tide.

TITLE FOR Davenport

FILDERSTADT: American Lindsay Davenport won the Filderstadt Grand Prix on Sunday after world number one Amelie Mauresmo retired injured after the first set. Frenchwoman Mauresmo bowed out with a strained abductor muscle in her left leg after Davenport had taken the opening set 6-2. Victory for world number two Davenport closed the gap on Mauresmo in the rankings to just 15 points.

Mauresmo was 3-1 down when she called for the trainer, leaving the court for several minutes before returning with her leg heavily strapped. The world number one lost a marathon opening game lasting eight minutes. Davenport, who had returned well and shown a willingness to come to the net, then held to love before stretching Mauresmo again in the third game.

Mauresmo finally held serve on her fourth game point and then had an opportunity to get into the match when she held a break point in the fourth game. Davenport held off the threat in style, hitting a crosscourt winner. Mauresmo held to love on her return from treatment but after losing the final two games of the set to love she gave up the battle after 38 minutes.

Soderling TRIUMPHS

LYON: Swede Robin Soderling clinched the first ATP Tour title of his career when he tamed Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-2 3-6 6-4 in the final of the Lyon Grand Prix on Sunday.

The defeat was another great disappointment for Malisse who has now lost six ATP Tour finals. Towering Soderling, a hard court specialist, relied heavily on his powerful first serve to keep Malisse at bay.

After a poor start in the first set, Malisse lifted his game in the second to snatch it 6-3 but 20-year-old Soderling returned too well in the decisive set. The Swede made the break to go 3-2 up and Malisse was unable to strike back. -Agencies