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SAN JOSE (California): Feb 20: British teenager Andy Murray captured his first ATP title on on Sunday, outlasting Australian Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the SAP Open. Murray, who ousted top-seeded American Andy Roddick in the semifinals, settled down after a slow start to post a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) victory over third-seeded Hewitt.
Murray, 18, was playing in just his second career final.
He was broken twice in the first set, then rebounded with an impressive second set, using his backhand as his biggest weapon.
He mixed in impressive drop shots along with groundstrokes in the final set to keep Hewitt off-balance.
Hewitt was able to fight off two match points before Murray finally put away the match with a backhand crosscourt winner.
Playing here for the first time since beating Andre Agassi for the crown in 2002, Hewitt fell to 24-13 all-time in finals.
Davydenko advance
ROTTERDAM: Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia beat Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-3 Monday to advance to the second round of an ABN Amro event hit by withdrawals through injury.
Davydenko will play Britain’s Greg Rusedski, who defeated the Czech Republic’s Robin Vik 6-3, 7-5.
Rusedski’s serve overpowered Vik, who only won his first game after trailing 5-0 in the first set.
Also, French qualifier Gilles Simon knocked out South Africa’s Wesley Moodie 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3.
First round results: Nicolay Davydenko (RUS) bt Jan Hernych (CZE) 6-3, 6-3; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Wesley Moodie (RSA) 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3; Greg Rusedski (GBR) bt Robin Vik (CZE) 6-3, 7-5
Dubai WTA results
DUBAI: First round results from WTA Dubai Open on Monday:
Vera Douchevina (RUS) bt Marion Bartoli (FRA) 6-3, 6-1; Anastasia Myskina (RUS) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-1; Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) bt Jelena Jankovic (SEM) 7-5, 7-5 Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 6-2, 6-3.—Agencies
