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Murray retains San Jose title

Canas back to winning ways, clinches Brazil Open crown

— Photo: AP

STILL THE CHAMP: Andy Murray beat back Ivo Karlovic's challenge to defend his SAP Open crown on Sunday.

SAN JOSE: Scottish teenager Andy Murray won the San Jose Open title for the second successive year after fighting back to beat Ivo Karlovic 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(2) on Sunday.

Murray succeeded where James Blake, Mardy Fish and Benjamin Becker failed by getting to grips with the unseeded Karlovic's serve, but the Scot had to display all his battling qualities when the 2.08 metre Croat threatened to overwhelm him early on.

"I think he served 12 aces in the first set, five in the second and nine in the third so I started to get a bit of a read on his serve and got into more of his service games," said Murray.

Karlovic's 26 aces took his tally for the week to 113.

Good service but...

"He's the best server in the game but he's not the best returner. You have to focus on your own service games and try to keep it tight," added the Scot.

Just 10 points went against serve as the first set headed to a tie-break and it was Karlovic who took it 7-3, before breaking Murray's serve in the opening game of the second set.

But Murray broke back immediately and then again in the 10th game to win the set 6-4, then became only the fourth active player on the ATP Tour to successfully defend his first tour title by winning the third set in another tie-breaker.

"It's about mental strength. You have to strike the ball pretty well to win an ATP tournament and I think I did that," said Murray after winning his second career title.

After winning the opening set and breaking Murray in the first game of the second, World No. 103 Karlovic looked to be on the way to the title.

But Murray fought back to take the second set and saved a break point with an ace at 5-5 in the third.

The Scottish third seed had match point in the next game only for Karlovic to save it with a volley at full stretch.

A brilliant lob from Murray set up the first mini-break in the tie-break and Karlovic's first double fault handed the Scot a 5-2 lead before he finished it off with his eighth ace.

Karlovic is set to rise inside the world's top 70 after his San Jose performance.

Rare feat

The Murray family had double cause for celebration when Jamie, Andy's elder brother, joined forces with American Eric Butorac to beat Rainer Schuettler of Germany and South African Chris Haggard 7-5, 7-6 to win the doubles.

The Murrays became the first brothers to win singles and doubles at the same ATP Tour event since 1989. The last brothers to achieve the feat were Emilio and Javier Sanchez, in Kitzbuhel, Austria.

Putting troubles behind

Meanwhile, at Rio de Janeiro, Argentine wild card Guillermo Canas, who served a drugs suspension last year, put his troubles behind him to defeat former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6(4), 6-2 to win the Brazil Open at Costa do Sauipe.

It was Canas's first title since 2004 as he continued his comeback from a doping suspension which had seen him originally banned for two years before he successfully had his sanction cut to 15 months.

The 29-year-old was playing in his first ATP final since October 2004 in Vienna where he lost to Feliciano Lopez in five sets. His last ATP title came in Shanghai earlier in October, 2004 when he defeated Lars Burgsmuller of Germany.

``I am very happy,'' said Canas. ``I don't know how I will do this season but I know I am very happy to have played good tennis here.''

The results:

At San Jose (ATP SAP Open): Final: Andy Murray bt Ivo Karlovic 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(2).

At Rio de Janeiro (ATP Brasil Open): Final: Guillermo Canas bt Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6(4), 6-2. — Agencies

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