Roddick wins Lyon Grand Prix

Lyon:

Top-seeded Andy Roddick beat Gael Monfils of France 6-3, 6-2 to win the Lyon Grand Prix and clinch his 20th career ATP title on Sunday. "I've won five titles this year, which isn't bad for a terrible year, as people keep saying," Roddick said. "Of course I would trade five titles for one Grand Slam but that's not the way it works. You have your ups and downs." The 2003 US Open champion did not drop a serve throughout the tournament and hit 70 aces, including nine in the final. Roddick felt he played his best tennis for some time. "It was always just a matter of stringing a few matches together to get some rhythm back," he said. "This is probably one of my best matches of the year. I managed to get the break early and took that momentum into the rest of the match." Roddick broke in the fourth game of the final, and dropped only two points on serve in the first set. In the second, the American broke 19-year-old Monfils in the first and fifth games, and saved the only two break points he faced against the youngest player in the top 50. "Gael is a great young player, and everyone in France should be very excited about him," said Roddick, who beat four French players during the tournament. The final was Monfils' third in his breakout season. Last year's No. 1-ranked junior player in the world won his first career ATP final at Sopot, Poland. "I have to say congratulations to Andy," Monfils said. "He made it so hard for me, because I had so much respect for him out on court. I hope I can play him again many times ... and why not here?" (AP)