In brief: Roddick tops Stepanek to win SAP Open

Andy Roddick used his dominating serve to win the SAP Open for the third time in his career, beating Radek Stepanek 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday in San Jose, Calif.

The top-seeded Roddick never even faced a break point in the final as Stepanek had no answer for his booming serve. Roddick closed out each set with an ace to win his 23rd career title.

In the doubles final, Americans Scott Lipsky and David Martin won their first career title, beating top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 (4), 7-5 in a matchup of former Stanford stars.

“Maria Sharapova defeated Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in the Qatar Open final in Doha, Qatar, remaining unbeaten this season and earning her 18th career title.

The Australian Open champion is 14-0, including two wins in the Fed Cup for Russia this year. Sharapova is 9-0 in Doha, where she won in 2005.

“Countryman David Nalbandian earned his eighth career title, rallying to defeat Jose Acasuso 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 at the Copa Telmex final in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“Michael Llodra of France won his third career title, beating Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the ABN Amro final in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

“Spanish qualifier Nuria Llagostera Vives won her second WTA Tour title, defeating Maria Emilia Salerni 6-0, 6-4 in the Copa Colsanitas final in Bogota, Colombia.

Winter sports

Davis clinches title

American Shani Davis won his second speedskating title in three days, edging Denny Morrison in the 1,000 meters in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

Davis finished in 1 minute, 8.63 seconds, and Morrison of Canada was 0.12 behind. Simon Kuipers of the Netherlands was third.

Davis finished ahead in the overall standings with 840 points to Morrison’s 736. On Friday, Davis beat Morrison to clinch the World Cup season title in the 1,500.

“Germany’s Maria Riesch won the women’s super combined, edging Austria’s Marlies Schild by 0.09 seconds in the only World Cup event in Whistler, British Columia, before the 2010 Olympics.

Lindsey Vonn led the American contingent with a sixth-place finish, but her lead in the overall World Cup standings was trimmed to 54 points over Nicole Hosp after the Austrian finished fourth in the super combined.

“Andre Lange of Germany set a track record and won his second gold medal in the four-man event at the bobsled world championships in Altenberg, Germany.

Lange, the double gold medal winner from the 2006 Olympics, lowered the track record to 53.17 on his third run in front of 10,000 spectators.

“Paul Robbins, the ski and travel journalist who served as the U.S. Ski Team’s primary writer for more than two decades, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack in Weathersfield, Vt. He was 68.

Miscellany

Sprints in spotlight

Four-time U.S. outdoor champion Khadevis Robinson held off a lunging Nicholas Symmonds by a mere hundreth of a second to win the men’s 800 meters in 1:46.95 at the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston.

The contest highlighted the fast and furious second day of the competition as the sprints took center stage.

Defending women’s 60-meter hurdles champ Lolo Jones won easily in 7.88 seconds and Michael Rodgers won the 60-meter dash in 6.54 seconds.

Many of the United States’ top track and field athletes are not competing because it’s an Olympic year.

“Sean Rosenthal and Nicole Branagh each went undefeated to win titles on the final stop of the AVP’s Hot Winter Nights indoor beach volleyball tour Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Casey Jennings and April Ross were champions when the tour rolled through Spokane on Feb. 13. Rosenthal, Jennings and Jake Gibb each won a tour-high three events during an inaugural 19-city tour that started on Jan. 10 in Oklahoma City.

“Brazilian forward Bare scored four goals to lead Gamba Osaka to a 6-1 win over the Houston Galaxy for the Pan-Pacific Championship on Saturday night in Honolulu.

“Cool Coal Man took a late lead and won the $350,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“Texas native Alton Jones won his first Bassmaster Classic title, beating Cliff Pace by 5 pounds, 2 ounces at Lake Hartwell in Greensville, S.C. Jones had a three-day catch total of 49 pounds, 7 ounces.