NUMBER one seed Andy Roddick powered to his first title of the season with a 7-5 7-5 win over Radek Stepanek in the final of the Memphis Open. The big-serving American fired down eight aces, one more than Stepanek, to claim his 27th career crown and the $300,000 top prize. The win was the second Memphis title for Roddick. The 26-year-old enjoyed success at the same venue back in 2002. World number six Roddick improved to a 5-1 record against Stepanek, who was seeking his second title in as many weeks after victory in San Jose. Roddick broke Stepanek in the second game of the match but the Czech fifth-seed answered by breaking back in the fifth game and holding serve to level the scores at 3-3. Roddick broke again in the last game of the first set and after Stepanek failed to take any of his three break chances in the second set, the American made him pay by winning the Czech's final service game. Stepanek, 30, had not lost a set at Memphis the entire week. He admitted that his failure to take advantage of his break points cost him. The win for Roddick, who lost to Stepanek in the semi-finals of the San Jose Open last week, ended his opponent's bid for back-to-back title wins. It was Roddick's fourth final at Memphis, where he was champion in 2002 and runner-up in 2003 and 2007. In the women's final, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus beat Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-3. Azarenka was far too strong for Wozniacki, overpowering her at the start of the second set to take 12 out of 14 points and move into a 4-1 lead. Wozniacki then had treatment on an ankle injury and could not find a way back into the match, with second seed Azarenka sealing victory when the Dane hit a forehand long. The win follows her triumph in Brisbane in January and will move Azarenka up to 11th in the world rankings
