Blake thwarts Moya comeback to retain Sydney title

SYDNEY, Jan 13 (Reuters) American James Blake captured his sixth title in 12 months when he beat Spain's Carlos Moya 6-3 5-7 6-1 today to win the Sydney International for the second year running.

Blake fought off a brave fightback from Moya to wrap up victory in two hours and join Pete Sampras and Lleyton Hewitt as the only men to win the title in successive years since tennis turned professional in 1968.

Moya, runner-up in Sydney in 1997 and again in 2004 when he retired from the final with a twisted ankle, looked to be heading to a straight sets defeat when he trailed 4-0 in the second before fighting back to force a third set.

But Blake, ranked four in the world, ran the Spaniard ragged in the deciding set to gain an early psychological boost over Moya with the pair drawn to play each other on Tuesday in the first round of next week's Australian Open.

REUTERS AY BS1646