Murray downs Roddick to reach San Jose final

SAN JOSE, California, Feb 18 (Reuters) Defending champion Andy Murray beat top seed Andy Roddick 7-6 6-4 to reach the final of the San Jose Open.

In a repeat of last year's semi-final, third seed Murray served 14 aces on the way to victory and now plays Ivo Karlovic in the final after the big-serving Croat beat German Benjamin Becker 7-6 7-5.

Murray broke Roddick in the eighth game of the first set but the American broke back immediately and forced a tiebreak.

Roddick led 6-4 in the tiebreak but the 19-year-old Scot saved a series of set points before clinching the opener 10-8 with a backhand pass that clipped the net.

Murray broke again in the fifth game of the second set and after saving a break point at 4-3, held on to reach his fifth ATP Tour final.

''In the tiebreak, obviously he had a couple of set points but after that I felt in control,'' Murray said.

''I returned well, I passed well and got into a lot of his service games and apart from one service game in the first set I think I played a good match.'' The Scot's victory in San Jose last year gave him his first ATP Tour title. Murray said the feeling of reaching the final was slightly different this time around.

''Last year was my first really big win against a top-five player,'' he said. ''Since then I think I'm maybe 6-3 against top-five players so it's not as much of a shock to me.'' Roddick, the 2004 and 2005 champion, was left to rue missed opportunities.

''I feel like in the first set I gave myself more than my fair share of chances and I didn't convert them, so I deserved to lose,'' Roddick said.

Roddick has now lost three of his four encounters with Murray and admitted that the Scot matches up well against him.

''He handles pace well,'' he said. ''He can hit passing shots from any position. He is great at playing defence from tough positions, he moves well and even when he is on the run he is able to create something.'' Karlovic, 90 places below Murray in the world rankings, had 27 aces against Becker on the way to reaching his second career ATP Tour final.

''I was serving really good, that was the key,'' Karlovic said, after taking his aces tally to 87 for the week. ''But I also think in the crucial moments I returned well too.'' The Croat, who beat James Blake and Mardy Fish on his way to the last four, grew in confidence in the second set and after breaking in the 11th game, he served out for victory.

REUTERS DH PM1218