Ljubicic stuns Roddick
03/21/2010 11:40:34 PM
Veteran Ivan Ljubicic claimed his first ever ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title with a straight-sets win over Andy Roddick at the BNP Paribas Open.
In a match where neither player was able to break serve, the Croatian held firm to claim his breakthrough success 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) in two hours and seven minutes.
Ljubicic, who turned 31 on Friday, beat world No.2 Novak Djokovic and reigning champion Rafael Nadal to reach the final and became the oldest winner at Indian Wells since Jimmy Connors in 1984.
Both players dominated on serve but it was Ljubicic who proved strongest when it counted in the tie-breakers, thanks largely to his 21 aces.
Fittingly it was his serve that clinched the match, on his fourth match point, when he arrowed one into the corner that Roddick could only fend short of the net.