Roddick preps for U.S. Open with RCA win

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Andy Roddick is taking a familiar route to the U.S. Open.
Roddick overwhelmed Nicolas Kiefer 6-2, 6-3 Sunday to win his second straight RCA Championships title.
The second-ranked American joined 1991-92 winner Pete Sampras as the only repeat champions since the event switched from clay to hard courts in 1988.
Last year, Roddick used the RCA Championships as a springboard to a 27-1 hard-court season that included his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
To play in Olympics
Roddick said that success doesn't mean anything, but he couldn't hide his optimism for a busy summer that includes the Athens Olympics.
"I'm happy I started off the summer on a good note," Roddick said after dominating Kiefer in less than an hour. "I'm starting to hit the ball from the baseline better, and the mental game is there, too."
Kiefer can attest to that.
The light-hitting German had no answer for Roddick's trademark blistering serve and powerful groundstrokes. Roddick broke Kiefer's serve in the fourth game to take the momentum, and Kiefer never recovered.
"I wasn't able to do it today," Kiefer said. "He broke me early in the first set, and I made it very easy for him."
The top-seeded Roddick ripped 10 aces, routinely topping 140 mph, including three in the final game to blow Kiefer away. Countless other times, Kiefer flailed wildly at big serve after big serve, barely getting a piece.
"I read in the paper this morning that he said there was no reason he couldn't break my serve," Roddick said. "I took exception to that."
But Roddick showed much more than just a strong serve, blasting backhands and forehands for winners in his third straight final, after winning at Queen's Club and losing to Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Beating Kiefer gave Roddick his fourth title of the year.
It's all part of his quest to become a more well-rounded player under coach Brad Gilbert, after being pigeonholed as the young kid with the rocket serve early in his career.
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