Eastbourne: Andy Roddick's confidence was boosted by winning the Eastbourne Championships on the eve of Wimbledon when he beat defending champion Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-2 in the final on Saturday.
Tamira Paszek of Austria fought off five match points to defeat fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in the women's final.
Roddick entered the event as a wild card after losing his opening match at Queen's Club last week, a defeat that stretched his losing streak to six matches dating to mid-March.
It's his 31st career title, ending a 16-month drought. Roddick was thrilled with his week in the genteel atmosphere of the English south coast resort.
"It's everything I could have asked for," he said. "I feel like I can come here and get my work in. The facility has been great. The courts have been great. There's plenty of practice courts. The community really seems to support this event.
"You know, you're not dealing with the hustle and bustle of a massive city. I think before a major, that's nice. You can kind of come down here under the radar and get my work done and really have a positive week. So it was a really good opportunity for me."
He earned a business-like win against the third-seeded Italian, speeding to a 5-1 lead in the opening set. He was equally dominant in the second, often forcing his opponent into errors.
Paszek claimed her first title since she won Quebec City late in 2010, and her victory comes after she won just two matches this year with 11 first-round defeats.
The unseeded Austrian battled back from a set and 4-0 down against defending champion Marion Bartoli in the semifinals, and she trailed Kerber 4-2 in the final set of their 2-hour, 45-minute final.
Kerber was chasing her third title of the year after winning the Paris Indoor and Copenhagen events.
"I don't know what kept me going, how I kept going," said Paszek, who faces former top-ranked player Caroline Wozniacki in her opening match at Wimbledon. "I was dead tired in the third set. I could hardly move. I just gave all I had left, and it just was enough."
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