Top-seeded Robin Soderling beat defending champion Andy Roddick 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday to win the Brisbane International singles title. With torrential rain falling outside the roofed but outdoor Pat Rafter Arena, Soderling's strong serve and pinpoint return of serve stymied Roddick throughout the match and enabled the Swede to finish the tournament without dropping a set. "He had a great week, played well today and served too well," Roddick said. "Every time I had a look in, he came up with one of those big serves. I'm usually on this side, but today I was on the other side." Chair umpire Fergus Murphy called the players off the court after rain blew in through a gap between the stands and the roof. The delay at 4-4 in the second set appeared to be prompted by Roddick slipping on the baseline. During the break, Roddick was heard to tell Murphy: "I am not getting hurt before the [Australian] Open," which begins Jan. 17. "I just wanted to make sure we weren't playing on a slippery court," he said later of his spirited conversation with Murphy. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=6004203
