Querrey Beats Murray To Win Fourth Title

© AFP/Getty ImagesSam Querrey celebrates his fourth title of the year and first win over Andy Murray.

Second seed Sam Querrey won his fourth title of the year in Los Angeles Sunday after claiming his first win in five career meetings with Andy Murray at the Farmers Classic.

The defending champion saved one match point in the second set before clawing out a 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-3 win in 2 hrs., 22 mins. Querrey, who had never won a set in four prior meetings with Murray, wins $111,950 and 250 South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking points.

With Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan earlier winning their sixth Farmers Classic title, it is the first time in the 84-year history of the tournament that both the singles and doubles champions have repeated their titles.

In avenging his recent fourth-round loss to Murray at Wimbledon, Querrey improved to 4-1 in finals this season, a vast improvement on his 1-4 record in his five finals appearances in 2009. Querrey added to his 2010 titles in Memphis (d. Isner), Belgrade (d. Isner) and Queen's Club (d. Fish). He finished runner-up in Houston to Juan Ignacio Chela.

Querrey, 22, is the first player since Spaniard Albert Montanes last year in Estoril to win two matches from match point down in the same tournament. Querrey saved one match point in the semi-finals against Janko Tipsarevic.

Querrey, who saved one match point in the final of Belgrade in May (d. Isner), is also the first player to win at least two ATP World Tour titles saving match point in the same season since Andy Roddick did it three times in 2003 (Queen's, Cincinnati, US Open).

"All four matches were really exciting this week," said Querrey after the win. "It was nice to get through them all and it feels great. This is the first time that I've actually tried to defend a title because the Vegas tournament went away.

"The last two sets today were great, Andy is one of those players who allows me to hit my shots."

Querrey now travels to Washington to play the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Murray said: "It was a good week. Disappointed to lose today but if you take the circumstances into consideration I have to be happy with getting to the final. I had a good week, I enjoyed it.

"Each match I felt better physically. I played reasonably well today, better than the other matches."