Blake sets up Roddick showdown

Blake now meets Roddick in the final

Click here for Saturday's results from Memphis

James Blake set up a clash with Andy Roddick in the final of the Kroger St Jude tournament in Memphis with a surprise win over Jan-Michael Gambill.

Blake, who beat number one seed Tommy Haas in the quarter-finals, defeated Gambill 6-4 7-6.

Gambill, seeded three in the tournament, had been tipped to overpower his 22-year-old opponent but made a total of 36 unforced errors on his way to defeat.

Blake, ranked 90th in the current ATP Champions Race, got the break he needed in the first set.

He looked on course to lose the second, but Gambill threw away two set points while 5-6 up on the Blake serve.

Roddick came from a set down to win

The set went to a tiebreak which Blake won 10-8.

Afterwards he said: "It feels great. I'm really excited about tomorrow.

"I keep improving, I'm trying to get better and to do it in a big tournament like this having to beat so many good players feels good."

Roddick's transition into the final was far harder as the American was forced to come back from a set down to finally beat Belgium's Xavier Malisse.

Roddick eventually won the match 6-7 6-3 6-3 to set up the first all-American final since 1994.

And the 19-year-old said: "I don't think we needed a final to show there's some good young American players coming up.

"But anytime there's two Americans in a final, I'm all for it. I grinded it out, and I had to work off it."

In the all-American women's final, Lisa Raymond beat Alexandra Stevenson 4-6 6-3 7-6.

It was Raymond's third-career title and denied Stevenson of her first career title.

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Saturday's results from Memphis

Men: Semi-finals
James Blake (USA) bt Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) 6-4 7-6
Andy Roddick (USA) bt Xavier Malisse (Bel) 6-7 6-3 6-3

Women: Final:
Lisa Raymond (USA) bt Alexandra Stevenson (USA) 4-6 6-3 7-6

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