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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:12 a.m., Sunday, October 26, 2008

Tennis: Soderling beats Benneteau to win Lyon final

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Robin Soderling of Sweden returns the ball to France's Julien Benneteau during their final match Sunday at the Lyon's Grand Prix Tennis indoor tournament, in Lyon, central France.

LAURENT CIPRIANI | Associated Press

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LYON, France — Robin Soderling of Sweden earned his third career title and first since 2005 with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 victory over Julien Benneteau at the Lyon Grand Prix on Sunday.

Soderling, who was playing in his fourth indoor final of the season, broke Benneteau four times in the match and dropped his serve only once to win the Lyon title for the second time, after also winning at the Gerland arena in 2004.

The 24-year-old Soderling's previous title came three years ago in Milan, Italy.

Benneteau briefly rallied when he broke Soderling in the eighth game of the second set to make it 4-4 but then faded quickly.

The Frenchman only converted one of the four chances he had to break Soderling in the second set.

Soderling, who had 10 aces in the match, had lost his previous three finals this season in Stockholm, Sweden; Memphis, Tennessee; and Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Benneteau was in his second career final — both this year — after losing to Gilles Simon on clay in Casablanca, Morocco, in May.