Taylor Fails to Make a Dent in Novak at ATP Tokyo

No. 5 seed Jiri Novak made good on his upset of top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals at the ATP stop in Tokyo on Saturday, Sunday outlasting No. 7 seed Taylor Dent 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 for his first title of the year.

"I felt great the whole week," Novak said. "I beat Paradorn (Srichaphan) and (Lleyton) Hewitt, and Dent in the final, so I feel I was playing very well in Tokyo. This is my sixth (career) title and I'm very excited about it."

The two were playing in their first finals of 2004.

"Jiri played very well," said Dent, who seems to still be struggling with obtaining a top fitness level. "He made me work hard to keep holding my service games and I had weary legs in the second and third sets. He played solid throughout the whole match and I was made to work for everything."

In the doubles final the No. 2-seeded team of Jared Palmer and Pavel Vizner defeated No. 4-seeded Czechs Novak and Petr Pala for their third title of the year when Novak retired during the first set with a rib injury.