Roddick had phases when he attacked well from the net, and, particularly in the final set, came up with some accurate ground strokes which frustrated the in-form Lopez.
"I didn't feel like he was missing at all in the first set," said Roddick.
"When I lost the tie-break I told myself just keep at it because I don't remember him missing a ball.
"This is as well as I have ever played.
"With these great players here and to finish a week like this it is just great."
Andy Roddick |
"With these great players here and to finish a week like this it is just great."
Games went with serve in the first set, with both players sending down plaenty of aces, and Lopez saving three break points against him.
However Roddick, playing in his first tournament since splitting with coach Jimmy Connors, failed to hold his nerve in a long tie-break, with Lopez winning 10-8 and with it the first set.
In the second set, Lopez thundered down three aces in a row, his 17th, 18th and 19th of the match to go 4-3 up, but Roddick then reeled off three straight games to level the match at one set apiece.
The American kept plugging steadily away with his returns and his ground strokes and was rewarded with another break at the start of the final set, and consolidated the break with a hold to love, and then reached 3-1 with another easy hold of serve.
Roddick's experience then showed towards the end, as he closed out the final with an easy 6-2 final set.