Federer ends title drought in Halle
Wimbledon champion Roger Federer won his 77th career singles title by fighting back to defeat Mikhail Youzhny 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.
The top seeded Swiss failed to convert five break points in the opening set and saw the unseeded Russian take the lead with a high backhand volley sealing the tie-break.
Federer, who scored a rare 6-0, 6-0 victory in the quarter finals, gained the first break of the match when Youzhny double faulted at 3-4 in the second and the World No.3 duly levelled the match.
The 17-time major winner broke for 4-3 in the decider with a rasping backhand pass down the line and Federer sealed his sixth Halle crown, and first title since August 2012, when Youzhny netted a backhand return in the tenth game.
Stat Attack - Federer
- With his 77th career singles title Federer draws level with John McEnroe at No.3 on the Open Era list only trailing Ivan Lendl (94) and Jimmy Connors (109)
- It was the first time since Hamburg in 2007 that Federer has won a title coming from a set down in both a semi-final and final
Stat Attack – Youzhny
- Youzhny took out three seeded opponents to reach his first grass court final at the 29th attempt
Murray battles back for third Queen’s crown
US Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray won his third title at the AEGON Championships with a hard fought 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 victory over defending champion Marin Cilic at Queen’s Club in London.
After rain delayed play, top seed Murray made the faster start and raced into a 3-0 lead. However Cilic, who took out second seed Tomas Berdych in the quarter finals, broke back in the seventh game.
The fifth seeded Croat went ahead when Murray’s forehand went wide off the net cord in the eleventh game and Cilic then served out to take the lead.
A tight second set saw games go with serve until Murray converted his first set point at 6-5 when Cilic netted a forehand.
With the momentum Murray broke for 3-1 in the decider and maintained the advantage to lift his 27th career singles title after two hours and 33 minutes.
Stat Attack – Murray
- The British No.1 joins Jimmy Connors as a three-time champion at Queen’s Club; only four-time champions John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick have won more
- Murray now leads Cilic 9-1 in their head to head series including victories at all four Grand Slams
Stat Attack – Cilic
- It was the Croatian’s 17th career singles final – he now holds a 9-8 record
Hantuchova clinches first grass court title
At the ninth attempt Daniela Hantuchova won the Aegon Classic in Birmingham with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over London-based Croatian teenager Donna Vekic.
In a hard hitting final on the Ann Jones Centre Court Hantuchova broke in the seventh game when Vekic double faulted but the 16 year-old emphatically broke back to love with a forehand crosscourt winner in the next game.
The set went to a tie-break which saw 30 year-old Hantuchova lead 5-2 and Vekic draw level at 5-5. However Hantuchova took the final two points to take the lead after 50 minutes.
Vekic broke to love in the third game of the second set but the Slovakian former World No.5 broke straight back with a running forehand down the line.
Game went with serve until Vekic served to stay in the match. Hantuchova reached match point and forced the young Croat into error with a deep backhand drive to clinch her sixth career singles title.
Stat Attack – Hantuchova
- Hantuchova won her 500th career match win in the second round against Laura Robson
- The Slovak is one of only six women to have completed a career Grand Slam of all four Mixed Doubles major titles
Stat Attack – Vekic
- Vekic vaults up 25 places to a new career high ranking of 64th this week
Halep inaugural champion at Nürnberg
On the German red clay of Nurnberg Simona Halep won her first career singles title with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Andrea Petkovic at the inaugural NÜRNBERGER VERSICHERUNGSCUP.
Former World No.9 Petkovic netted a forehand return on a break point chance in the second game and it was seventh seeded Halep who made the first breakthrough by breaking to 15 in the fifth game.
The 22 year-old Romanian broke again in the ninth game ending the set with a forehand crosscourt winner
Halep fended off two break points to start set No.2 and broke the German with a winning forehand return a game later and moved clear 3-0.
Serving for the match Halep survived three break points and converted her first match point with a forehand winner.
Stat Attack – Halep
- The Romanian had lost her previous three WTA finals, all on clay and one in each of the previous three years
- Halep was junior French Open champion in 2008
Stat Attack – Petkovic
- Having won a $100K ITF tournament in Marseille the previous week Petkovic was on a nine match winning streak entering the final