Federer rallies to clinch sixth Halle title

Federer wins Halle Tennis Open

Roger Federer clinched the title at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle for the sixth time in his career with a spirited come-from-behind victory over Mikhail Youzhny to earn his first title of the season. Youzhny had ousted three seeded players enroute to the final – Kei Nishikori, Philipp Kohlschreiber and then the second seeded Richard Gasquet in the semis. But Federer played with renewed focus on losing the first set to earn a memorable 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 victory in just over two hours.

If there was an assumption that it was going to be a smooth ride for the five times champion, Youzhny reminded Federer of the task at hand at the very start. Federer pushed Youzhny to a corner in the first game. The Russian proved equal to the task, refusing to budge in the face of an early attack from the Swiss. Youzhny fought hard to save four break points, surviving a nearly five minute first game to hold serve

The unseeded Russian struck a forehand cross court return winner in the fourth game to gain his first break point, but Federer survived a couple of deuce points to hold serve and stay even at 2-2. The Russian started to get a good read on the serve, causing trouble to the Swiss.

Federer served a double fault in the sixth game to find himself in a spot of bother at 15-30. The top seed survived the brief hitch with a couple of big serves to bail out and hold serve to 3-3. Youzhny made a stern statement with a love hold in the next game to stay ahead at 4-3.

Federer was once more in a familiar situation of bother at 15-30, when he conceded points with uncharacteristically loose shots. Yet again, the Swiss recovered his poise to hold serve and keep the set on serve.

A brilliant forehand pass in the ninth game to reach 15-15 was Federer’s first real moment of assertion in a few minutes. Another point later, there was a moment of sheer genius that brought the crowd to its feet. Youzhny sent a cross court forehand that landed at the feet of Federer and the maestro picked it off his shoe laces for a feathery drop shot winner.

None of that distracted Youzhny, as the determined Russian went on to hold serve and force Federer to serve to stay in the set. Serving at 5-5, Youzhny sent in his first double fault to offer an opening at 15-30. Federer squandered it immediately with an overcooked forehand. A fine rally ensued at 30-30 and this time it was Youzhny who made the forehand error to gift Federer his fifth break point of the set.

Youzhny responded with grit and determination to hold off the Swiss and take the lead again. A fine lob from Youzhny put Federer under considerable pressure at 30-30 in the twelfth game. A missed volley from Federer helped Youzhny to force deuce. Federer fired a forehand long to offer set point to the Russian.

Federer responded with a couple of big serves to regain the advantage. On the next point, Youzhny hustled Federer with resolute defence and a sliced backhand to fall back to deuce. Eventually, it took a couple of refined volleys at the net for Federer to hold serve and force the tie-break.

Federer had a 3-1 edge over Youzhny in tie-breakers between the two of them, but there was nothing to separate the two in this one when they changed ends at 3-3. It was Youzhny who earned the first mini-break when Federer sent a backhand wide on the next point.

A lucky net cord bailed out Federer, with Youzhny bearing over the ball at the net, when it flew off the tape and beyond the reach of the Russian. On the next point, it was Youzhny in control again but Federer read a backhand drop well to nail a winner to the line.

Unfortunately for Federer, the Russian packed too much power on his backhand forcing the Swiss to yield the point with a backhand into the net. On his second set point, Youzhny was far more assured, finishing the set in style with a crisply struck backhand volley.

Youzhny had taken the first set off Federer when the two met in Halle ten years ago, but the Swiss fought back to prevail in three sets 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach the finals. The Gerry Weber stadium was filled with an air of anticipation, wondering if Federer can script yet another comeback.

Youzhny had never won against Federer in 14 previous matches, but at 1-1 in the second set it was the Swiss who was looking like the one being hunted. Needing to get himself back into the contest, Federer held to love for a second time in the set to take a 3-2 lead on serve.

Youzhny was playing an erratic service game in the sixth and Federer earned his sixth opportunity of the match to break the Russian. As he had throughout the match, the Russian resorted to raw aggression to run Federer ragged along the baseline before saving it with a smash winner. Federer’s worries increased, when he allowed the game to slip away with a couple of forehand errors.

Federer pulled off a spectacular smash from the baseline to hold serve with ease and keep his nose ahead at 4-3. He made a big move in the next game, drawing Youzhny to the forehand side before finishing the point with an inside out forehand to gain a foothold at 0-30.

Youzhny sailed a backhand long on the next point to offer three break points to the beleaguered Swiss. Federer hadn’t converted any of his six earlier break opportunities, but Youzhny made it simple for the Swiss by throwing in a double fault.

Serving to force the decider at 5-3 Federer earned two set points, gaining an error from the Russian with a powerfully struck inside out forehand. Youzhny saved the first, but he sent a backhand into the net on the next point to concede the set. The last time the Halle final went the distance was in 2010, when Lleyton Hewitt fought back from a set down to defeat Federer.

After a lacklustre first set in which Federer made 12 unforced errors, he tightened the game in the second to halt the decline and work his way back into the match. Federer made just four errors in the second set and won 32 of 50 points to dominate the Russian.

There was scent of opportunity in the third game of the final set when Youzhny failed to pick up a half volley to trail 15-30. A backhand error from the Swiss and a 205kmph serve bailed out the Russian as he went on to hold serve.

Federer might well have been trailing, but his service games were proving to be a breeze as the match progressed. A hold to love for the sixth time in the match and a second time in the final set helped the Swiss stay even at 3-3.

A window of opportunity opened for Federer when Youzhny made an error to fall to 0-30. Another lose point from the Russian helped the Swiss gain three break points. The smell of imminent danger helped Youzhny play a good point to save the first, but Federer threaded the needle with a brilliant backhand pass to take the vital break.

A scorching inside out forehand took Federer to within two points of a sixth title and Youzhny helped him to three match points when he dragged a forehand wide on the next point. Another error from Youzhny was enough to hand Federer his first title since August 2012, with his wife and daughters watching from the stands.

Four of Federer’s seven titles at Wimbledon came after winning at Halle, the question on many minds now will be whether Federer can successfully defend his title when the 127^th edition of the greatest tennis tournament gets underway a week from now.

The loss earned €65,000 in prize money and 150 ranking points. Federer took home an imposing Gerry Weber Open trophy for the sixth time, 250 ranking points and the little sum of €123,400 to cushion his nearly $78mn earnings. The victory also helped Federer emulate John McEnroe with 77 career titles on the ATP World Tour.