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Federer wins Dubai Tennis Championships final
Swiss star edges out UK’s Andy Murray to claim victory
The 16-times grand slam winner may no longer be favorite for the top prizes but few can match his longevity or dedication on the grueling men’s tour and the 30-year-old claimed his fifth Dubai title without dropping a set all week. (AFP/Getty Images)
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum (R) sits next to his son and Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan as they attend the ATP Dubai Open. (AFP/Getty Images)
“Against Andy I knew I had to stay aggressive but not overly – you don’t want to overhit,” Federer told reporters. “I think I found the right balance out there tonight.” (AFP/Getty Images)
The Swiss has now won five of his past seven tournaments since reaching the semi-finals of last year’s US Open. (AFP/Getty Images)
“There is no substitute to confidence,” said Federer. “I’m defending much better than I was in the middle of last year where I felt like I couldn’t come out of tough defensive positions anymore. I was able to turn it around. Now, I just have to keep it up.” (AFP/Getty Images)
Third-seeded Murray went into Saturday’s final with an 8-6 winning record against second seed Federer, although the Swiss has won both of their grand slam encounters. (AFP/Getty Images)
Murray, 24, did beat world number one Novak Djokovic on Friday to reach the final and gain revenge for his semi-final defeat by the Serb in January’s Australian Open. (AFP/Getty Images)
But he was strangely lackluster against Federer and struggled to get his service going with his first serve percentage dipping from a modest 58 in his opening four service games to a lamentable 38 over the next five. (AFP/Getty Images)
Federer, in response, abandoned his strategy of hugging the baseline and instead prowled the net at every opportunity on both his and Murray’s serve. (AFP/Getty Images)
