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Rediff.com  » Sports » The happy hunting grounds for Roger Federer

The happy hunting grounds for Roger Federer

By Rediff Sports Desk
Last updated on: August 24, 2015 15:00 IST
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On Sunday Roger Federer ensured Novak Djokovic finished second best in Cincinnati for the fifth time in his career and denied him a 'career-masters'.

In the process, the Swiss bettered his own record at the prestigious Masters Series event.  Federer has now won all the seven finals he contested in Ohio.

Rediff.com takes a look at a few other events that have fetched prolific returns for the Swiss master.

Roger Federer

Switzerland's Roger Federer poses with the trophy after defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men’s singles final at the Western & Southern Open. Photograph: Rob Carr/Getty Images

Roger Federer avenged his Wimbledon final loss to Novak Djokovic by beating the Serb 7-6(1), 6-3 on Sunday to capture his second consecutive Western & Southern Open title.

The Swiss second seed, playing Djokovic for the first time since losing to him in the Wimbledon final for a second straight year last month, brought his record number of Cincinnati titles to seven with the victory.

Federer also denied longtime rival Djokovic from completing the set of all nine ATP Masters titles and took a 21-20 edge in career head-to-head meetings.

He claimed his 87th career ATP title and his 24th trophy in a Masters 1000 event. More importantly, it was his seventh title in Cincinnati from as many finals. Can there be a more perfect record?

Wimbledon (seven titles, 10 finals)

Roger Federer

Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates victory with the trophy after the Wimbledon men's singles final against Andy Roddick of USA in 2009. Federer won 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Federer is proud of all his Grand Slam singles titles, but if the Swiss master could add just one more to his record men's haul of 17, it would be at Wimbledon.

Another singles title at the All England Club would give him a record eighth Wimbledon crown, breaking his tie with Pete Sampras and WC Renshaw of the late 19th century.

'I'd love to win Wimbledon. I think it's possible, and I think if I win Wimbledon it's more cool for me personally, and my team and Swiss people and my fans,' the Swiss had said earlier.

Federer won five straight titles at the All England Club between 2003-07 and then again in 2009 and 2012. Besides, he made three other finals.

Basel (six titles, 11 finals)

Roger Federer

Switzerland's Roger Federer holds the trophy after winning his sixth Swiss Indoors ATP tennis tournament in Basel. Photograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Federer won the Swiss Indoors title in his home city of Basel for a sixth time last year. 

The ATP Tour 500 Series is an important stoppage en route to the season-ending World Tour Finals and one of the tournaments where Federer first impressed.

Early in his career, he lost successive finals in Basel, in 2000-01. His first title came in 2006. 

He reached at least the final since, winning his home tournament in 2007-08, 2010-11 and 2014.

ATP World Tour Finals (six titles, nine finals)

Roger Federer

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action during the ATP World Tour Finals at O2 Arena in London. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Federer has dominated the season-ender.

Having won successive titles in Houston (2003-04), the Swiss lost the 2005 final, when the event moved to Shanghai, to David Nalbandian. He won the subsequent two editions in the Chinese city before adding two more titles (2010-11) when the event moved to the O2 Arena in London.

He withdrew from the 2014 ATP World Tour final against Novak Djokovic because of a back injury. 

The 34-year-old Swiss announced he was 'not match-fit' as he apologized in person to the crowd. He will return to have another shot this November.

Dubai (seven titles, nine finals)

Roger Federer

 

Federer first won in Dubai in 2003.

Subsequent triumphs followed in 2004-05, 2007, 2012, 2014-15.

The only two players to get the better of the Swiss ace in the desert are Rafael Nadal (2006) and Djokovic (2011). 

Federer held off a strong challenge from Djokovic to win 6-3, 7-5 and claimed a historic seventh title this February.

Halle (eight titles, 10 finals)

 Roger Federer

 

Finally to the tournament that Federer has won the most times, eight to be precise. 

The grass courts of Halle - the tournament acts as a build-up to Wimbledon - witnessed the Swiss winning four straight times between 2003-06, and again in 2008. 

So much so that his losses in the German city made more news than his wins, as was the case in 2010 - lost to Lleyton Hewitt; 2012 - lost to Tommy Haas. 

Federer has since recovered and won the last three editions, the tournament having been upgraded to the ATP Tour 500 Series category from this year. 

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