Federer Wins Dubai; Zakopalova Fight-back
Sterling Federer Tops Berdych for 6th Dubai Crown
Roger Federer extended his career magic at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this weekend, in the final defeating Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The No. 4-seeded Swiss captured his 78th career title, and dropped the No. 3-seeded Czech to 9-12 in career finals.
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“It was a tough opening period in the third, wasting the love-40 game on Tomas’ first service game,” said Federer, who in the semifinals outlasted former No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the three sets. “Then saving break points myself. Anything could have happened there. Things definitely went my way out here tonight.”
It was Federer’s sixth Dubai crown, lifting his win-loss record at the event to 42-5, adding to trophies in 2003-05, 2007 and 2012. “I had really many chances, and then I basically just gave him the game and that’s it,” Berdych said. “It’s very disappointing for me the way I handled that situation. I was in the better shape and playing really well and made my chances, but unfortunately I didn’t execute it in the end.”
Zakopalova Denies Muguruza for Brasil Tennis Title
No. 3-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic outlasted No. 2 Garbine Muguruza 4-6, 7-5, 6-0 for her third career title at the Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis.
“I was losing the whole match, but anything can happen in a final,” Zakpalova said. “Winning this title is just incredible…I’ll be celebrating this for sure on the plane.”
Trailing 4-6, 2-5, Zakopalova forced Muguruza to close it out by chasing everything down and hanging in, resulting in Muguruza folding and the Czech winning the next 11 games. It was Zakopalova’s first title in more than eight years, and she improved to 3-12 in career finals. Muguruza, who beat Zakopalova in the Hobart final earlier this year, dropped to 1-1 in career finals.
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