(June 16, 2013) -- After waiting nearly a year,
Roger Federer finally raised his arms in triumph at the end of a tournament as he claimed the Gerry Weber Open title in Halle.
But that title, his first this season and first since winning in Cincinnati last year, didn't come easy for the former No. 1. Despite Federer holding a 14-0 lifetime record against his opponent
Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, that didn't seem to matter. Especially to Youzhny, who fought back from 0-40 in his opening service game to start the match.
After surviving that scare, Youzhny stayed level with Federer throughout the first set with a combination of confidence and good serving. Eventually both players found themselves in a tiebreak, and it was a loose backhand error from Federer that gave Youzhny a 4-3 edge.
Federer pulled even in the tiebreak, but a big crosscourt backhand from Youzhny that Federer couldn't handle produced set point to the Russian. Youzhny knifed a perfect high backhand volley winner on the next point to seize the set 7-6(5).
Frustrated early in the second set with his inability to break Youzhny, Federer at one juncture put his hands on his hips as if to say, "What gives?" But Youzhny soon gave away his own serve at love with a double fault to hand Federer a 5-3 lead.
A few points later, Federer hit a sweeping crosscourt backhand that forced a error from Youzhny. With that, Federer pocketed the second set 6-3.
The early stages of the final set became a serving contest with neither man budging on their serve. But for Youzhny, the question at 3-all became if he believed he could stare down Federer in the late stretch despite being so close to a first-ever win against the Swiss star.
The answer became an inevitable "no" as Federer upped his level just enough to find himself at break point. Youzhny, as he had done most of the match, attacked the net. But a targeted down-the-line pass from Federer allowed him to convert for a 4-3 lead.
Youzhny did force Federer to serve for the title at 5-4, but that was just a formality. A final big serve from Federer, who hit 11 aces on the day, clinched the 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Not only is this Federer's sixth title in Halle, but he now joins
John McEnroe on the all-time winners list with 77 career titles to his name. Only
Ivan Lendl with 94 and
Jimmy Connors with 109 titles lead Federer in that stat department.
Federer's message on Twitter afterwards appropriately summed up his feelings, as he now looks to defend his Wimbledon title in a few weeks time.