ROGER Federer yesterday clinched his 72nd career title and fifth in Dubai with a 7-5, 6-4 victory as Andy Murray failed to replicate the kind of form that took him past Novak Djokovic in the semifinal. The win is Federer’s eighth in fifteen encounters against Murray and victory seals the second title of the Swiss master’s season heading into Indian Wells.
A tight opening set saw the first two games go to deuce as the respective numbers three and four in the world tested each other’s games for the first time since they last met in the round robin stages of the ATP World Tour finals in 2010.
Murray had his chance to break at 15-40 in the sixth game but two unforced errors on the backhand side saw one of his few opportunities on the night disappear.
As it happened, the decisive break in the first set fell to Federer in the eleventh game, a double fault and another unforced Murray error gifting the Swiss 0-30.
A mishit return dropped kindly over the net to give Federer 0-40 and although dogged resistance from Murray pulled it back to deuce, two further netted backhands gave Federer further break points and he converted at the fifth time of asking thanks to another mishit shot that dropped kindly over the net, leading to an easy put away.
It proved crucial as great serving closed out the set for a nerveless Federer.
The unforced errors on the usually reliable backhand side that dogged Murray in the opening set continued to mount for Murray and an errant forehand gave Federer the early break to go 3-1 ahead in the second set.
But Murray is well known for his fighting qualities, two great lobs and a first Federer double fault helping the Scot to get back on level terms.
It was brief respite, however, and the unforced errors continued to flow with alarming regularity from the Murray racquet. A sloppy service game at 4-4 saw two further netted backhands gift Federer the decisive break and the Swiss served it out to 30, claiming the title with a forehand winner.