Federer overpowers Dimitrov to win 97th career title

Kvitova takes Qatar title and heads back into top 10

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb 18, (Agencies): Roger Federer came to the ABN AMRO World Tournament aiming to secure a return to the top of the world rankings. He achieved that goal Friday. On Sunday, he put an exclamation point on a remarkable week by winning the tournament for good measure.

Federer overpowered an ailing Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in less than an hour to win his 97th career title.

“What a week it’s been. Absolutely amazing,” Federer said. “The goal was to make the semis and I won the tournament so of course I’m incredibly excited and so, so happy.”

The 36-year-old Swiss extended his domination over the player once dubbed “Baby Fed” for the similarities in their playing style, registering his seventh victory in as many meetings.

Federer’s third title at the Rotterdam tournament comes a day before he officially returns to the top of the rankings, more than five years after he was last world No. 1.

He will become the oldest person to hold the No. 1 position when the rankings are updated on Monday. It’s been more than five years since Federer was last No. 1, and 14 years since he first reached the top spot.

Federer, who has 20 Grand Slams to his name, said his next target is 100 career titles. He moved a step closer Sunday.

Federer said ahead of the final that the more aggressive player would win and Dimitrov started the strongest, winning his first game to love as he slammed powerful forehands and backhands past Federer.

But the Swiss great quickly started matching Dimitrov’s groundstrokes and converted his first break point in the fifth game. Federer broke Dimitrov again to go up 5-2 and then served out the set.

Federer kept the pressure on Dimitrov in the second set, breaking the Bulgarian in the first game and continuing to dominate on his way to victory in just 55 minutes.

Federer won a massive 82 percent of points on his service compared to 55 percent for Dimitrov.

After his strong start, the Bulgarian appeared to be struggling physically, but said afterward that he simply wasn’t good enough.

Tournament director Richard Krajicek said Dimitrov was ill Saturday

Roger Federer of Switzerland holds the trophy as he celebrates winning his match against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in two sets, 6-2, 6-2 in the men’s singles final of the ABN AMRO world tennis tournament at the Ahoy

Stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Feb 18. (AP)

night and was short on energy on court.

“Against Roger in the current situation he is in you can’t play any less than 100 percent,” Dimitrov said.

In Doha, Petra Kvitova fought back from a set down against Garbine Muguruza on Sunday to win the Qatar Open, a victory which will take her back into the world’s top 10.

Kvitova overcame an awful start which saw her lose the first five games to eventually triumph 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It is the first time Kvitova has been ranked among the world’s elite since a horrific knife attack at her home in December 2016 left her with an injured hand.

The win in Doha is the Czech star’s second title of the season and 22nd career tournament victory.

It also extended her current winning streak to 13 matches.

Despite the defeat, Muguruza will move up one position in the rankings, making the Spaniard the world number three.

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Sam Querrey had everything figured out Saturday except his math.

The No. 2 seed lost track of the score and didn’t realize he had closed out the match when he beat fourth-seeded Adrian Mannarino 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals of the New York Open.

Querrey won the final four games at Nassau Coliseum, but thought he had one more to go as he walked toward the bench following his second straight service break.

“I broke, I kind of like gave a fist pump and I was walking to the bench, and then the crowd was a little like too loud for just a break of serve and I looked up and, ‘Oh my gosh, I won,’” Querrey said.

He advanced to face top-seeded Kevin Anderson, the U.S. Open runner-up from South Africa, in the final Sunday. Anderson beat fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan, the tournament winner from 2013-16 when it was played in Memphis, Tennessee, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4) in the night match.

The 11th-ranked Anderson is guaranteed a return to the top 10 for the first time since October 2015. The three-time tour winner would jump to a career-best No. 9 with a victory Sunday.

“I didn’t even know that going into it,” said when informed during his press conference that he was back in the top 10. “I know I’ve been a little bit close for the last few months. Obviously it’s a great accomplishment being in the top 10. I was there for just a week a couple years ago and I had a few challenges to face but I’ve worked really, really hard to get back to this spot so that’s a good piece of news that you just gave me there.”

Nishikori was playing his tournament since August in a return from a wrist injury.

“I think I’m back on the track again,” he said. “I think I played three good matches here, so I think I’m playing better again. I hope I can win a tournament as soon as possible.”