OLDEST WORLD NO 1
Federer on top again at 36 after winning Rotterdam decider
ROGER Federer celebrated his impending return to the top of the world rankings by winning the Rotterdam Open yesterday, his 97th title.
The 36-year-old, the oldest ATP No 1 in history, thrashed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in a one-sided final.
In the Open era, only American Jimmy Connors has won more titles than Swiss master Federer, with 109.
Federer, the record 20-time Grand Slam winner, will retake the No 1 ranking he last held in October 2012 when the official ATP rankings are published today.
He has played two tournaments this year and won both — the other being January's Australian Open.
He is three years older than Andre Agassi was when the American held the record for oldest No 1 back in 2003.
This was his third victory in Rotterdam following successes in 2005 and 2012.
Meanwhile, South Africa's Kevin Anderson ended Kei Nishikori’s hopes of a comeback victory on Saturday at the New York Open, beating the Japanese fifth seed in three sets in Long Island.
Top seed Anderson downed Nishikori 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) in a gruelling semi-final. He played America’s Sam Querrey in yesterday’s final.
Nishikori had been chasing a first ATP Tour victory after returning from a five-month injury layoff.
However the 28-year-old was slow to start, with Anderson racing through the first set to go 1-0 up before Nishikori found his range in the second.
Anderson’s reliable service game — he won 79 per cent of his first serve points compared to Nishikori’s 60 per cent — was to prove decisive in the third set tie-break.
Nishikori dropped three service points in the tie-break, which 31-year-old world number 11 Anderson duly punished to wrap up the win.
Querrey ended his long wait for a first victory over France’s Adrian Mannarino to book his place in the final.
Second seed Querrey, who had lost all three of his previous meetings with the fourth-seeded Mannarino, came from behind to win 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-3 to the delight of the home fans.
World No 12 Querrey, who has not reached an ATP Tour final since the Mexican Open last year, was delighted to have finally notched a win over Mannarino.
“It feels like I beat Rafa (Nadal) out there,” the 30-year-old Las Vegas resident said. “That guy’s always been so tricky. It’s my first time beating him and it feels good.
“I’m so happy to get through that and be in the final. I’m really excited.”