Roger Federer has won the ATP tournament in Basel for the ninth time. In the final, the Swiss defeated the surprise finalist Marius Copil from Romania 7:6 (5), 6:4.
While tournament favourite Federer fought his way into the final with some effort, but had a strong match in the semi-final against Daniil Medvedev, qualifier Copil was not to be expected in the final. The 28-year-old played the week of his life, beating three seeded Marin Cilic and two Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
And in the final, too, there was little nervousness in the away game against Federer in the St. Jakobshalle. Copil, the number 93 in the world, broke early to 2:1 and could not be disturbed by Federer’s 3:3 equalization. In the tiebreak, however, it was the 20-time Major-Champ who took the scepter with a controlled offensive and benefited from a failed stop by the Romanian – Federer celebrated the set win accordingly vigorously.
In passage two a similar game: Copil used his third break point in the Swiss’s first service game and took the lead with 3:0 and 4:1. Federer managed the rebreak to 3:4 and the preliminary decision – thanks to Hawk-Eye – to 5:4, when Copil put a forehand into the end. Federer then fended off a break point and converted match point number one. He has now been undefeated in Basel for 20 matches.
After successfully defending his title at the Swiss Indoors, Federer’s ninth tournament victory is on the spot – and his 99th in his professional career. Only Jimmy Connors is ahead of him with 109 tournament wins. What happens next? Federer is actually in the tableau of the Masters Tournament in Paris-Bercy, which starts tomorrow, but wanted to decide on a final participation only after the tournament in Basel. Federer remains third in the world ranking.
The reward for Copil after his Basler Wahns-Woche: Rank 60 in the new ranking – a career-high, after he had reached his highest ranking so far with rank 73 in February after his first ATP-final entry in Sofia.
Marius Copil also played an indirect role in the double final: it was he who had first dismissed Mischa Zverev (in qualifying round 1) and then Alexander (in the semi-final) from the singles competition; the two brothers, however, were spared by Copil in the joint double appearance in Basel and reached the final.
But against Dominic Inglot/Franko Skugor it didn’t work out with a victory, 2:6, 5:7 it was in the end from the point of view of the Hamburgers. A second joint tournament victory after Montpellier in 2017 must therefore wait.
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