Roger Federer wins in Dubai, promises a season with more to cheer

Roger Federer waves to the crowd after defeating Tomas Berdych to win his 6th Dubai title

In a tremendous comeback effort that has become a little rare in recent years, Roger Federer defeated Tomas Berdych, 3-6 6-4 6-3, to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

For the second match in a row, Federer came back after the loss of the first set to claim victory. The title is Federer’s first since Halle, in June last year. His win today also avenges his loss to the Czech at the same tournament in the semi-finals last year.

Federer hit the match running. He had held on to the opening service game of a set only a couple of times thus far in the tournament. Today he held on comfortably and immediately took a lead as he broke Berdych to love in the next game. However, his lead was short-lived. Errors started to creep into Federer’s game and Berdych began serving with more confidence. The Czech broke twice in succession and soon served out the set to take a step towards the title.

Federer’s errors continued to flow unabated into the second set. There seemed almost no way out for him, not unless Berdych boiled over. However, the manner in which the momentum swung was rather unexpected.

Midway through the set Federer hit a wild forehand. Nothing unusual about the miss, but the error seemingly caused Federer to snap. He smiled, almost sheepishly, and shook his head as if amused by what was happening. Till that point, victory for Berdych seemed inevitable. After that point, Federer rarely missed. 15 minutes later, Federer had levelled the match at one set apiece.

In the third set, Federer had chances to take an early lead, but Berdych served his way out of a 0-40 situation. The next few games were nervous for both players as they felt pressure on their service games. Ultimately, it was Federer who converted his chance and broke Berdych to go up 4-2.

The next game was close again and Berdych had two chances to break back, but Federer came up with a first serve on both occasions and managed to hold on. The Swiss was then asked to serve for the match and he did so comfortably. In doing so, he claimed his 14th match win of the season.

Repeatedly this year, Federer has stated that he is playing pain-free. For those who are unaware of the meaning behind this, Federer means that he had issues with his back for most of 2013, perhaps slightly exacerbated by the exhibitions he played in the pre-season. Federer’s fans have had to endure much suffering as a result, as Federer himself went through his worst season since 2003.

But Federer’s wins in Dubai (and indeed his start to the season) validate his claims of being healthier. He has had moments of indifference, as he has always had, but he has managed to brush those aside with periods of sheer aggression and has showcased a grit that has not been sighted in a while. This, and the assistance of a certain Swede, mean that 2014 could be a season to be cheerful about.