Roger Federer ends Clay court drought by winning the Istanbul Open

Federer, after winning the Istanbul Open

Roger Federer won the Istanbul Open beating Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas in straight sets to win his first clay title since 2012. With the win, the Swiss maestro took his total title tally to 85.

"It's been a while since I won a title on clay, " said Federer. "It's been a pleasure playing here."

"I picked up confidence and I picked up another title. I feel really good about my game now. It's been a fitness test and a mental test."

Federer, 33, took control of the game early on by going 4-1 up in the first set. It was a combination of Federer’s brilliance and unforced errors on Cuevas’ part.

The Uruguayan, suffering from a wrist injury, fought back in the second set and even had a few set-points in the tie-breaker. But the 17-time-Grand Slam winner converted his to take the match 6-3 7-6 (13-11).

Cuevas, ranked 23 in the world, was in awe of the occasion. "It is difficult to face Roger and not get distracted from the game," he said.

Federer said he would take a break for some time to recover for the French Open, which is scheduled to begin on the 24th of May, stating, "you don't want to roll into the French Open tired".

Thank you #Istanbul for an amazing week, it's been very special to play here! pic.twitter.com/ZDuagHH9Cq

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) May 3, 2015