Roger Federer beat Del Potro in 3 sets for 8th Basel title!

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Roger Federer missed a year at his hometown tournament, the Swiss Indoors Basel, but he certainly did not miss a step.

The Swiss superstar won his eighth Basel title on Sunday, battling back to defeat the surging Juan Martin del Potro, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 to clinch his ATP World Tour-leading seventh title of the year.

"I think we're both tired from a long season. Plus he's been playing four straight weeks now, very successful, so we tried to give it all we had," Federer said. "The crowd really enjoyed themselves and at the end there is always going to be a winner unfortunately in tennis. But I think we both can be very happy with the week today."

It appeared that the Swiss may fall short in his 13th Basel final when del Potro broke immediately in the third set to snuff Federer’s momentum and gain the lead in the decider. But the now 95-time tour-level titlist broke the Argentine twice in a row to turn the match around. Serving for the tournament, Federer missed out on his first championship point with a forehand error, but hit a crisp serve wide in the deuce court that del Potro couldn’t handle, sending his hometown crowd into a frenzy as he threw both arms in the air.

"You've been playing great tennis this year. You are in fantastic shape, it's unbelievable," del Potro said to Federer after the match. "I would love to be at your age in the same form, but I don't think so."

Federer moved ahead of Ivan Lendl into standalone second place on the Open Era titles list, only trailing Jimmy Connors, who owns 109 trophies. He now owns eight or more trophies at three different events: Halle (9), Wimbledon (8) and Basel (8).






The Basel victory continues Federer's astonishing renaissance, rising from No. 16 in the rankings at the beginning of the year into contention for the top spot with two tournaments remaining in the season. He extended his record against the Top 10 this season to a tour-best 11-1 this week in the semi-finals against David Goffin. That 6-1, 6-2 victory was his most dominant against a Top 10 opponent since the 2014 Nitto ATP Finals, when Federer beat Andy Murray, 6-0, 6-1.

For del Potro, Sunday’s loss was disappointing, but he has continued to play excellent tennis since sitting in 47th in the Emirates ATP Race To London before the US Open. The Argentine has used semi-final results in Flushing Meadows and Shanghai, last week’s title in Stockholm and his run to the Basel final to pull to within 190 points of Pablo Carreno Busta, who occupies the final London qualifying spot with one week remaining.

"You've been on a great run since the US Open and before so I'm very happy to see you playing so well again and being able to play every week. That's something I would like to be able to do again," Federer said to del Potro. "All the best for Paris and then I'll hopefully maybe see you in London, too."

Regardless of whether del Potro does in fact qualify for the year-end finale, he has set himself up for a strong 2018. The Argentine rose to No. 19 in the rankings on 16 October, his highest mark since 6 October 2014.

While del Potro will move up to No. 17 when the new rankings are released on Monday, he was close to soaring all the way to No. 12, which he would have reached if he closed out Federer in Basel. The Argentine did not win one point on his second serve in the third set (0/6) and did not capitalise on his chances on Federer's serve. He reached 30/30 when the Swiss served at 3-1 and 4-2, but could not earn a break point.

Federer extended his lead in the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry to 18-6, capturing his fifth win in their past six matches. After the final Federer announced he would withdraw from the Rolex Paris Masters. His final event of the year will be the Nitto ATP Finals 12-19 November in London, where he will chase a seventh title at the season finale.

"It was an emotional match," Federer said of his victory. "But a good one, I think, for the fans."

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Ruthless Roger Federer rolls on to 13th Swiss Indoors final in Basel

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Pace, precision and poise. Roger Federer was at his ruthless best on Saturday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, turning in a vintage performance to reach the final once again on home soil.

The Swiss exhibited a display of stunning aggression against third seed David Goffin, barely putting a wrong foot throughout their 60-minute semi-final encounter. He would blitz the Belgian 6-1, 6-2, firing 20 winners in total, including 12 on his forehand wing and will face Juan Martin del Potro in the final.

"I'm ready for a difficult match and a fully fit del Potro," said Federer. "He played a great match against me in Shanghai and went on to win Stockholm and won that. Now he's here in the final again. I think he's ok. He might be tired, but he doesn't have issues that would keep him away from the court."

Federer stood tall on the baseline and refused to allow Goffin to find any rhythm, firing his forehand with alacrity and using his first serve to send a message under the lights at the St. Jakobshalle.

The Swiss would take the opener 6-1 - the third time he has done so this week - with a winner off a forehand approach, and he immediately pounced as the second set got underway. A hyper-aggressive Federer forced a forehand error from Goffin, stealing a break in the first game. He would claim an insurance break with an overhead smash for 5-2 and closed out the victory a game later.

Federer captured 91 per cent (21 of 23) of points on his first serve during the one-hour affair, improving to 11-1 against fellow Top 10 opponents this year. In dropping just three games, it marks his most dominant victory over a Top 10 player since defeating Andy Murray 6-0, 6-1 at the 2014 Nitto ATP Finals.

Seeking an unprecedented eighth Basel crown, Federer will next face longtime rival del Potro on Sunday. He leads the FedEx ATP Head2Head series 17-6, with their two most recent meetings lighting up the highlight reel. Del Potro prevailed in four sets in the US Open quarter-finals, with Federer exacting revenge earlier this month at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Federer will feature in his seventh final of the season, looking to extend a 6-1 record. He is riding a nine-match win streak since falling to del Potro in New York, coming off a second title run in Shanghai.

The World No. 2 is still in contention for the year-end No. 1 position. He trails Rafael Nadal by 1,660 points in the Emirates ATP Race To London and would need to win the title in Basel and also lift the trophy at both the Rolex Paris Masters and Nitto ATP Finals.

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Martina Hingis reflects on career after bid for WTA Finals in Singapore comes to end in the semis

SINGAPORE - Martina Hingis' career came to its (presumably) final end at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global on Saturday following a 6-4, 7-6(5) defeat alongside WTA Doubles Co-No.1 Chan Yung-Jan to Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova.


"It's disappointing to finish a tournament like this," she explained to the press this afternoon. "I'm sure we both wished for a better ending and, you know, like winning the trophy. They were just too good today.

"We tried to really give it a great fight. We tried to come back. We had our chances. I feel like in the second set when I had that break point, I hit the tape and it would slow down instead, and maybe we'd end up being up 3-1.

"We had a lot of matches like that that went for us, and today it didn't," she continued with a smile. "That's what happens. This is life. This is tennis. This is the game."

Hingis had previously announced that 2017 would be her final season after her opening round win over Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke, but didn't feel much pressure ahead of what ended up being her last career match, nor were there tears after.


The Swiss Miss would leave the game as she'd arrived, smiling through decades of highs, lows, and major shifts in a game she dominated across all disciplines.

"There was probably more in the first match, because you feel like you step on the court and you don't know. Once you're there, you don't think about it anymore. You just try to find a solution to the game. I think we tried everything that we could, but it just didn't work.

"We can't be too disappointed about it. We still had an awesome year. Winning nine titles, going all the way, coming here, qualifying for the Championships, I think we can be still very proud."

"It's not really good-bye. I hope I'll still be part of the game. We already made plans. I mean, if [Latisha] needs me, I can come and be a hitting girl or whatever at some point!"

Pairing up with Chan at the start of the Middle East Swing, the duo won three of the four Premier Mandatory events in 2017, their first and only Grand Slam title at the US Open, and rode a 19-match winning streak from the Western & Southern Open into Saturday's semifinal.

"I have a great partner. We felt really good, and we found a way to win and a way to cover each other. Sometimes she'd play better; sometimes I'd play better. But we found a way to win. It's not like we were steam rolling all the time. We'd win 10-8, 11-9, match points down, and sometimes easier matches."

Her triumphant farewell tour hit its peak in Flushing Meadows, where she also partnered Jamie Murray to win a second straight mixed doubles Grand Slam, capping off her major haul at 25 and locking up the Year-End No.1 ranking during the Asian Swing.

"The whole journey, it's been incredible," Chan added, having joined Hingis atop the WTA rankings on Monday. "Today it wasn't the way that we wanted, but still, we had a great year.

"She was my idol since I was eight, and to be able to play with her and then have this incredible run, it's unforgettable. Hopefully I can continue the performance at this level, and then also use the things I learned from her."

Hingis had slowly returned to the doubles circuit in 2013, playing the US Open with Daniela Hantuchova and later pairing with coaching protogées Sabine Lisicki and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The comeback kicked into high gear when she won Indian Wells and Miami with Sania Mirza, forming an unfortgettable partnership where "Santina" won 41 straight matches and three straight Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and Australian Open.

"I will be forever grateful to have had these partnerships, because without Sania, I wouldn't have come back and had that feeling again. When we won Wimbledon, it was pure joy, and getting back to No.1 was another one of those things. I couldn't have done it alone. You know, those times as a team were incredible.

"Every single partner I had on the way, whether it was now Latisha [Chan] and Jamie, as well, it's been amazing time to be on court."

Relieved to be done with the tour's daily grind, Hingis plans a well-deserved trip home, content with her career trilogy and eager to move on to her next phase in life.

"I think I shouldn't have any regrets, because like I said, there is lot of matches you play, a lot of things on and off the court that happen. They happen for a reason, and if they are positive, great. If not, you learn from them.

"Of course there are matches I'd like to play over, but some of them, I imagine I also got lucky to get away with, whether it was in singles, doubles, any time. I think overall I'm very proud of my career, and I wouldn't change with anybody for anything."

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Roger Federer fights of Mannarino to reach 15th quarter final at Swiss Indoors Basel

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Roger Federer proved in his 15th quarter-final at the Swiss Indoors Basel, his hometown tournament, that he still has plenty of magic left.

The top seed rode the momentum of a tremendous backhand half-volley winner from the baseline down break point in the third set to oust Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, in one hour, 43 minutes. Federer will have the opportunity to advance to his 13th final in Basel against the winner of third seed David Goffin and fifth seed Jack Sock.

“Today was a battle. I had to somehow dig and fight and sometimes these wins are more rewarding than just leading from the get-go and dominating throughout and bringing it home,” said Federer. “These are better matches to win sometimes, actually. I just had a tough time really getting into it and he was rock solid, so he deserved that first set, but the reaction from me was really important.”

Federer, who is into his eighth ATP World Tour semi-final of the season, seeks to earn his eighth title in Basel.

And judging by his 4-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against Mannarino heading into Friday's match, which included all 10 sets going in the Swiss’ favor, it was hard to imagine the Frenchman spoiling Federer’s hometown party. But after Federer did not face a break point in his first two wins, both by 6-1, 6-3 scorelines, the tricky left-hander tested the 36-year-old.

Mannarino broke to love at 4-4 in the opening set before winning his first-ever set against Federer without a problem. The seven-time Basel champion, intense as ever at an event for which he was once a ballboy, quickly won five games in a row to turn the momentum around.

Yet after failing to break Mannarino with two opportunities in the first game of the deciding set, it was Federer who was in trouble. He faced two break points at 2-3, and the Frenchman did well with his second opportunity, lacing a forehand return on the baseline, a shot that most players would scramble to simply put back into play.

But somehow, Federer flicked his one-handed backhand for a winner down the line and never looked back from there, winning the final four games of the match to advance to the semi-finals.

Federer explained his thought process on that crucial break point save. “Before, I hope that I don’t have to hit a shot like this. During, I hope that it’s going to go in and he can’t reach it. And after, it’s thank God I made it.... And then obviously it’s so, so important at deuce to somehow win the game. It doesn’t matter how you do it… you can’t allow yourself to lose a game after saving two break points the way you did, and I held my nerves, held the game, and was able to [get] through it.”

Federer holds a combined 8-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Goffin and Sock.

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Martina Hingis & Chan Yung Jan ease into semis at WTA Finals in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Top seeds Chan Yung-Jan and Martina Hingis claimed their 19th consecutive match victory to make their way into the semifinals of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

Playing against Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke for the seventh time in 2017, Chan and Hingis extended their record to 5-2 against the German-Czech duo, winning comfortably 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 15 minutes.

“Our teamwork has paid off over the season for me and Latisha,” Hingis said in her on-court interview. “And we definitely knew our opponents really well since we played like a million times this year. We’ve had a couple of losses to them too so we knew we had to be ready.

“The thing is today we kind of switched it up; I played okay from the baseline and she was a warrior at the net! Usually we do it the opposite!”

Though it is far from Chan and Hingis’ first match at the WTA Finals, it is the first time the pair are on the same side of the net. Last year, Hingis paired up with Sania Mirza and defeated Chan and sister Chan Hao-Ching on their way to the semifinals.

But Chan and Hingis have seen even more success together; in 2017 they have won nine titles - including the US Open - and are coming into Singapore on the back of a red hot Asian Swing, which saw them claim titles in Wuhan and Beijing, racking up a 19-match win streak.

“It’s been an amazing run even to get into Singapore and to be the No.1 team and player along with Martina,” Chan said. “To win our first round here is a bonus!

“Being in Asia and becoming World No.1 is amazing, I hope I can keep inspiring the young generation and keep doing well.”

Up next, the pair will take on Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova in the semifinals. The Hungarian-Czech duo knocked out Andreja Klepac and María José Martínez Sánchez in straight sets earlier in the day.

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Roger Federer cruises into quarter finals at Swiss Indoors in Basel

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Benoit Paire had never won a set against Roger Federer prior to their second-round encounter at the Swiss Indoors Basel on Thursday. That did not come close to changing.

Federer swept the Frenchman, 6-1, 6-3, in 57 minutes to continue his pursuit of an eighth title at his hometown event. It is the 15th time he has advanced to at least the quarter-finals in Basel.

After a 10-point service game to open the match, Federer never faltered. He broke Paire for a 2-0 lead in the first set and did not look back, facing no break points while breaking his opponent four times. Federer clinched the matchup with a crosscourt forehand approach shot for a winner.

The Swiss extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead over Paire to 5-0. Out of the 11 sets they have now played, Federer has won eight of the sets by a margin of 6-3 or greater. Thursday’s win was by the same scoreline as the 36 year old’s last victory against Paire, at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships earlier this year. He also defeated Frances Tiafoe by that scoreline in his Basel opener.

The Swiss will play the winner of seventh seed Adrian Mannarino and #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov. The 18-year-old defeated the Frenchman in the quarter-finals of his breakout run at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal this summer.

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Martina Hingis officially retiring for the 3rd and final time after the WTA Finals in Singapore

WTA Doubles No.1 Martina Hingis revealed that she will play her final tournament at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, where she reached the semifinals with Chan Yung-Jan on Thursday.

SINGAPORE -25-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis announced she will end her career after playing the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.

The current WTA doubles No.1 alongside Chan Yung-Jan advanced into the semifinals of Singapore on Thursday, defeating Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Kveta Peschke, 6-3, 6-2, on Thursday evening.

Photo gallery: Martina Hingis: A glorious career in photos

"People probably think, 'After a year like this, after a season like this...' but I think it's also perfect timing," Hingis said in a press conference following the match. "You know, you want to stop on top and not when you're already going backwards.

"I couldn't ask for a better finish like that."

Hingis, 37, regained the No.1 ranking in doubles during the Asian Swing after winning the US Open in doubles with Chan and mixed with Jamie Murray.


"My partners already knew it and the rumor was out there. I'm actually really surprised that they kept it secret that long, but the players have been really good and supportive.


"I think the decision has been done already. Like I told Latisha from the start, 'Hey, this will probably be my last year.' So some people knew it; some didn't."

With Chan, the Swiss Miss has won a whopping nine titles in 2017, including three of the four Premier Mandatory titles at the BNP Paribas Open, the Mutua Madrid Open, and China Open, and is currently on a 19-match winning streak with just two wins standing between her and a fourth WTA Finals doubles crown.


"I think we are the ones to beat right now. We had good practices, so there was nothing to be worried about. I felt really good in my hit earlier just before the match.

"I'm happy with the performance tonight, but definitely there was some tingling sensations in the start!"

Hingis left the game in 2002 citing persistent foot injuries and returned to tennis four years later in a successful singles comeback, peaking at World No.6.

In 2013, she made a tentative return in doubles with Daniela Hantuchova, later pairing with Flavia Pennetta to reach the 2014 US Open final before beginning a star-studded collaboration with Sania Mirza, winning 14 titles in 18 months and winning 41 straight matches between August 2015 and February 2016.

"In the past, I always had things in back of my head, where I might be able to return. First it was with singles, then it was the doubles. When you see other players who are my age and they are still playing and performing at that level, I was hoping I could do the same.

"I will be grateful also to my coaching period, because that showed me with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, with Sabine Lisicki, that I still had the capability. I mean, singles is a different story. But the doubles, I always considered myself as a pretty decent doubles player, even in my first career. I had been winning slams, and I was hoping that I could do it."

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