World number one Roger Federer captured his seventh title of the season, rallying to beat France’s Richard Gasquet 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday in the final of the $2,45-million Toronto Masters.
The Swiss superstar was pushed to three sets in his three prior matches but reached his 17th consecutive final, one shy of Ivan Lendl’s ATP record.
”I couldn’t find my rhythm and he played very well,” Federer said. ”I just always do believe that I can turn any match around. That’s what happened today. I know that once I turn it around, once I would take the lead, then it would be very difficult for my opponent.
”That’s what I always tell myself. Maybe it’s an illusion sometimes, but it definitely works.”
Federer, who turned 25 last Tuesday, won his 18th match in a row and stretched his North American hard-court win streak to 55 matches. He improved to 62-4 this year, 61-0 against everyone except Spanish star Rafael Nadal.
”I was really struggling over here in the beginning of my career,” Federer said. ”I thought it was always too windy, too humid, too hot, too not my style. Now, all of a sudden, I’ve turned this all around. I really enjoy playing here.”
Federer’s 11 ATP Masters Series titles match Pete Sampras for second on the all-time list, six shy of Andre Agassi’s record.
The $400 000 top prize boosted Federer’s career prize money beyond $25-million.
”I just have a very strong belief in my capabilities, in not showing my opponent how I feel, fighting like crazy even though it doesn’t look like I am maybe because I have such a relaxed style of play,” Federer said.
Federer also won this event in 2004 and has won eight North American hard-court crowns since his last loss on the surface on the continent to Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty in the first round at Cincinnati two years ago.
”I couldn’t believe I started the second set so bad,” Federer said. ”It has actually been a very interesting week for me to come through. It was a physical test, too, a mental test.”
Gasquet (20) has won 15 of his past 18 matches, including titles on grass at Nottingham and clay at Gstaad, and he nearly added this United States Open warm-up event.
”I did a fantastic first set. I played wonderful. He missed a little bit,” Gasquet said. ”After, I didn’t play … I had three break points in the first game in the second.
”I know with Roger when you have some chances, you have to do it. If I do 1-0 break with me, it would be another match.”
Gasquet, ranked 51st in the world, won his first meeting with Federer in last year’s Monaco quarterfinals but has lost all five meetings since, including a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 defeat in the first round at Wimbledon.
After blitzing the top seed in the first set, Gasquet reached triple break point on Federer in the first game of the second set. ”At 1-0 and 0-40 for me on his service, the way I was playing, it was not the same match,” Gasquet said.
But Federer won the next five points to hold serve, then broke Gasquet in the next game and forced a third set.
”That’s a key moment of the match,” Federer said. ”By giving yourself a love-40, you can also take away his confidence by coming back in that game and winning that game, make him start doubting himself, like that was maybe his big opportunity.”
Federer took a decisive break in the fifth game of the third set, then broke again in the seventh game and held to finish the match in one hour and 47 minutes.
”It’s better for me to say I can beat him than I can’t. But, no, he has more experience, more matches than me, more wins than me,” Gasquet said. ”I’m just 20, so I have time to play him. I know in the future I can beat him.” — Sapa-AFP