Sports
14:34, 17-Jun-2018
Roger Federer regains No. 1 ranking with Stuttgart final berth
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Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer would return to world No. 1 spot next week after beating Australia's Nick Kyrgios, his semi-final opponent, in the Stuttgart Open final on Saturday.
Roger Federer in action during the semi-final against Nick Kyrgios in the Stuttgart Open /VCG Photo
Roger Federer in action during the semi-final against Nick Kyrgios in the Stuttgart Open /VCG Photo
It was Federer’s first tournament since March, who faced a tough challenge as both went the distance and all six sets went to tiebreaks in the pair's previous meetings.
The first set went to tiebreak and Kyrgios took the first frame 7-2. Federer then fought back in the second with an ace to wrap it up 6-2 in just 26 minutes and leveled the match.
The decider reverted to type and went to another tie-breaker. Federer found the open court and fired a backhand winner to close out a 6-7, 6-2, 7-6 win.
Federer will face Milos Raonic in Sunday's final. The Swiss maestro will also return to the Number 1 spot in the rankings at the expense of Rafael Nadal, irrespective of the outcome in the final.
He will play Milos Raonic as he bids for his 18th grass-court title. Raonic earlier won over the defending champion Lucas Pouille 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the other semifinal.