Sports Digest/TENNIS: Roger Federer reclaimed his aura of invincibility with a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 victory over Ivan Ljubicic in the World Indoor Tournament final in Rotterdam yesterday.
Federer wore down Ljubicic to add his name to the billboard of champions that circles the Ahoy Arena's centre court.
"Today it was very close and it could have gone either way but I'm happy I fought through because this might be a crucial victory for me for the rest of the season," said Federer.
"I was aware that if I lost a very close match again, losing in the breaker, people would have been quick to say 'he's lost his invincibility'," added the Swiss, who arrived in the Dutch port city with a mission to repair his dented confidence after his loss to Marat Safin in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Ljubicic enjoyed the better start to the match, holding break points in Federer's first and fourth service games. He broke the previously impregnable Federer serve for the first time in the tournament in the 11th game of the first set, winning it to love after the Swiss swiped a backhand into the net.
A shell-shocked Federer tried to hit back in the next game by earning his first break point when Ljubicic served for the set. The Croat was up to the challenge, however, slamming a backhand passing shot past Federer.
Four points later, Ljubicic had the set in his possession when Federer's backhand sailed wide.
The top seed piled on the pressure in the second but failed to convert any of his numerous break point chances until Ljubicic was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down.
Having saved the first, Ljubicic allowed Federer to draw level by drifting the ball over the baseline.
The deciding set proved much tighter. While Ljubicic claimed an early advantage to streak ahead 4-2, it did not last long. After two hours and 42 minutes Federer finally claimed victory when Ljubicic mis-hit the ball into the crowd.
TENNIS: French top seed Amelie Mauresmo won the Antwerp Diamond Games title yesterday with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over Venus Williams.
Mauresmo clinched a hard-fought victory over the third-seeded American on her fifth match point with a forehand winner.
"This was a great final for a great tournament," the Frenchwoman smiled. "I am so happy because the quality of my game went up and up during the whole week until the final."
Williams had been gunning for a third career title at the Belgian indoor tournament having won on both of her previous visits to Antwerp in 2002 and 2003.
Victory would have seen her take home a golden racket encrusted with 1,700 diamonds. But despite a bright start she was beaten for the first time at the event and missed her chance to end an 11-tournament drought without a title.
BOXING: Britain's Howard Eastman pushed Bernard Hopkins all the way but failed to land the undisputed world middleweight title at the Staples Center in Los Angeles yesterday.
Eastman dropped a unanimous 119-110, 117-111, 116-112 points verdict to the champion who successfully defended the title for an unprecedented 20th time.
There could be few arguments about the verdict with Hopkins's cleaner work ultimately proving decisive in repelling the advances of the Londoner.
Hopkins keeps hold of the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts which were all on the line.
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