(May 3, 2015) Top-seeded Roger Federer won his 85th ATP World Tour title at the inaugural TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open, defeating third seed Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-6(11) on Sunday.
The win gave the 17-time major champion a 19th different country in which he has won an ATP World Tour title.
This is the Swiss’ first clay court tournament win since 2012 Madrid.
The Uruguayan, who saved four match points, came into the match after and impressive victory over second seed Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals.
“I’m very happy,” said Federer. “Of course I’m very proud to be the first champion here at the first-time tournament here in Istanbul. In Turkey, I’ve had a wonderful week. On and off the court I was able to visit the city a little bit, meet a lot of people, enjoyed the crowd support and experience Turkey.”
“It’s been crazy, in a good way, and I hope I can do it again one day. Right now, I’m just happy I was able to win the tournament. It’s always the best feeling for an athlete to be the champion at the end of a long tough week.”
“I felt better on the court yesterday,” said Cuevas. “It’s difficult to face Roger, not only because of his game but also to stay focused on the game and not get distracted. It was a very good experience for me, and I think it will help me in the future.”
The win marks Federer’s third title of 2015, adding to Brisbane and Dubai.