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Federer fights back to win in Rotterdam
Top-ranked Roger Federer of Switzerland rallied from a set down to beat Ivan Ljubicic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) and win the ABN Amro indoor tournament Sunday.
Federer raised his arms in relief when Ljubicic sent a forehand sailing long to end the match.
In the first set, Federer struggled with Ljubicic's powerful serve, then lost his own serve in the 11th game on four unforced errors. But he took command in the second set and broke Ljubicic in the 12th game to even the match.
Both players lifted their game in the decider.
Federer showed deft play at the net and strong passing shots, serving three love games in a row.
Ljubicic chased down Federer's corner shots and abandoned the base line to claim his first points at the net.
The Croat took an early lead in the tiebreaker, when he tapped a winner over the net.
Federer reclaimed the minibreak at 3-4 with a slicing backhand that died in midcourt before sending a corner shot out of Ljubicic's reach to move ahead 6-4.
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