2070 Beiträge - Forenlegende
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Roger Federer won a record sixth Dubai Championships -- and 78th career title -- by beating Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final on Saturday. Federer, who maintains a home in Dubai, delighted a packed stadium of fans who seemed biased for the Swiss in back-to-back wins over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and Berdych. "Things definitely went my way out here tonight," Federer said. "Ive had a lot of tough matches in the last year and a half so it was nice to get a lucky break again." The victory was hard fought as Federer lost the first serve and his serve in the second to trail 3-2. Federers win, his sixth here in the last 12 years, extends his record of winning at least one title a year to 14 consecutive years. This is Federers first tournament victory since winning in Halle, his only title of 2013, last spring. Federer improved his record over Berdych to 12-6 with the win. The last time they played, however, Berdych beat Federer in the Dubai semifinals last year. "Hes the greatest player of all time and hell never give up and give you anything for free," Berdych said. "I knew that and thought I was ready for it, but my execution wasnt good enough to hold it to the end." The loss ended Berdychs longest winning streak of his career at 11 matches. In the first set, the fourth-seeded Federers forehand looked shaky and he appeared a step slow. After exchanging early service breaks, the third-seeded Berdych snared the go-ahead break in the sixth game. On a second break point at 30-40, Federer netted a backhand to lose serve. In the second set, there was another early exchange of breaks. From 4-4, Federer won the final eight points of the set to even the set score. "Everything happens very, very quickly and I was looking for better serving because thats what let me down the most in the beginning, getting broken three times in five, six service games," Federer said. Both players had break opportunities in the first two games of the third set -- Berdych three and Federer one -- but each held. Federer secured his way to victory when he broke Berdych on a second break point in the fourth game. The Swiss faced two break points on his serve in the seventh game but held on for 5-2. Berdych was able to save two Federer match points on his own serve in the eighth game. But the Czech couldnt stop Federer from serving out. On Federers third match point at 40-15 in the ninth game, Berdych netted a backhand return. "The match started pretty well and I had many chances," Berdych said. "Its very disappointing for me the way I handled that situation." PHOENIX -- That dynamic double point guard backcourt of the Phoenix Suns might have had its best game yet. Goran Dragic scored 29 points, Eric Bledsoe had a career-high 28 and the Suns extended their season-high winning streak to four games by beating the Sacramento Kings 116-107 on Friday night. "Every game is better," Dragic said. "I know what hes going to do, he knows what Im going to do. Weve got a good feeling about each other and thats really tough for opponents." Suns coach Jeff Hornacek called it "a great tag team." "Both of those guys trust each other," Hornacek said. "If they dont really have a play and the other guy is in the view, he can get it to him and make a play." The Suns Miles Plumlee had two crucial blocks of DeMarcus Cousins shots and had four emphatic fourth-quarter dunks for 12 points. "I dont know if the guys in the league know if he can jump," Dragic said of Plumlee, "but we know." Isaiah Thomas scored 29 for Sacramento. Rudy Gay added 22 in his first game for the Kings since being acquired this week in a trade with Toronto. Cousins had 15 points and 15 rebounds but shot just 5 of 15 and wouldnt talk to reporters afterward. It was a testy night for the officials, who called five technical fouls. Gay was on a losing team in Phoenix for the second time in eight days. Toronto lost to the Suns a week earlier. "Thats the thing with trades in the middle of the season," he said. "You have to learn on the fly." Sacramento coach Michael Malone lamented his teams lack of defence. "That is two games in a row where we havent defended anybody," he said. "You look at Bledsoe and Dragic, what they did to us tonight, I am embarrassed by our defence right now. ... I cant go out there and guard. I wish I could." Phoenix took the lead for good with a 14-0 third-quarter run that started after Plumlee chased down Cousins from behind on a fast break and blocked the layup try hard off the glass. "I kknow Im really fast, I knew I could catch him," Plumlee said.dddddddddddd "Its just a matter of timing it up, and it worked out." It was a play that drove the energy level in the building up a notch. "When a player makes a hustle play, it definitely gets the crowd into it, and everybody else gets motivated even more," said Bledsoe, who had eight assists. "Just for Miles to hustle back, it means a lot to the team." Bledsoe missed the first two games of the season against the Kings, and Sacramento won both. Dragics 3-pointer punctuated the 14-0 outburst and Phoenix led 77-65 with 6:13 to play in the third quarter. Dragic and Bledsoe scored five apiece in the run. But the Kings responded with a 12-4 spurt and, after Thomas driving layup with 2 seconds to play, trailed 85-82 entering the fourth quarter. Sacramento never got closer than that again. Gerald Green and Channing Frye sank 3s, then Plumlee blocked Cousins again, leading to Bledsoes layup that boosted it to 101-91 with 6:43 remaining. The Kings cut it to 105-101 on Thomas driving layup with 3:11 to go, but Bledsoe hit a 3-pointer, P.J. Tucker scored inside, then Plumlees final big dunk made it 112-103 with 1:29 to play. The Kings led by as many as 11 before a 14-3 Suns spurt put Phoenix ahead 49-47 on Dragics two free throws with 4:07 to go in the second quarter. Sacramento ran off nine consecutive points to go up 58-49 on Thomas third 3-pointer of the night 1:43 before the break. Fryes 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds to play cut Sacramentos lead to 61-58 at the half. Notes: Bledsoes previous career high was 27 last Feb. 6 for the Los Angeles Clippers at Orlando. ... Dragic just missed getting the first consecutive 30-point games of his career. He has three 30-point games this season after previously getting three in his entire career.... Technicals were called against Tucker, Hornacek and Marcus Morris of the Suns, and Jason Thompson and Cousins of the Kings. ... Gay has reached double figures in 18 of 19 games this season. 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