Basel Flashback: Roger Federer defends the home title

• Tennis News
• Roger Federer

Roger Federer competed in Basel as the defending champion and the top favorite in 2007. Roger took down his good friend Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-4 in 61 minutes in the title clash, becoming the first back-to-back Basel champion since his idol Stefan Edberg two decades ago.

The home favorite faced Michael Berrer in the first round and delivered a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory in an hour and 28 minutes. Roger met the young Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the second round and finished the job in 58 minutes for a place in the last eight.

Juan Martin broke Roger once, and the Swiss responded with four return games by his name. Nicolas Kiefer stood no chance against Federer in the quarter-final, as Roger beat him 6-3, 6-2 in 71 minutes for a place in the last four.

Federer kept the pressure on Kiefer and notched four breaks to set the clash against Ivo Karlovic, his only top-25 rival that week. It was a mighty close encounter that Roger brought home 7-6, 7-6 after an hour and 38 minutes.

Federer took six points more than Karlovic and saved a set point at 4-5 in the opener. It was Karlovic's only break chance of the match. He offered Roger two opportunities in his games, fending them off but falling short in the closing stages of both tie breaks to propel Federer into his fourth Basel final.

Roger Federer defended the Basel Basel title in 2007 over Jarkko Nieminen.

Roger played well to defend the title, sealing the deal in just over an hour and lifting the trophy. It was the seventh ATP final for the Finn, and he could not do much against world no.

1. Jarkko never felt comfortable on the return, suffering one break in each set to hand the trophy to Roger. Players failed to produce a high-quality clash after hitting more unforced errors than winners. Federer forced more mistakes than his opponent, crossing the finish line first in no time.

Jarkko had a slight advantage in the more extended rallies. However, Roger erased that deficit with a much better performance in the shortest exchanges up to four strokes. Federer drew first blood with a break in the encounter's game two after Nieminen's loose forehand.

The Swiss confirmed it with a forehand winner in game three and closed the opener with a serve & volley combo at 5-3 after 28 minutes. Jarkko repelled a break chance at the beginning of the second set and created his first and only in the next one.

Roger denied it with a solid attack and broke a left-hander at 4-4 in the crucial moment of the entire clash. Serving for the title at 5-4, Federer landed two volley winners to seal the deal and celebrate the second consecutive crown in front of his family, friends and fans.