Federer: I stunned myself

2006-03-20 16:50

Indian Wells - World No 1 tennis star Roger Federer impresses even himself sometimes.

The Swiss star stumbled early, then came roaring back for a 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 victory over James Blake and win the Pacific Life Open for an unprecedented third consecutive year.

Blake broke Federer's serve twice to take a 4-1 lead in the first set, but then Federer began taking over the match - just as he is dominating the ATP tour these days.

"He really got the better of me in the beginning, so I had to react and not panic. I did a good job there," the genial Federer said, speaking with candour but no arrogance.

"In the end, I played fantastic tennis, with some great shots once again. It's always a nice feeling to pull them off in a final. The form is excellent right now."

The top-ranked Federer, his all-around skills a cut above anyone else's now, thought Blake's play to start the match looked familiar.

"He played aggressively, took the ball early, put away his forehands when he could, didn't miss on the backhand, made me run around," Federer said. "That's usually what I do. He gave me a little bit of my own medicine."

The championship signalled that Federer is back in top form following his lone loss of the year, to Rafael Nadal in Dubai this month. Blake upset No. 2 Nadal in the semi-final at Indian Wells.

Federer won for the 25th time in his 36 tournaments dating to the start of 2004. He's 22-1 this year and his three titles include the Australian Open, his seventh Grand Slam championship.

- AP