A look back on Roger Federer’s seven triumphs at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Rabih MOGRABI / AFP

Rabih MOGRABI / AFP

Rabih MOGRABI / AFP

Karim Sahib / AFP

Karim Sahib / AFP

Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters

With Australian Open champion Roger Federer bidding for an eight Dubai crown, Ahmed Rizvi looks back on the 18-time grand slam champion’s seven previous triumphs at the Aviation Club.

2003 final – Beat Jiri Novak 6-1, 7-6

World ranking: No 5

Titles won in 2003: 7

Though he had won five career titles by the time he made his second trip to Dubai, Federer was yet to win a grand slam. Two quarter-final appearances, at the 2001 French Open and Wimbledon, were his best efforts in 15 appearances at the majors until then. Four months after his first Dubai triumph, the Swiss won the first of his 18 major titles, at Wimbledon, and finished the year as world No 3.

2004 final – Beat Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

World ranking: No 1

Titles won in 2004: 11

Owner of two grand slam titles now and the world No 1, Federer started his defence with a straight-sets win over the man he had defeated a few weeks earlier in the Australian Open final, Marat Safin. It was smooth sailing from there on, not just in Dubai, but overall as Federer won three grand slam titles and three Masters.

2005 final – Beat Ivan Ljubicic 6-1, 6-7, 6-3

World ranking: No 1

Titles won in 2005: 11

Knocked out by Marat Safin in the semis of the Australian Open, Federer was keen for a rematch in Dubai, especially since the Russian boasted he had a “formula” to beat Federer. The revenge match never happened as Safin lost in the first round, but there was a memorable semi-final win over Andre Agassi and then Federer beat his current coach – Ivan Ljubicic – for the title. It was Federer’s third consecutive final against Ljubicic after Doha and Rotterdam.

2007 final – Beat Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 5-7, 6-3

World ranking: No 1

Titles won in 2007: 8

Denied in his bid for a fourth consecutive Dubai title by Rafael Nadal in the 2006 final, Federer, resuming his season here after winning his third Australian Open crown, showed signs of rust at the start, but after a battling three-set win over Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final, it was smooth sailing. Federer finished the year with three grand slams, but lost to Nadal in the French Open final for the second year in a row.

2012 final – Beat Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4

World ranking: No 3

Titles won in 2012: 6

Upstaged by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal over the past two seasons, Federer, 30 now, was fending questions about his future as he arrived in Dubai, with no grand slam title since the 2010 Australian Open and only one major final in those 24 months. Back-to-back titles in Rotterdam and Dubai, however, turned the tide and Federer went on to win his 17th grand slam title at Wimbledon, defeating Murray again. That year was his most productive season in terms of titles since 2008.

2014 final – Beat Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-3

World ranking: No 8

Titles won in 2014: 5

Switching to a larger racket and a new coach, Stefan Edberg, following a disappointing 2013 when he could win only one title, at Halle, and lost in the second round at Wimbledon, Federer did not have a great start to 2014. Dubai, however, turned it around for the Swiss once again. On a three-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic, he fought back after losing the first set to down the Serb in the semis and then did the same in the final to defeat Tomas Berdych. Federer reached five Masters final that year, his most since 2007, winning two. He also reached the final at Wimbledon and the ATP World Tour Finals, added the Davis Cup title to his resume and came close to wresting the No 1 ranking from Djokovic.

2015 final – Beat Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5

World ranking: No 2

Titles won in 2015: 6

Stunned by Andreas Seppi in the third round of the Australian Open – his earliest exit from Melbourne since 2001 – Federer showed few concerns as he arrived in Dubai, confident about defending his title. And he did it in great style, going through the week without dropping a set, playing sublime tennis in the final to upstage the reigning Australian champion and world No 1 Novak Djokovic. This was the third time Federer had cruised to the Dubai title without dropping a set after 2003 and 2012.

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