Federer continues amazing streak with Dubai title

Mar 4, 2007, 0:11 GMT

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Roger Federer continued his amazing winning streak Saturday with a straight-set victory over unseeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the final at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The world's top-ranked player ran his winning streak to 41 straight matches with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph. He is 12-0 this year, including a title at the Australian Open, and has won his last seven tournaments dating back to last year.

Federer hasn't lost a match since a second-round setback to Britain's Andy Murray at the Masters Series event in Cincinnati last August.

The 41-match winning streak matched Bjorn Borg for the fourth-longest in history. John McEnroe won 42 straight in 1984, Ivan Lendl captured 44 in a row between 1981-82 and Guillermo Vilas holds the record of 45 straight in 1977.

Federer won the Dubai crown for the fourth time and now has 47 career ATP singles titles. He lost in the final of this tournament last year to Spain's Rafael Nadal, who was taken out this week in the quarterfinals by Youzhny.

Youzhny was red-hot, by anyone's standards other than Federer, with a nine- match winning streak. He won last week's event in Rotterdam, but has never beaten Federer in nine all-time tries.

The Swiss superstar beat Youzhny in this event last year in the semifinals and in 2005 in the quarters, and posted a third-round victory over the Russian at the Australian Open in January.

Federer had little trouble Saturday, needing only an hour and 24 minutes to polish off another victim. He faced only two break points and saved them both.

The victory was worth $300,000 for the 25-year-old, 10-time Grand Slam champion.

Youzhny, who was trying for his fourth ATP singles crown, earned a runner-up check of $153,000.

© 2007 The Sports Network