Federer captures Istanbul crown for 85th career title

Istanbul, Turkey (SportsNetwork.com) - Roger Federer captured his 85th career title with a straight-set victory over Pablo Cuevas in Sunday's final of the inaugural Istanbul Open.

Federer breezed through the first set before a battle in the second and came away with a 6-3, 7-6 (13-11) victory on Sunday, earning his third title of 2015. He previously won in Brisbane and Dubai.

The Swiss superstar also won a tournament in a 19th different country.

"It's been a tough week, four tough matches," said Federer. "I thought the final was my best one. I'm very happy. I'm very proud to be the first champion here at the first-time tournament here in Istanbul."

Federer took the first set in a mere 33 minutes thanks to a break of serve. He then broke for a 4-3 lead in the second, but Cuevas returned the favor in the very next game.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion nearly made three straight breaks, but couldn't take advantage of triple-break point in the ninth game as the native of Uruguay battled back to hold.

A grueling tiebreak then ensued and Federer saved a trio of set points before finally winning on his fifth match point.

"It's difficult to face Roger, not only because of his game, but also to stay focused on the game and not get distracted," said Cuevas. "It was a very good experience for me, and I think it will help me in the future."

Cuevas fell to 3-1 lifetime in finals, including 1-1 this year. He won in Sao Paulo in February.