Halle, Germany (SportsNetwork.com) - Roger Federer captured the title at the Gerry Weber Open for the seventh time by grinding out a 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3) win over Alejandro Falla in Sunday's final.
The second-seeded Federer broke to go up 5-3, but failed to closed out the first set on his serve. He eventually won the tiebreak when Falla fired a forehand wide.
Federer and Falla traded breaks to open the second set before each held serve until the second tiebreak. A netted forehand by Falla earned the Swiss star his 14th title on grass and 79th overall.
Federer captured four consecutive Halle titles from 2003-06 and prevailed in 2008 and 2013.
"I really enjoy winning titles. It is what I play for, to play and receive a standing ovation at the end," Federer said. "I am very pleased with my performance. I work hard and travel the tour to win these titles and not lose in the quarters or semifinals. With all the success I have had in the past, I need to aim for titles. I think I deserved the title this week."
The win was the seventh for Federer in as many meetings with Falla, who became the first Colombian to reach the final of a grass-court tournament.
Falla also was the first left-hander to appear in the Halle final since Petr Korda in 1997. He played in his second career final after finishing as the runner-up to Ivo Karlovic at his hometown event in Bogota last year.
"It's always tough losing a match, especially a final. I wanted to win the title so badly," Falla said. "But when you play Roger in a final, it is always tough. It was a close match. I tried my best and fought for every point. This tournament gave me a lot of confidence, having won some tough matches."
