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| World number one tennis player Roger Federer, from Switzerland, holds his trophy after winning the final of the Estoril Tennis Open against Russia's Nikolay Davydenko in Oeiras, outside Lisbon, Sunday, April 20 2008. Davydenko retired with an injury when Federer was leadng 7-5, 1-2. |
OEIRAS, Portugal (AP) -- Top-ranked Roger Federer won his first title of the season at the Estoril Open when second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko retired with a leg injury while trailing 7-6 (5), 1-2 Sunday.
It's been eight years since Federer needed five tournaments to get a shot at his first trophy of season.
"It's not the way you want to win a tournament, but that's just the way it goes sometime," Federer said. "It's great to win a title again and to straightaway win my first clay court tournament of the season gives me great confidence going into Monte Carlo."
Davydenko, who dropped to 0-12 against Federer, did not reveal the nature his injury. He had received treatment on his left leg before starting the second set.
"I have a little injury and I can't finish the match," Davydenko told the court-side crowd. "I'm sorry guys."
In the last two weeks, Davydenko won the Sony Ericsson Open and led Russia to a Davis Cup win over the Czech Republic.
On the women's side, Maria Kirilenko defeated Iveta Benesova 6-4, 6-2 for her third career title.
Federer evened his record in clay court finals to 7-7 on a windy day. Overall, he's won 54 of the 71 finals he's played. His first victory in Portugal gave him titles in 17 countries.
Federer had five break chances over Davydenko's first three service games, but hit unforced errors on four, and Davydenko fired one of his two aces of the set to save the other.
Federer served an ace to save a break chance in the eighth game, with Davydenko shooting a low forehand into the net for Federer to hold at 4-4.
Federer went down 0-30 to start the 10th game. He recovered only to face set point, but saved it with his fourth ace. Federer took it to a tiebreaker after saving another set point.
After trailing 3-0 in the tiebreaker, Davydenko rallied with a forehand winner down the near line to tie it 5-5. Federer hit a crosscourt forehand for his 12th winner of the opening frame, then clinched it after Davydenko hit a forehand into the net.
Davydenko broke Federer at the start of the second set. Both players held their next service games, but the Russian failed to come out to serve.
The second-seeded Kirilenko broke Benesova's serve five times, helped by the Czech's five double-faults. Benesova sits 100 spots below Kirilenko in the rankings. It was the third straight tournament that she lost in the final.
With Kirilenko leading 5-4, Benesova hit a shot wide to set up a first set point before rain forced an interruption. After the 41-minute delay, Benesova netted after a long rally to hand the 32nd-ranked Russian the first set.
Kirilenko broke to love for a 2-0 lead in the second set. Kirilenko had won 10 straight points before the 25-year-old Benesova smacked a forehand inside the line to start the third game.
Kirilenko won with her last break in the eighth game when Benesova returned the ball into the net.
