Roger Federer claimed his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2003. He was set to make an even stronger assault in 2004 after winning 74 of 80 matches and lifting 11 ATP titles, including three Majors and three Masters 1000 tournaments.
In 2005, Roger failed to defend his Australian Open title, losing to Marat Safin in a fantastic semi-final clash after wasting a match point. Roger bounced back from that Safin loss with his first Rotterdam title on February 20, defeating Ivan Ljubicic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 after two hours and 44 minutes.
It was their eighth meeting and the fifth victory for Roger, who defeated Ivan in the Doha final five weeks earlier. Unlike that Qatar match, Federer had to work much harder to beat the Croatian at the Ahoy Arena, winning his 15th consecutive final after Gstaad’s defeat in 2003.
Roger earned ten more points than Ivan, played better on both the first and second serves, and took advantage of two of three break point opportunities to keep the pressure on the no. 19. Ivan threw 16 aces and saved five of the six break points to stay in touch with Roger, three points from the victory in the tie break.
It was hands down the most challenging test for Federer in the entire tournament, winning the previous four matches in straight sets and never losing serve. The first break point came in the seventh game, and it was Ljubicic who got a chance to move up front when Federer missed an easy right hand.
The Swiss saved him with a winning serve and held on after a cross forehand to climb out of the abyss and avoid an early setback. The Croatian came even closer to taking the opening set after winning three break opportunities at 5-5, converting the first when Roger missed a backhand to move up front.
Federer defeated Ljubicic in Rotterdam in an even duel
Nerves started to show for Ivan in the 12th game, but he stayed cool and fought off a break opportunity with a fantastic backhand down the line and closed the set when Roger made a forehand error.
The Croatian saved a break opportunity early in the second set and struggled again in the fourth game before taking him home to level the score at 2-2. Federer was in a better pace now, with another break opportunity in game six after a weak forehand from Ivan.
The Swiss blew it when his forehand landed long, allowing Ljubicic to hold on after two service winners. On the other hand, Roger navigated through his service games, with a space to press hard on the return that offered him another break opportunity in game eight thanks to a forehand down the line.
The Croat repelled him with a solid shot, remaining intact and hoping to reach the tiebreaker where the pressure would be on Federer. Returning at 6-5, Federer produced two set points with a forehand winner and took advantage of the second to take the set 7-5 and send the match to a decider.
Nothing could separate them in the first nine games of the deciding set, and Ivan held on after a deuce while serving to stay in the match, leveling the score at 5-5 to add more drama and excitement.
Roger hit another deuce with the return in game 12, but Ljubicic kept his composure to launch the match into a decisive tiebreaker, the best way to wrap up a close encounter. A serve winner pushed Ivan 4-2 up front before dropping the next point on serve that could have given him a considerable lead, missing a backhand to bring Roger back on the scoreboard.
Two winners pushed the Swiss 5-4 up, and a huge forehand earned him another mini-break and two match points. He made the second when Ljubicic added a forehand error to celebrate his 24th ATP crown and the first in Rotterdam, where he debuted six years earlier at 17.
–
