Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal in their first meeting in almost two years to win the Swiss Indoors final 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 on Sunday.
Top-seeded Federer ended a five-match losing streak against Nadal, including the last time they played for a title in May 2013.
“It was a very special day,” said Federer, who won his hometown event for the seventh time. “Probably it was my best victory here in Basel.”
With the match finely poised in the deciding set, Federer hit a series of winners and broke Nadal’s serve for a 5-3 lead.
Federer got a second match point by meeting Nadal’s hard forehand with a backhand volley winner at the net, and clinched it when Nadal’s service return flew long.
“I lost but I was close to winning, very close,” said Nadal, who still has a 23-11 career hold over Federer, including 14-7 in tournament finals.
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