Roger Federer won his first title of the year on Sunday, the world number three beating Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP final at Halle. This was the 31-year-old Swiss great's sixth Halle title and the 77th win of his career, but first since Cincinnati on the eve of the US Open in 2012. His 77th title also saw him draw level with John McEnroe in third position in the all-time career titles list.

Roger Federer won his first title of the year on Sunday, the world number three beating Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 in the ATP final at Halle. This was the 31-year-old Swiss great's sixth Halle title and the 77th title of his career. After losing the opening set the former world number one battled back to preserve his perfect record over Youzhny in 15 meetings in over two hours of play.

Roger Federer moved to within a match of securing his first title of 2013 as he avenged his defeat in last year's Halle final by beating veteran German Tommy Haas 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals on Saturday. Federer, 31 and ranked third in the world, will face Mikhail Youzhny in Sunday's final after the Russian beat French second seed Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2. It will be Federer's eighth Halle final having won the title five times at this pre-Wimbledon warm-up.

Roger Federer is hoping to kick-start his season on the Halle grass this week as he goes in search of a morale-boosting first tournament success this season. The 31-year-old top seed has not won a single trophy this season but is still the all-time most successful player in the Halle ATP tournament's 20-year history. Federer won it for the first of five times in 2003, the same year he landed his first Wimbledon title. "I would like to lift my first trophy of the season in Halle... it would give me a confidence boost," said the Swiss master.