Roger Federer has reclaimed his aura of invincibility with a stirring 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 victory over Ivan Ljubicic in the World Indoor Tournament final in Rotterdam, on Sunday.
The Swiss world number kept his imposing victorious streak in finals intact by winning his 15th consecutive title showdown.
Federer, who had defeated his Croatian opponent in the Doha final in January, predictably wore down Ljubicic to add his name to the billboard of champions that circles the Ahoy arena's centre court.
"I'm really happy to have finally won here," Federer, who lost the 2001 final 7-6 in the third set, told the crowd.
Federer arrived in the Dutch port city with a mission to repair his dented confidence after his loss to Marat Safin in the Australian Open semi-finals.
The top seed's triumph handed Ljubicic a hat-trick of final defeats this year. The Croatian number one also lost in Marseille last Sunday.
Ljubicic enjoyed the better start to the match, holding break points in Federer's first and fourth service games.
Although the Croatian was unable to capitalise on either opportunity, he kept his nerve against the world's best player.
Ljubicic broke the previously impregnable Federer serve for the first time in the tournament in the 11th game of the first set, winning it to love after the Swiss swiped a backhand into the net.
A shell-shocked Federer tried to hit back in the next game by earning his first break point when Ljubicic served for the set.
The Croatian was up to the challenge, however, slamming a backhand passing shot past Federer's outstretched racket.
Four points later, Ljubicic had the set in his possession when Federer's backhand sailed wide.
Federer kept piling on the pressure in the second but failed to convert any of his numerous break point chances until Ljubicic was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down.
Having saved the first with an unreturnable delivery, Ljubicic allowed Federer to draw level by drifting the ball over the baseline.
The deciding set proved much tighter as neither player earned a break point and there was little to separate the pair as the tussle headed into a tiebreak.
After two hours and 42 minutes of high-quality action, Federer finally claimed victory when Ljubicic mis-hit the ball into the crowd.
