Roger Federer won his first title in almost a year, beating Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-3 in the Swiss Indoors final Sunday.
The win ended a 10-month-long title drought for the former top-ranked Swiss, who “thanked his hometown fans after winning for the fifth time in six years at the event where he once worked as a ballboy,” the Associated Press reported.
"It's always the greatest for me to win the title here. See you next year," he said on court in Swiss-German, according to AP.
Federer dominated the 32nd-ranked Japanese, who was coming off a stunning victory over top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
"He was too good for me today," said Nishikori. "I tried to do my best but he wouldn't let me."
After winning the season-opening event in Doha, Qatar, Federer had not reached a title match since losing the French Open final to Rafael Nadal in June.
Federer, ranked No. 4, was playing his first event while being ranked outside the top three since he won his first Wimbledon title in 2003.
"It has been a long time since I felt so good physically," Federer told reporters.
According to AP, Nishikori could rise as high as No. 25 in the ATP rankings Monday, which would mark both a career best ranking for him and the highest ever by a Japanese men's player.
