Haas shocks Federer to win battle of over-30s

(Reuters) - Tommy Haas showed he was still capable of springing a surprise at the age of 34 when he ended a three-year title drought with a shock 7-6 6-4 win over Roger Federer in the Halle Open final on Sunday.

The German, who needed a wildcard to play in the event as he is now ranked 87th, had declared himself 'mystified' with his unexpected passage to the final.

He was even more amazed on Sunday after beating a 30-year-old opponent who was the overwhelming favorite to win a sixth title at the Wimbledon warm-up event.

"This has been one of the best weeks of my career but I reckon I won't really appreciate what's happened until this evening," Haas said after winning his 13th career trophy.

"If someone had said to me beforehand that I was going to beat Roger Federer, probably the best player of all time, I would have thought they were mad."

Haas's win also snapped a 10-year losing streak against Federer, with the Swiss having won their last nine meetings dating back to the 2002 Paris Master.