HALLE, Germany — Roger Federer won the Halle Open for a record-extending eighth time Sunday by beating Italy's Andreas Seppi 7-6(1) 6-4 in a successful dress rehearsal on grass ahead of Wimbledon. Defending champion Federer, who has now won Halle more times than any other tournament, captured a fourth title this year after victories at Istanbul, Dubai and Brisbane to take his career haul to 86. The Swiss top seed saved two set points on his serve, trailing 5-4 in the first set and dug deep to level. He then crushed the Italian, who won just one point, in the tiebreak to grab the first set after an hour. Seppi, who reached his second final of the year after Gael Monfils and second seed Kei Nishikori retired in his two previous matches, earned another break opportunity at 2-2 but he sent a backhand into the net. World No. 2 Federer then squandered three breakpoints at 4-3, allowing Seppi to hold on and win the 10-minute game. He did everything right, however, two games later to earn two match points and finished off the contest with a spectacular overhead smash. Murray king of Queen's Andy Murray swept to a record-equaling fourth Queen's Club title with a majestic 6-3, 6-4 demolition of South Africa's Kevin Anderson in Sunday's final. Murray joins John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt as the only four-time winners of the Wimbledon warm-up event in the Open era. It is Murray's third ATP title of 2015 after his victories on clay in Madrid and Munich, earning him a cheque for 381,760 euros ($433,507) and continuing his superb form since marrying Kim Sears in April. With 34 career ATP titles, including six on grass, Murray moves up to 18th on the Open era list — level with Arthur Ashe, Michael Chang and John Newcombe. Even more significantly, it is Murray's first title on grass since his historic Wimbledon triumph in 2013. Kerber rallies to beat Pliskova Angelique Kerber beat sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4) Sunday in the final of the Aegon Classic to clinch her first grass-court title. The big-serving Pliskova had 11 aces but Kerber's ability to contain this threat, along with greater flexibility in longer rallies, eventually turned the match the German's way. "It was an amazing match, and perfect for a final," the fourth-seeded Kerber said. "It will have given great confidence in my preparation (for Wimbledon)." "I was happy with the way I played because I did everything I could," Pliskova said. "It felt as though Angelique was everywhere, and she moves so well." Pliskova had more than 50 winners, along with 42 unforced errors. Kerber had 34 winners and only 14 unforced errors. Robson gets Wimbledon wildcard Former British No. 1 Laura Robson has been given a Wimbledon wildcard just 24 hours after her return from a 17-month injury lay-off started with a dismal defeat. Robson was back on court for the first time since last year's Australian Open following a serious wrist injury. But her comeback got off to the worst possible start as she was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 by Daria Gavrilova in the qualifying round of the WTA tournament at Eastbourne Saturday. The Australia-born 21-year-old is a former junior Wimbledon champion who reached the fourth round on her last appearance at the All England Club in 2013.? Wimbledon gets under way on June 29. — Agencies
