Dubai: Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4 to win his fifth Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title in the 20th edition of the ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tennis tournament here on Saturday.

The World No. 3 has won the title five times in 10 years, having previously triumphed in 2003-2005 and 2007. He also finished runner-up in 2006 against Rafael Nadal, and lost to Novak Djokovic in last year’s final. Federer won his 72nd tour-level title, and his second in three weeks having triumphed at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam two weeks ago.

Sixteen-time Grand Slam champion Federer has been on a remarkable run of form in the past six months, winning 33 of his past 35 matches since losing in the semi-finals of the US Open