Stuttgart — Roger Federer celebrated returning to the top of the world rankings by defeating Milos Raonic in the final of the Stuttgart Open on Sunday and lifting the 98th tour-level title of his garlanded career. The 36-year-old, who by reaching the final had guaranteed his return to world No1, replacing Rafael Nadal, continued to dominate the Canadian with a 6-4 7-6(3) victory. Federer’s 78-minute win, sealing his first Stuttgart triumph, was the perfect tonic for the Swiss in the build-up to defending his Wimbledon crown, having extended his unbeaten 12-month sequence in grass court matches to 16. "It’s a great comeback for me," said Federer, playing his first tournament after an 11-week break, having sidestepped the clay court season. "I’m really happy. I thought it was a good final. I think I played very well throughout the tournament, actually, having not played for a while. "Maybe I was a little bit better on the bigger points. Of course I’m so happy to have won here, finally...
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