The day before, the world's best player Federer won a cup in the Dubai tournament, having defeated Spain's Feliciano Lopez. Having gained a total of 272 points in the race of the leaders, the Swiss increased still more the distance from his closest pursuer Safin, who won 144 points.
Federer started his victorious advance in Dubai by a duel with the Russian Giant. At that time Federer won in two tiebreaks and did not allow Safin to come near to the first place in the ATP rating.
Spaniard Carlos Moya, the winner in Acapulco, Mexico, took third place in the championship.
Because of a fairly successful play in the tournament in the United Arab Emirates Russia's Mikhail Yuzhny (he lost to Feliciano Lopez in the semifinals there) has climbed notably in the ATP rating, having skipped 38 steps. Now the Muscovite is in 34th place.
Three more Russians are now among the world's top 100 tennis players.
