ROGER FEDERER won his 99th career ATP tour title Sunday, beating qualifier Marius Copil 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the Swiss Indoors final.

A ninth title at Federer’s hometown event in Basel, where he was once a ball boy, matched the nine he has won at the Halle grass-court event in Germany. He closed the gap on the all-time singles titles list to Jimmy Connors, who leads with 109.

Federer blew kisses to a 12,000-person crowd in the renovated St. Jakobhalle, which now gives Basel’s local hero a bigger main stage.

“It’s been a magical week. It was dream run for me,” Federer said in his on-court acceptance speech, before his fans’ ovation brought tears welling in his eyes.

“To come through and win again here in my hometown, never knowing if this might be your last time ... it obviously means a lot to me and it becomes very emotional,” he said later.

(SD-Agencies)