Haas, Cilic and Cornet conquer grass-court titles

HEAD racquet rebels won three titles in a spectacular weekend showing as ATP aces Tommy Haas, Marin Cilic and WTA player Alize Cornet all lifted Pre-Wimbledon trophies.

In Halle, Germany, the 34-year-old Tommy Haas upset five-time winner Roger Federer to lift his first title since winning the event in 2009 before a hip surgery interrupted his career. He will now return to inside the Top 50 after his grass success. The veteran has won his eight finals in a row since a loss in 2002 to Andre Agassi in Rome. "This has been one of the best weeks of my career but I reckon I won't really appreciate what's happened until this evening," said Haas after lifting his 13th career trophy.

"If someone had said to me before, that I was going to beat Roger Federer, probably the best player of all time, I would have thought they were mad." The victory also ended his 10-year loss streak against the Swiss. When he won Halle three years ago, Haas went on to play a Wimbledon semi-final, a feat he hopes he can perhaps repeat this year.

In London on the lawns of Queen's Club, racquet rebel Marin Cilic earned the title at the score of 6-7 (3), 4-3 when opponent David Nalbandian was defaulted for kicking at an on-court advertising board and injuring a linesman whose skin was cut. The Croatian, now with seven career titles, at least takes solid grass form into Wimbledon. "The match was ended just as it was getting hot. We were having some great rallies. It's tough to see the final finish like this," he said. "I played good today, I came here to play four, five matches and I won them. The form is heading to the right spot before Wimbledon."

In the mountain resort of Bad Gastein, Austria, Alize Cornet from France swung her YouTek IG Radical to victory over Yanina Wickmayer 7-5, 7-6 (1) to win the Nuernberger Gastein Ladies, the second title of her career after Budapest in 2008.