Third-seeded Jiri Novak snapped Wimbledon champion Roger Federer's 15-match winning streak 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 yesterday in the Swiss Open final in Gstaad.

　　Novak prevented the top-ranked Federer from becoming the first Swiss to win the Open in 23 years. He also extended a streak of his own, winning his 10th straight match at Gstaad, and first ATP title since he won here in 2001.

　　The Czech couldn't defend his title last year because of injury.

　　"I must be one of the happiest men in the world right now," he said. "I've won the title here twice and won my fifth ATP title. Roger played excellent but I was maybe a little better."

　　It was a measure of vindication for Novak, who had lost his only other final this year to Federer in February at Dubai, and tied their head-to-head record at 4-4.

　　It was a bitter pill for Federer, who had delighted organizers and home fans by making an appearance in Gstaad immediately following his stunning victory in Wimbledon, where he became the first Swiss man to win a Grand Slam title.

　　The 21-year-old Federer, with a tour-high, win-loss record of 53-10 this season, was trying to win his first title on Swiss soil. He had been to the final at Basel twice before, losing in 2000 and 2001.

　　"It's very disappointing and frustrating, even if it was a great week. It's the third final I've lost at home," Federer said. "This was a marathon for me, playing matches every day or every other day for the last several weeks. Luckily I've got vacation time now."

　　In the first set, Federer led 5-2, but Novak tied, and Federer overcame increasing unforced errors to break again at 6-5 and win the set.

　　Novak, conscious of a sudden warble in Federer's game, broke the Swiss favorite three times in the second set.

　　With Federer committing as many double faults as he was serving aces, the Czech claimed the third in comfortable fashion, losing just five points on his own serve.

　　But Federer, unwilling to disappoint the fervent home crowd, rallied in the fourth, sweeping the first three games and breaking again at 5-1 to send the final into a decisive fifth. Novak made the only break at 3-2, and held on.

　　In Bastad, Sweden, Mariano Zabaleta won an all-South American final 6-3, 6-4 from Nicolas Lapentti at the Swedish Open yesterday.

　　Zabaleta won his second ATP title, and first in five years.

　　The fifth-seeded Argentine broke No 6 Lapentti to lead 3-1 in the first set, then again for 5-4 in the second.

　　Zabaleta had knocked out defending champion Carlos Moya of Spain in the semifinals on Saturday, while Ecuador's Lapentti toppled second-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

　　Zabaleta became the first Argentine to win the 56-year-old Swedish Open.

　　In Palermo, Sicily, Russian teenage sensation Dinara Safina downed Katarina Srebotnik in straight sets yesterday to clinch the US,000 Palermo International on clay for her second WTA title.

　　Safina, ranked 60th in the WTA computer lists and the No 9 seed in Palermo, defeated the fourth-seeded Slovenian 6-3, 6-4. Last year, she won her first title at the Polish Open, becoming the WTA Tour's youngest champion.

　　Safina, the 17-year-old sister of Russian star Marat Safin, played powerful, consistent tennis as she sailed to victory at the Country Club in the Sicilian capital.

　　Srebotnik, a 22-year-old ranked 42nd in the world, survived three match points before falling.

　　The Italian pair of Adriana Serra Zanetti and Emily Stellato, a wild card entry, took the doubles title, defeating Spain's Maria Jose Martinez and Arantxa Parra 6-4, 6-2.