Milos Raonic held his nerve and broke Roger Federer's serve once in each set to win the Brisbane International final 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday night, reversing the outcome of the 2015 decider between the pair.
Raonic attacked Federer with his booming serve and forehand, as expected, but also went to the net 13 times in the first set and won 10 of those points to set him on course for only his second win in 11 matches against the 17-time major winner.
It was an eighth career title for Raonic, who missed the last three weeks of last season with a back injury, finished outside the top 10 and lost his coach Ivan Ljubicic - to Federer.
Milos Raonic (left) celebrates after beating Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Brisbane International
The Canadian ventured to the net behind his booming serve to upset the Swiss legend
Both players were stepping up their preparations Down Under ahead of the Australian Open
Raonic lost his coach Ivan Ljubicic (above) to the former world No 1 towards the end of last year
Federer, irrepressible in his semi-final win over Dominic Thiem, was off-colour from the start at Pat Rafter Arena and his 25-year-old opponent feasted repeatedly on his wayward backhand.
Beaten in three tight sets last year, Raonic won at a canter in the rematch to complete the perfect buildup to his bid for a maiden grand slam at the Australian Open starting later this month.
The 17-grand slam champion had defeated Raonic in nine of their previous 10 contests
This was Raonic's eighth career title as he returned from a back injury that sidelined him for three weeks
Victoria Azarenka poses with the trophy after winning the women's event in Brisbane
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