Roger Federer has moved back to the world number two slot after beating Novak Djokovic to win the Cincinnati Masters title in America.
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The Swiss star is 7-0 in the finals, which always brings out the best in him.
Novak Djokovic fell short of just one victory from making history as he looked to become the first singles players to have won all 9 ATP 1000 Masters Events.
It was Federer’s first tournament since he lost to Djokovic in the finals at Wimbledon. Basel-borne Federer won the opening tie-breaker set as he took 10 of the last 11 points to claim the first set and it lasted 52 minutes. This was Federer’s first tournament since losing in the Wimbledon finals to Djokovic. Federer defeated Djokovic 7-6(1), 6-3. He spent 39 consecutive weeks at World No. 2 since October 2014 before dropping one notch down last week when Andy Murray won his third Rogers Cup title in Montreal.
The Swiss legend’s 17 Grand Slams are the most by any men’s player in the Open era but only one of those titles have arrived in the past five years, indicating his ability to win when it really matters might be dwindling. Djokovic and Federer are even with 20 wins apiece in 40 prior career meetings.
With the win he takes back the world number two ranking Murray seized for a week and will be seeded second behind Djokovic at Flushing Meadows for the season’s concluding Grand Slam which starts on August 31. “Especially Serena – every time she was down and her back against the wall, she came up with the best shots”.
Murray failed with a challenge at 1-1 and although he played some of his best tennis of the match to get back into the tiebreak he eventually lost it 8/6.
The latest – a sudden rush forward almost to the service line to return his opponent’s second serves – has been deployed bravely and brazenly against stellar opposition throughout his fine run at the Cincinnati Open.
“I think maybe I’m a little bit empty mentally to stay at my top”, Wawrinka said. Most second serves go to the backhand side, but this time Djokovic threw in a surprise, a slice to Federer’s forehand.
“I knew coming in that he was going to be aggressive, no question about it. So I tried to handle it”, he said. I won’t see him before the finals. Federer won the next three points to take the set. Federer by no means confronted a break level throughout a 7-6 (1), 6-Three victory on the Western & Southern Open.
Despite having arthritic hands and being handpicked as a potential punchbag for Baer to beat up on, Jimmy Braddock, son of Irish immigrants, lived his American Dream to overcome odds of 10/1 and world champion Baer in a story that is immortalised in a Ron Howard film of a decade ago.
“I really hope you can win here”, Federer replied in his speech before the crowd laughed.
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Despite surviving that scare, there was to be no reprieve for Djokovic as the remainder of the set went on serve and Federer wrapped up his seventh Western and Southern Open title.
