• Cincinnati Masters

Federer downs Djokovic to clinch Cincinnati crown

ESPN staff
August 19, 2012
Roger Federer will be the top seed at the US Open © PA Photos
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Roger Federer will arrive at the US Open in title-winning form after defeating Novak Djokovic to clinch the Cincinnati Masters crown for a fifth time.

In his first tournament on the hard courts following his Olympic silver medal at London 2012, Federer made an emphatic statement of intent ahead of the final major of the year, claiming a 6-0 7-6(7) victory in Ohio.

Djokovic, who beat Juan Martin Del Potro in the semi-finals to avenge his defeat to the Argentine which saw him miss out on Olympic bronze, rallied after a disappointing start, but was unable to recover from a first-set bagel as he was beaten in straight sets.

A series of unforced errors from Djokovic allowed Federer to grab an early break, and the Swiss' charge gathered momentum as he raced through the opener, bagging his first bagel against the Serb inside 20 minutes.

Djokovic, who claimed his first title in five months at last week's Rogers Cup in Toronto, began to settle as he held his serve for the first time to get on the board early in the second set.

The five-time grand slam champion began to look increasingly confident as he fired winners from the baseline, but was unable to find a way past a majestic Federer.

Djokovic had match point in the tiebreak, but he was unable to convert his opportunity as Federer wrapped up the victory in an hour and 20 minutes to equal Rafael Nadal's record of 21 Masters titles.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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