Roger Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner, said his game wasn't sharp - but he didn't want to take anything away from Djokovic's achievement. "Novak is a great champion," Federer said.
Novak Djokovic (right) poses with the Cincinnati Masters trophy after beating Roger Federer in the final on Sunday. Pic/AP,PTI
Novak Djokovic ended a career-long jinx, lifting the trophy in Cincinnati at last to complete a matched set of Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic, who came up empty in five prior Cincinnati finals, defeated seven-time winner Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
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The former world number one became the first man to win all nine of the ATP's Masters 1000 events in the elite series' current configuration. "I played five finals [here] before, and most of those finals I lost to this great man, Roger ... thank you for letting me win here once in Cincinnati," Djokovic joked. "This is a dream come true," Djokovic said. "I finally won Cincinnati after six finals, some against the greatest ever, Roger."
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner, said his game wasn't sharp — but he didn't want to take anything away from Djokovic's achievement. "Novak is a great champion," Federer said. "This is about him making history." Federer's streak of 100 straight unbroken service games in Cincy was ended by Djokovic in the first set.
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