Roger Federer Wins Western & Southern Open 2012, Drops Djokovic in Straight Sets

Roger Federer won his fifth Western & Southern Open, defeating world No. 2 Novak Djokovic in straight sets (6-0, 7-6). After breaking the off-rhythm Djokovic three times in the first set, Federer won a hard-fought tiebreak in the second set to wrap up the victory.

The victory gives him confidence for the coming U.S. Open and adds to a great summer and a stunning comeback year. After regaining his world No. 1 ranking with his seventh Wimbledon championship, he went on to win his first Olympic medal and now adds the Western & Southern Open trophy.

The match against rival and former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was a likely preview of the U.S. Open finals, which will occur in a few weeks. With Rafael Nadal injured, Federer and Djokovic are the two favorites.

The win greatly strengthens Federer's No. 1 ranking, adding 820 points to his ATP ranking. It is his third Master's 1000 victory of 2012. The boost to his world ranking guarantees that he will maintain his No. 1 spot through the U.S. Open.

A victory by Djokovic at the upcoming Grand Slam will not be enough for him to regain the No. 1 spot. This will allow Federer to add at least several more weeks to his record number of weeks at the top.

This was the 28th meeting between Federer and Djokovic, and the 21st on hard courts. Federer now leads 16-12 overall and 12-9 on hard courts.

With the win, Federer ties Nadal for most Master's 1000 tournament titles all time with 21. Djokovic is third with 12.

Djokovic is yet to win a Western & Southern Open title, though he has been in the finals the past two years. He will be looking to regain his form at the U.S. Open in two weeks.