Federer vs. Djokovic: Cincinnati Masters Final Is a Statement Match for Djokovic
The final of the ATP Western & Southern Open tournament against Roger Federer is a must-win match for former No. 1-ranked player Novak Djokovic so he can restore his confidence ahead of the U.S. Open.
He hasn't won a major tournament since the Australian Open in January, when most thought he would dominate 2012.
Djokovic's last match against Federer was a loss in the semifinals at Wimbledon. He rebounded well from his most recent defeat in a major tournament, to Andy Murray in the semifinals of the Summer Olympics in London, by winning the ATP Rogers Cup in Montreal last week. So he does have some nice momentum going with another tournament final appearance.
These two rivals have met quite a few times in their careers, with Federer holding a 15-12 head-to-head edge going into Sunday's final in Cincinnati.
Djokovic's play since the Olympics has been impressive, and it's important that he keeps up this momentum as we approach the U.S. Open. A win versus Federer would extend his current winning streak to 10 matches.
It's crucial that Djokovic defeats Federer so he recaptures the swagger that made him so difficult to beat throughout 2011 and for the early part of this year.
Djokovic does very well on hard courts, as we saw in the Australian Open in January. His athleticism and service game are real weapons on this kind of surface, especially against the best opponents.
Sine the U.S. Open is played on hard courts, this final against a top opponent will be a fantastic test for Djokovic before he travels to New York for the last Grand Slam tournament of the season.
If Djokovic wants to defend his U.S. Open title in the coming weeks, he cannot allow Federer to beat him again and start to feel supremely confident against his Serbian rival.
Djokovic needs to establish himself as the best player in the world going into New York, and the only way to do that is by defeating Federer and making a statement against the world's best.
