Down the line: Roger Federer is timeless in Cincinnati victory

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  • Roger Federer's Cincinnati win means he is back to No 2 in the world.

    If the Cincinnati women’s and men’s finals are anything to go by, the top two seeds at the US Open in either draw are in for a tremendous fortnight in New York.

    Back at world No2 this week, Roger Federer produced a master class in Mason, Ohio to capture a seventh title there and beat Novak Djokovic for a second time in 2015.

    Federer’s first win of the season over Djokovic came in Dubai last February and it was a stunning victory highlighted by one particular shot from the Swiss – the serve.

    The 17-time grand slam champion saved all seven break points he faced against Djokovic in that match at the Aviation Club, producing some impeccable serves when it mattered the most.

    While Federer’s serving was equally impressive in Cincinnati – he faced just three break points in the entire week, against Feliciano Lopez – it was his jaw-dropping return game that stood out.

    – Also: Who is tennis’ greatest? Federer, Nadal or Djokovic?
    – Cincinnati: Federer defeats Djokovic for seventh title

    – Related: Serena claims another title with victory over Halep

    Federer was continuously standing several feet inside the baseline and attacking his opponents’ second serves, by half-volleying his return in a ninja-style move that required inconceivable reflexes.

    Not only was Federer successful in a majority of his attempts with that shot, it also irked his opponents so much that it forced them into double faults and put them under pressure as he continued to take time away from them after the serve.

    Federer later explained that he had initially tried returning serves like that during practice “as a joke” but then he realised he could actually pull it off during matches.

    At 34 years old, it’s remarkable how Federer is still willing to try new things on court, especially that it seemed he was unwilling to make any changes a few years ago when the likes of Rafael Nadal and Djokovic were starting to get the better of him.

    That ultra-aggressive game he sampled in Cincinnati worked well for him but above all, it was so much fun to watch. After all these years, tennis can still rely on Federer’s X-factor and X-moves to dazzle the crowd.

    Halep gets her mojo back Meanwhile, Williams and Halep gave us a final to remember as they pushed each other to an astounding level of tennis before the world No1 retained her crown.

    Halep had been all over the place post-Miami but the feisty Romanian has managed to reclaim her spark just in time for the US Open, making back-to-back finals in Toronto and Cincinnati.

    As one Twitter follower aptly mentioned, she should have a fine US Open as long as she doesn’t bump into Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. As for Williams, she seems more than ready to complete a historic Grand Slam in New York although she must be prepared to battle through some three-setters since her slow starts continue to haunt her.

    She’ll also need her lucky charm, Drake to keep showing up.

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