World number one Novak Djokovic landed his ninth title of 2011 with a hard-fought win over American Mardy Fish in the final of the ATP Rogers Cup in Montreal.
The 24-year-old Serbian, who has won 53 of the 54 matches he has played this year, beat Fish 6-2 3-6 6-4.
He broke Fish's serve in the fifth game of the deciding set and held on to the advantage that gave him.
With his success, Djokovic has become the first player to win five ATP Masters 1000 events - tournaments at the level just below the grand slams - in the same season.
Djokovic's previous Masters 1000 wins this season came in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome, and on each occasion it was Rafael Nadal he beat in the final - just as it was at Wimbledon last month.
By reaching the Wimbledon final, Djokovic inherited the number one ranking from Nadal.
He has dominated the current season and will go to the US Open as firm favourite for another grand slam title, but there were nerves from Djokovic against Fish.
"I think I was more nervous than in the previous matches today," Djokovic said on atpworldtour.com.
"Well, it was the final. There was a lot of tension going on. It was a very close match. He wanted to win that match as much as I did. That's why we were quite intense.
"It was a mental fight, as well. It was not just physical. But I managed to hold my composure when I needed to."
Fish was contesting his third final inside a month and ended the match believing he had missed a big chance to topple Djokovic.
"I felt like I had an opportunity today, I really did," he said.
"If you try to forget who you're playing against, you're just playing another player, maybe you can figure out a way to get a break or two there. I had a lot of shots early in that first set on my racquet that I'd like to have back."
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The 24-year-old Serbian, who has won 53 of the 54 matches he has played this year, beat Fish 6-2 3-6 6-4.
He broke Fish's serve in the fifth game of the deciding set and held on to the advantage that gave him.
With his success, Djokovic has become the first player to win five ATP Masters 1000 events - tournaments at the level just below the grand slams - in the same season.
Djokovic's previous Masters 1000 wins this season came in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome, and on each occasion it was Rafael Nadal he beat in the final - just as it was at Wimbledon last month.
By reaching the Wimbledon final, Djokovic inherited the number one ranking from Nadal.
He has dominated the current season and will go to the US Open as firm favourite for another grand slam title, but there were nerves from Djokovic against Fish.
"I think I was more nervous than in the previous matches today," Djokovic said on atpworldtour.com.
"Well, it was the final. There was a lot of tension going on. It was a very close match. He wanted to win that match as much as I did. That's why we were quite intense.
"It was a mental fight, as well. It was not just physical. But I managed to hold my composure when I needed to."
Fish was contesting his third final inside a month and ended the match believing he had missed a big chance to topple Djokovic.
"I felt like I had an opportunity today, I really did," he said.
"If you try to forget who you're playing against, you're just playing another player, maybe you can figure out a way to get a break or two there. I had a lot of shots early in that first set on my racquet that I'd like to have back."
Read more...
