Sagan wins Ashwin helps Tour stage India level Sri Lanka series TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015 16 18 Bolt back in action as Gatlin seeks road to redemption Page 17 CINCINNATI: Roger Federer of Switzerland (right) and Novak Djokovic of Serbia pose with the trophies after Federer won in two sets to win the men’s singles final at the Western & Southern Open. — AFP Federer captures Cincinnati title CINCINNATI: Roger Federer moved into pole position “I chose to roll the dice a little bit and see how having lost to Murray in Montreal. He didn’t muster a tiebreak in the first set. After that, he was just the bet- for a US Open title run on Sunday, capturing his sev- things were going to go. If they went great here then it break point against Federer, whose superiority was ter player. I had some double-faults, dropped my serv- enth Cincinnati Masters with a dominant 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 was a great plan. “If not, I was going to go back and clear in the first-set tiebreaker. ice game. win over Novak Djokovic. practice and be really motivated for the US Open to Federer’s variety of shots included an aggressive “The way I played this week, it’s great I managed to The 34-year-old Swiss star added the Serbian world start.” The gamble paid off for Federer, who needed 90 return on selected second serves, in which he reach the finals.” Djokovic isn’t giving up on his number one to a victims’ list which included Andy minutes to subdue Djokovic. advanced almost to the service line to surprise the Cincinnati dream. “This year I got to the final, it’s a step Murray in the semi-finals, capping a near-perfect week With the win he takes back the world number two Serb. After seizing a 4-1 lead in the second set, Federer closer,” he said. “I’m going to keep going, keep fighting for the 17-time Grand Slam winner. ranking Murray seized for a week and will be seeded gave himself three match points with his seventh ace to make history. Federer was playing his first tournament since second behind Djokovic at Flushing Meadows for the of the contest and converted on the first to the cheers “Obviously it’s a great incentive and inspired me to falling to Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. He passed season’s concluding Grand Slam which starts on of a partisan crowd. The 34-year-old-who wasn’t bro- come back and play my best tennis.” Federer fancies up the Montreal Masters won by Murray last week, August 31. ken all week-nudged ahead of Djokovic 21-20 in their his chances at the US Open in New York, where he won preferring to rest and prepare at home. Federer claimed his 87th career ATP title and his head-to-head series. the last of his five titles in 2008. “It’s great, I didn’t expect it, to be quite honest. I 24th trophy in a Masters 1000 event. Djokovic, mean- “I think we really get the best out of each other, “I’ve got the confidence, I’ve got the matches, and knew I had a chance, but I still felt more guys were while, was thwarted in his bid to become the first man we’ve improved a lot over the years playing each oth- I’m actually still feeling really fresh even after this going to have a better shot than I had because they to win all nine of the elite Masters 1000 titles as he er,” Federer said. After struggling all week, Djokovic week, because the matches have been rather short,” had played Montreal before,” Federer said. endured his fifth final defeat at Cincinnati-the lone said he knew Federer would be a tough nut to crack. “I he said. “Usually that helps. But I’ve realized over all the Masters missing from his resume. knew coming in that he was going to be aggressive, “Because I didn’t play both tournaments (Montreal years that it’s just really difficult to win back-to-back The Serbian world number one has now fallen in no question about it. and Cincinnati), I can really pace myself next week and Montreal and Cincinnati, or Toronto and Cincinnati. the final of both of his tune-up events for the US Open, So I tried to handle it,” he said.”I did well until the see how much practice I actually really need.” — AFP Serena wins final Ko bags Canadian Open VANCOUVER: World number two Lydia Ko has held off a fast US Open tune-up finishing Stacy Lewis and Ryu So-yeon to claim her third Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and eighth LPGA title in a CINCINNATI: Serena Williams con- Williams will be bidding for his- playoff in Vancouver on Sunday. New Zealand’s Ko could only tinued to work her way up the list tory at the US Open as she attempts muster an even-par-72 in the final round at Vancouver Golf of WTA tennis legends, winning her to complete a rare calendar-year Club to finish at 12-under-par, allowing Lewis to catch her 69th career title with a straight-set Grand Slam in singles. She came after the American shot 67, but Ko prevailed in the opening win over Simona Halep at the WTA back from an early first-set deficit to hole of sudden death. Cincinnati tournament. take charge against Halep. Williams Lewis found trouble in the left rough and was unable to The world number one claimed is looking forward to the start of the save par leaving Ko with a short putt to win the title for a third her second straight Cincinnati tro- US Open in eight days. time, the first time as a professional having won back-to-back phy and moved past Aussie legend “I prefer to have this pressure in 2012-13 as an amateur. “It’s been such an amazing week. I Evonne Goolagong into fifth place than the pressure of not winning,” made some really good up and downs on the front nine but I in the all-time WTA win list in the she said. “Not everyone can handle just couldn’t get anything going and I wasn’t hitting anything Open Era. Martina Navratilova that pressure, but I’m OK with it. I close,” Ko told reporters. heads the list with 167 singles would rather be in this position “Obviously Stacy played awesome and so did the other girls crowns. than another one.” so I knew I needed to play consistent and that’s what I tried to The 33-year-old American rallied Williams went down an early do.” Defending champion Ryu set the early pressure with a past third seed Halep 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) break but reclaimed it and then scintillating bogey-free 64 to finish at 11-under, tied third with on Sunday for her fifth title of 2015. some to win the opening set. The fellow Korean Kim Sei-young (68) before Lewis one upped her. “I think that playing Simona really second was much more combative Ko birdied the third hole but bogeyed the ninth before tested me, and I felt like I was up for as Halep held her own from the grinding out nine successive pars. The 18-year-old had a 10- the challenge and up for the test,” baseline. foot birdie chance on the 17th hole to take the lead after a Williams said. But Williams turned up the heat lucky bounce out of the rough but missed on the high side. After her approach to 18 finished a long way from the hole “I definitely feel there is room in the tiebreaker to finish the job in she faced a nervous two-putt to make extra holes but almost for improvement.” Halep, who hand- 99 minutes with 15 aces. drained the monster putt for the win. A similar lag in sudden ed Williams one of the worst losses Williams now stands 21-4 in death was enough when Lewis missed her 10-foot par save. of her career at the 2014 WTA Finals Cincinnati as she moves on to New Canadian teenager Brooke Henderson, fresh off her maiden in Singapore, will surpass Maria York for training. The American has LPGA win, finished at four under in a tie for 23rd in her quest Sharapova as the second ranked won all five of her 2015 finals - CINCINNATI: Serena Williams of the United States holds the Rookwood Cup after defeating Simona Halep of Romania, in the women’s final at the to be the first Canadian winner since Jocelyne Bourassa won player in the world when the new three Grand Slams, a Miami title the inaugural event in 1973. — Reuters rankings come out Monday. and now Cincinnati. — AFP Western & Southern Open tennis tournament. — AP.