By E.J. Crawford
Once again, Roger Federer has made himself at home in Cincinnati.
Attacking relentlessly on the fast hard courts of the Western & Southern Open, the 17-time Grand Slam champion defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 6-3, on Sunday for his seventh title in the Queen City.
The victory completed an impressive week for the world No. 2. He did not drop a set in five matches, posting victories over No. 3 Andy Murray, No. 15 Kevin Anderson, No. 18 Feliciano Lopez and No. 23 Roberto Bautista Agut.
Djokovic fell to 0-5 in Cincinnati finals, having also lost to Federer in the championship match in 2009 and 2012. With a victory, the 2015 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion would have become the first man to win all nine Masters Series events in his career.
The seven Western & Southern Open championships for Federer are the second-most of any tournament in his certain Hall of Fame career. He has won eight titles at the grass-court event in Halle, and he has also won seven titles in Dubai and at Wimbledon.