Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a forehand to Mardy Fish during the finals on Day 7 of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 22, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Roger Federer concluded his minivacation with another Masters title.
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A well-rested Federer beat Mardy Fish, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 6-4, on Sunday in Mason, Ohio, for his second straight Cincinnati Masters championship and his fourth over all.
Federer, the world's second-ranked player, was barely on the court all week because some of his opponents were injured and his game was sharp. He spent only 3 hours 17 minutes in matches en route to the final.
There, he was pushed to the limit for the first time. Fish dropped the final set after the match's only service break.
"Maybe I was just a touch fitter than him today," Federer said.
Federer ended a streak of three straight losses in tournament finals, winning his first Masters event since Cincinnati last year. His 63rd career title tied Bjorn Borg for fifth place in the Open era. Pete Sampras is fourth at 64, and Jimmy Connors holds the record with 109.
Fish had surgery on his left knee last September, then set about rebuilding his body. He changed his diet, lost 30 pounds and gained speed on the court. His agility allowed him to extend points and keep up with Federer.
Fish had reached only two other Masters finals, including the Cincinnati event in 2003, and lost both. "I desperately want to sort of have my career maybe be remembered by a big tournament or something like that," Fish said. "So I've wanted badly to win a real big one. This would have been perfect."
MORE RAIN IN MONTREAL The rain-soaked Rogers Cup again postponed its singles semifinals, to 10 a.m. on Monday, followed by the final at 1:30 p.m. Caroline Wozniacki led Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2-0, on Saturday before rain forced them to stop. Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva have not played a point.
SOURCE: The Associated Press
