Djokovic faces Federer in final

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Roger Federer celebrates victory over Andy Murray.
Roger Federer celebrates victory over Andy Murray.

Djokovic will face Federer, a six-time champion who has never lost a Cincinnati title match.

By AP

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Published: Mon 24 Aug 2015, 5:15 PM

Novak Djokovic had to rally against a lowly qualifier to get another shot at a title he's never won. Next in his way: Roger Federer, who has more Cincinnati trophies than anyone else.
Djokovic got a little help in the tiebreaker and pulled away to a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov on Saturday to reach the Western & Southern Open final.
He'll face Federer, a six-time champion who has never lost a Cincinnati title match.
"There's always a lot at stake, this one in particular," Federer said.
The top-ranked Djokovic is 0-4 career in finals at Cincinnati, where he's never even won a set. It's the only one of the nine ATP Masters to elude him.
A victory Sunday would make him the first player to win all nine ATP Masters during his career.
"I gave myself another chance to fight for the trophy," Djokovic said. "That was the goal and that was the wish coming here in Cincinnati. Obviously last couple of years, it was always in the back of my mind, the potential history making, and obviously that motivates me even more.
"Having that in back of my mind helped me to go through matches like the one today."
On the women's side, defending champion Serena Williams gave herself a chance to make it two Cincinnati titles in a row. She beat 14th-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3.
Williams will face third-seeded Simona Halep, who beat Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 6-2 in the other semifinal. Halep's win will move her ahead of Maria Sharapova, who withdrew from Cincinnati with a leg injury, into the No. 2 seed for the US Open.
"It definitely feels good to be back in the finals," Williams said. "I was playing aggressive more today and it really helped me, and it can keep me going for the next few weeks." Federer won the marquee matchup of the semifinals, using his steady serve to beat Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6 (6). The defending champion is trying for an unprecedented seventh title in Cincinnati.
It's his first tournament since he beat Murray in straight sets at Wimbledon before losing to Djokovic in the finals. And he's looking very fresh, especially with his serve.
He hasn't been broken during his four matches, a total of 29 service games. He lost only 14 points off his serve while beating Murray for the fifth time in a row.

Serena reacts during her match against Elina Svitolina. — AFP
Serena reacts during her match against Elina Svitolina. — AFP

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