Federer wins 7th Cincinnati title, denying Djokovic his only elusive championship

Roger Federer, of Switzerland, returns the ball to Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during a final match at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (The Associated Press)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, reacts during a final match against Roger Federer, of Switzerland, at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (The Associated Press)

CINCINNATI – Roger Federer remained perfect in Cincinnati finals, winning an unprecedented seventh championship while denying Novak Djokovic the one title that always eludes him.

Federer never faced a break point during a 7-6 (1), 6-3 victory at the Western & Southern Open on Sunday. He's 7-0 in Cincinnati finals, which bring out the best in the Swiss star.

By contrast, the world's top-ranked player is 0-5 in Cincinnati championship matches, never winning so much as one set. He needs the title to become the first to win all nine of the current ATP Masters events.

It was Federer's first tournament since he lost to Djokovic in the finals at Wimbledon. With the win, he'll be seeded second behind Djokovic at the U.S. Open.

___

Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay