Cincinnati Masters: Roger Federer beat Andy Murray 6-2, 7-6 (8) yesterday and will face fourth-ranked Novak Djokovic in the final today in Mason, Ohio.
Djokovic earned his second consecutive appearance in the final and snapped his own five-match losing streak against No. 3 Rafael Nadal with a 6-1, 6-4 win in the other semifinal.
The top-seeded Federer, who won the tournament in 2005 and 2007, put more emphasis on reaching the finals than on snapping his personal losing streak vs. Murray, the defending champion.
"It doesn't matter to me," said Federer, the winner of a record 15 Grand Slams, including the last two at the French Open and Wimbledon. "I'm past that point. People try to hype it up, but I don't read anything into it. I know my game's on, and when my game's on, I know I can beat any player in the world."
Federer never faced deuce while serving, keeping Murray on his heels in the first match between the tour's top two players in the history of the $3 million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.
Rogers Cup:Elena Dementieva of Russia advanced to the final with a 7-6 (2), 6-1 semifinal win against Serena Williams yesterday in Toronto.
Dementieva, the tournament's fourth seed, will face Maria Sharapova in the final today. Sharapova beat Alisa Kleybanova 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the other semi.
The second-seeded Williams came into the match as the hottest player in the tournament, but an unreliable serve and a litany of unforced errors were her undoing. The 2001 Rogers Cup champion was broken five times and looked out of rhythm from the start, hitting routine shots long, wide or into the net.
"I can't say I was especially feeling the fire," Williams said. "Obviously you want to do well, and I always really want to do well. Honestly, I think I could have and should have won, but I didn't, so ... it is what it is."
Dementieva avenged her loss to Williams in the semifinals at Wimbledon.
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