Federer victorious in Cincinnati

The last big hard-court tournament before the US Open finished up yesterday, and it was Roger Federer coming away with the crown. After a disappointing loss to Tsonga in Montreal, the Cincinnati title was a much needed confidence booster for the defending US Open champ. I was able to watch Federer's semi against Andy Murray, and Murray didn't play well in the first set. The second set was close and went to a tiebreak. Murray had a set point at least once, but he couldn't pull through. I missed the other semi between Nadal and Djokovic, but it was somewhat of a surprise to see Djokovic win that one. I caught a few bits and pieces of the final yesterday but did not pay really close attention. It looked to me like Federer was in control the whole way. Djokovic had some chances to win the second set, but Federer stepped up on the big points. So, the US Open is now only a week away. It will be quite an interesting tournament. I expect Federer, Roddick, and Murray all to play well. Nadal, Djokovic, and del Potro are wild cards.