CINCINNATI, August 20, 2018
Novak Djokovic did what no player has ever done before, winning his first title at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati to complete the ‘Career Golden Masters,’ by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 events.
Djokovic took down Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, on Sunday, to improve to 24-22 in their storied rivalry and deny Federer his 99th career title and eighth in Cincinnati. The two hadn’t played since the 2016 Australian Open, and Djokovic’s latest triumph gives him 31 career ATP Masters 1000 titles, two shy of all-time leader Rafael Nadal’s 33.
Pure GOLD 🙌
The moment @DjokerNole became the first ever winner of the Career Golden Masters. #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/27n8EAOCxj
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) 19. August 2018
“It’s definitely one of the most special moments in my career,” Djokovic said. “Achievements and making history in the sport that I truly love is a great privilege and honour and something that I’ll be very proud of for the rest of my life.”
Bertens clinch biggest career title
In the women’s championship, Kiki Bertens took down No. 1 Simona Halep, 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2, to win the biggest of her six career WTA titles and her first at a hard-court event. Bertens saved a match point in the second-set tiebreak to notch her 10th win over a Top 10-ranked opponent this year and improve her record in North America to 15-3 this year. 20-year-old Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka also had an impressive week, upending three seeded players to reach the semifinals.
.@kikibertens wins the 2018 @CincyTennis Title!
Beats Simona Halep 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2!
It is Bertens’ first-ever victory over a World No. 1 and her first hardcourt title! pic.twitter.com/6ml1jh7tmr
— WTA (@WTA) 19. August 2018
“It was such a big fight today. I am so happy to won the title,” Bertens said in her WTA-video interview. “It’s unbelievable to win my first hard-court title here, winning against the No. 1 in the world. I think, there is no greater feeling you can have right now … Everything is coming together this week. I played a couple of tough matches. Two matches in one day because of the rain. To be here as the winner is unbelievable.”
The 2019 Western & Southern Open will be held August 10-18 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The US Open Series concludes this week with the women’s Connecticut Open in New Haven and the men’s Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina.
RESULTS – SUNDAY, August 19, 2018
ATP Singles – Final
[10] Novak Djokovic (Serbia) d [2] Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6-4 6-4
WTA Singles – Final
Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) d [1] Simona Halep (Romania) 2-6 7-6(6) 6-2
ATP Doubles – Final
[4] Jamie Murray (Great Britain) / Bruno Soares (Brazil) d [7] Juan Sebastian Cabal (Colombia) / Robert Farah (Colombia) 4-6 6-3 10-6
