MASON, Ohio — World No. 1 Roger Federer heads to the US Open with a sixth tournament win of the year to his name, no evident fitness problems and little sign that his Olympic defeat by Andy Murray has had any adverse effect on his confidence. The Wimbledon champion came to Cincinnati aiming to fine-tuning his game ahead of Flushing Meadows and showed with his classy performances that there is not much to adjust as he looks for a record-extending 18th grand slam. The Swiss did not concede a break of serve in winning the tournament and securing his record fifth title at Cincinnati against the world No. 2 Novak Djokovic 6-0, 7-6 Sunday. “There is no doubt about it beating Novak in a final makes it extra special but then also (it was about) the reaction after losing in the Wimbledon (Olympic) final - to play a great finals after playing a not very good one at the Olympics where I went on to lose nine games in a row,” he said. Among his rivals world No. 3 Rafa Nadal misses the US Open due to a persistent knee injury and Murray pulled out of last week's Toronto Masters event with his own knee problem and then was knocked out in the third round in Cincinnati. Djokovic won in Toronto and reached his second final in a fortnight but his 6-0 hammering in the first set Sunday will have left something of a scar. Federer though looks in perfect condition. He seems fresh and sharp, has all areas of his game in order and is full of confidence. China's Li Na, meanwhile, showed plenty of character as she fought back to beat German Angelique Kerber 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 and win the women's Cincinnati Open title. The victory ends Li's run of three defeats in finals this year, including a loss to Petra Kvitova in Montreal last week, and is a major boost for her ahead of the US Open later this month. The 30-year-old Li's win was her sixth career title and her first since her French Open triumph last year and came after the Chinese teamed up with Argentine Carlos Rodriguez, the coach of multiple grand slam winning Belgian Justine Henin, earlier this week. Li won nine straight games from a set and a game down to take the second set and then a 3-0 lead in the third and she gave plenty of credit to her new coach. Blake wins In North Carolina, America's James Blake beat Spain's Albert Ramos 6-4, 6-3 Sunday in the first round of the Winston-Salem Open. Blake had seven aces to advance to a second-round matchup against fifth-seeded Andy Roddick Monday. Columbia's Santiago Giraldo beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in another first-round match. Steve Darcis of Belgium beat countryman Xavier Malisse, 6-3, 6-0; Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia edged Tunisia's Malek Jaziri, 6-2, 6-2; and Belgium's David Goffin topped France's Nicolas Mahut, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Wozniak advances In Texas, Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak beat fifth-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-0, 7-6 (2) Sunday in the first round of the Texas Open. Two weeks ago in Montreal, Wozniak became the first Canadian since 1992 to reach the Rogers Cup quarterfinals. In other first-round matches, seventh-seeded Chanelle Scheepers beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-0, 6-2, and eighth-seeded Sorana Cirstea topped Jarmila Gajdosova 7-6 (2), 6-4. Fourth-seeded Yanina Wickmayer advanced beating Heather Watson 6-3, 6-4; and No. 7 Chanelle Scheepers topped Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-0, 6-2. — Agencies
