Cincinnati Sunday Briefing

© Getty ImagesDjokovic is bidding to win his first title in Cincinnati.

FINAL PREVIEW - DJOKOVIC LOOKS FOR 10TH TITLE OF YEAR, MURRAY AIMS FOR SECOND

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia has been having a dream season, winning nine titles (including Grand Slams at the Australian Open and Wimbledon plus a record five ATP Masters 1000 titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome and Montreal). Djokovic, who is one week younger than World No. 4 Andy Murray, looks for his first Western & Southern Open title on Sunday against the Scot. They met in the final here three years ago and Murray won in two tie-breaks.

Djokovic leads Murray in their head-to-head, 6-3, including 2-0 this year (winning in straight sets in the final of the Australian Open and in a three-hour-plus marathon in the semi-finals of Rome). Eight of their previous nine meetings have come in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (this is the seventh different ATP Masters 1000 tourn). On hard courts, Djokovic leads 4-3 Murray. He is an incredible 57-1 on the season, with his only loss coming in the semi-finals at Roland Garros to Roger Federer on June 3. Since then he’s won 16 straight matches. He has been flawless on hard courts (33-0) and in ATP Masters 1000 play (31-0).

Last week in Montreal, Djokovic made history by winning his fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title of the year - more in a single season than anybody (since 1990). He could step that record up to six with a title in Cincinnati. Djokovic is 9-0 in ATP World Tour finals this year and 27-13 in his career. He is 5-0 in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals this year and 10-6 in his career.

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Murray has had a strong season and this is his third final (1-1) of the year. He has made the semi-finals or better seven times now, he also has five early round losses on the season, most recently an opening round loss to Kevin Anderson in Montreal last week. He has maintained his No. 4 ranking since the Australian Open but is always looking to creep back into the Top 3 - he has been as high as No. 2.  Murray is 17-9 in his career in finals. He is playing his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final of the year and eighth of his career (6-1 mark).

“I have a great rivalry with Andy,” Djokovic said. “He struggled the first couple of months after Australian Open, but I think he’s back. This is a surface he plays well on. We played the finals here, and he won that. He knows what it takes to win a big match, a big tournament. So there is no favorite tomorrow.”

“I’ve played Novak in a few finals and big matches over the last few years, and won some of them and lost some of them,” Murray said. “I feel like I can beat him. I’ve done it before and had quite a lot of chances. I probably should have won against him in Rome earlier this year on clay. But I’ll have to play well.”

WHAT’S AT STAKE
Winner   $496,000 and 1000 South African Airways 2011 ATP Ranking points
Runner-up  $243,200 and   600 South African Airways 2011 ATP Ranking points

FINALS HISTORY
Djokovic  41st career ATP World Tour level final………………….27-13 record (9-0 in 2011)
17th career ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final…........10-6 record (5-0 in 2011)
Murray 27th career ATP World Tour level final………………….17-9 record (1-1 in 2011)
8th career ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final………….6-1 record (first in 2011)

ATP WORLD TOUR MASTERS 1000 TITLE LEADERS – Djokovic is attempting to capture his 11th career
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and Murray his seventh. Here are the leaders (since 1990):
                       No. 
1) Rafael Nadal 19
2) Andre Agassi 17 
    Roger Federer 17 
4) Pete Sampras 11 
5) Novak Djokovic 10 
6) Thomas Muster   8
7) Michael Chang   7
8) Andy Murray     6
9) Six tied with  5

DIFFERENT ATP MASTERS 1000 FINALS – Djokovic is looking to become the second player to win seven different ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in his career. The only player to accomplish the feat is Andre Agassi, who won 17 overall ATP Masters 1000 titles. Here is a look at Djokovic’s different titles:
- Indian Wells (2008, ’11)  -  Rome (2008, ‘11)
- Miami (2007, ’11)   -  Montreal (2007, ’11)
- Madrid (2011)   -  Paris (2009)

2011 ATP MASTERS 1000 FINALS –  Last Sunday Djokovic became the first player to capture five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in a season as he defeated Mardy Fish in Montreal. Djokovic has compiled a 31-0 mark in Masters 1000 play and 57-1 overall this season. Nadal was runner-up four times to Djokovic while capturing the title Monte-Carlo title.  Here is a look at the finals:
    
                                  Champion             Finalist             Result
Indian Wells                 Novak Djokovic     Rafael Nadal     46 63 62
Miami                          Novak Djokovic     Rafael Nadal     46 63 76(4)
Monte-Carlo +              Rafael Nadal         David Ferrer     64 75
Madrid                        Novak Djokovic      Rafael Nadal     75 64
Rome                          Novak Djokovic      Rafael Nadal    64 64
Montreal                      Novak Djokovic     Mardy Fish       62 36 64
+ Djokovic did not play

SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP FED EX HEAD 2 HEADS –

(1)Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs (4) Andy Murray (GBR)     Djokovic Leads 6-3 (4-3 on hard)
06 ATP Masters Series Madrid (Spain) Hard R16 Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-5 6-3
07 ATP Masters Series Indian Wells  Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3
07 ATP Masters Series Miami (U.S.A.) Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-0
08 ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo  Clay R16 Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-4
08 ATP Masters Series Toronto Hard QF Andy Murray 6-3 7-6(3)
08 ATP Masters Series Cincinnati  Hard F Andy Murray 7-6(4) 7-6(5)
09 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami Hard F Andy Murray 6-2 7-5
11 Australian Open (Australia) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-2 6-3
11 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome Clay SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 3-6 7-6(2)

DJOKOVIC FASTFACTS

Tournament Highlights:
• The 24-year-old Serb is making his third final appearance in four years (15-6 record)…In 2008, he was runner-up (l. to Murray) and ’09 (l. to Federer)...He has dropped one set so far, to No. 6 seed Gael Monfils 36 64 63, in the quarter-finals…He opened on Wednesday by defeating American wild card Ryan Harrison 62 63 (lost serve twice and broke five times)…On Thursday, beat Czech Republic qualifier Radek Stepanek 63 63 and in semi-finals, beat No. 8 seed Tomas Berdych 7-5 Ret. (shoulder)
• He is No. 2 this week in return games won (17 of 37, 46%) and points won returning first serve (45%)
• He lost early in first three appearances from 2005-07, going 1-3 but has compiled  14-3 mark since 2008…Last year he reached quarter-finals (l. to Roddick)

2011 Highlights:
W: Australian Open (d Murray); Dubai (d Federer); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d Nadal); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (d Nadal); Belgrade (d Lopez); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid (d Nadal); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (d Nadal); Wimbledon (d Nadal); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Montreal (d Fish); SF: Roland Garros (l Federer)

2011 in Review:
• The World No. 1 enters with an outstanding 57-1 match record on the season, including 33-0 on hard courts…He is trying to capture his 10th overall title, his sixth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown…Last Sunday he captured his ATP World Tour-best ninth title of the year, defeating Mardy Fish 62 36 64 in Montreal…That was only set he lost during week…He has the best record coming into Cincinnati since 1984 when John McEnroe went 59-1…McEnroe went into US Open with nine titles that year
• He also became the first player to win a title in World No. 1 tournament debut since Pete Sampras in April 1993 in Hong Kong …He took over the top spot on July 4 after capturing his first Wimbledon crown (d. Nadal)…This is the seventh straight week he’s No. 1
• Of the Belgrade native’s nine titles, five  are ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles (most in a year)…He is 18-1 vs. Top 10 opponents, defeating rivals Nadal five times and Federer three times…His 18 Top 10 wins surpasses his previous best total in a season (15-12 in 2009)…Last year went 4-8
• His only loss came to Federer in the semi-finals at Roland Garros in June, which snapped a 43-match winning streak going back to last year’s Davis Cup final (41 in 2011)…Since loss he’s won 16 in a row
• He became the first player to win five ATP Masters 1000 titles in a season (since 1990) and he is one of three players (Federer, Nadal) to earn four (or more) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in a year… Four of his five Masters 1000 titles have come over Nadal (two on clay and hard courts), other over Fish …He is the only player to defeat both Nadal and Federer three straight times in a season
• In May he won his hometown title in Belgrade (d. Lopez) in his clay court season debut
• His five other titles have come on hard courts against Top 10 opponents, winning his second Australian Open (d. No. 5 Murray), Dubai (d. No. 2 Federer) and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami (d. No. 1 Nadal in both) and Montreal (d. No. 8 Fish)

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 History:
• Has a career mark of 136-39 and 10-6 in finals, winning a record five titles this year in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome (d. Nadal in each) and Montreal (d. Fish)…In May, Madrid was his sixth different title in his eighth different final (except Shanghai)…He’s trying to win his seventh diff. title here
• In 2007, reached his first final in Indian Wells (l. to Nadal) and followed with his first title at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami (d. Canas)…Also won in Montreal in ‘07, defeating the Top 3 players in succession – No. 3 Roddick (QF), No. 2 Nadal (SF) and No. 1 Federer (F)
• In 2008, won titles in Indian Wells (d. Fish), Rome and runner-up in Cincinnati (l. to Murray) and in ’09, won in Paris (d. Monfils)
 
2011 ATP WORLD TOUR TITLE LEADERS – Djokovic leads the ATP World Tour with nine titles: 
                                         No.
1) Novak Djokovic               9
2) Robin Soderling              4
3) Nicolas Almagro               3
 Rafael Nadal                       3
5) del Potro, Ferrer, Simon   2

NO. 1 WINNER’S CIRCLE – Djokovic is attempting to become the 15th different player to rank No. 1 (of 25) and win the title since the ATP World Tour Rankings began in Aug. 1973. Here are the No. 1s (past or present):
  No.
Roger Federer  4 Andy Roddick   2 John McEnroe 1 
Mats Wilander  4 Boris Becker   1 Carlos Moya 1
Andre Agassi  3 Jimmy Connors   1 Ilie Nastase 1
Pete Sampras  3 Gustavo Kuerten 1 Patrick Rafter 1
Stefan Edberg  2 Ivan Lendl   1

MURRAY FASTFACTS

Tournament Highlights:
• The 24-year-old Scot enters his second final in seven visits with an 18-5 mark and has yet to lose a set in defeating former World No. 3 David Nalbandian 64 61, American qualifier Alex Bogomolov Jr. 62 75  No. 10 seed Gilles Simon 63 63, and No. 7 seed Mardy Fish 63 76(8)
• He leads the tournament in return games won (19 of 37, 51%) and points won returning first serve (45%) while No. 5 in aces (29)
• Last year lost in the quarters to Mardy Fish and previous year fell in the semi-finals to Federer…In 2008, he captured his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, defeating Djokovic in two tie-breaks
• In 2006, he advanced to the quarter-finals (d. No. 1 Federer in 2nd Rd., l. to Roddick)

2011 Highlights:
W: London / Queen's Club (d Tsonga); F: Aust Open (l Djokovic); SF: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (l Nadal); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (l Djokovic); Roland Garros (l Nadal); Wimbledon (l Nadal)

2011 in Review:
• The top British player has a 33-10 match record on the season (12-5 on hard) and he’s appearing in his third-final of the year, the first on hard courts since opening the campaign with a runner-up at the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic)…This is his 27th career ATP World Tour level final (17-9 mark)
• Has a 45-36 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (3-5 this season), posting wins over No. 7 Ferrer in SFs at Australian Open, No. 10 Roddick in SFs at Queen’s Club in London and No. 7 Fish on Saturday

• He is 5-11 lifetime against World No. 1 opponents (started 4-1, since 1-10):  Federer (2-4), Nadal (3-7)
• He is playing in his second tournament since reaching a third straight semi-final at Wimbledon (l. to Nadal)…Last week he lost in the opening round (bye) in Montreal to Kevin Anderson 63 61…Last month he won both matches in a Davis Cup European II tie vs. Luxembourg in Scotland
• After his runner-up Down Under, then lost three straight opening round matches before turning things around on clay in April, going 12-4
• Went into the clay court circuit with a 6-4 match record before reaching the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal in three sets)…He then made 3rd Rd. in Madrid (d. Simon, l. to Bellucci) and semi-finals at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Djokovic) and Roland Garros (l. to Nadal)
• In June, won his second Queen’s Club title in London (d. Roddick in SF, Tsonga in F) and followed with semi-final at Wimbledon (l. to Nadal)

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 History:
• Has a 104-44 career mark and 6-1 in finals…Last year won titles in Toronto and Shanghai and from 2008-10 has won two titles each year…His only final loss came to Nadal in ’09 Indian Wells…He’s won most ATP Masters 1000 titles without a Grand Slam crown…Also a semi-finalist eight other times
• He is one of 12 active players to register 100 career match wins

DOUBLES FINAL – BHUPATHI & PAES TO FACE LLODRA & ZIMONJIC IN TITLE MATCH
• In Sunday’s doubles final, No. 3 seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes of India take on No. 4 seeds Michael Llodra of France and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia.
• Bhupathi and Paes have a 24-8 match record on the season and they are 2-2 in finals.  They opened the season with a title in Chennai and followed with a runner-up at the Australian Open. In April, they won the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Miami and in June were runner-up at Queen’s.
• They have a 25-12 career mark in finals together. Bhupathi is 48-40 lifetime in doubles finals while Paes is 46-34 in finals. Bhupathi is 1-2 in Cincinnati finals, winning in 2001 (w/Paes) and finishing runner-up in ’02 and last year (w/Mirnyi). Paes is back in his second final, the first since winning in ’01.
• Llodra and Zimonjic are attempting to capture their third straight title after back-to-back crowns in Washington and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Montreal. They are 2-2 in finals as a team, all this year. They were finalists in Rotterdam in February and ATP Masters 1000 Madrid in May.
• Llodra is 20-18 in ATP World Tour doubles finals (incl. three Grand Slam titles), Zimonjic is 41-27 in ATP World Tour doubles finals (incl. three Grand Slam titles). Llodra is in his first Cincinnati final and Zimonjic his second. He won the title two years ago (w/Nestor).