Murray Wins Second Cincinnati Crown

© Getty ImagesMurray won his second title of the year Sunday.

World No. 4 Andy Murray won his second title at the Western & Southern Open, defeating top seed Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday. Murray led the World No. 1 6-4, 3-0 before Djokovic retired with a shoulder injury. "It was really a good week after I struggled last week. I didn't drop a set and beat some very good players from pretty much the first round onwards," Murray said. "Against Nalbandian who I started off against it was tough, and then Mardy was playing really good tennis going into the semis."

Murray broke Djokovic to start the match, and after relinquishing his break lead in the sixth game, the Scot won six of the next seven games before Djokovic retired midway through the second set. "I would have obviously liked to have won by finishing the match," admitted Murray.

"But it happens sometimes. I have to look at the week as a whole. It's been a very good week. Coming in here I had played badly in Montréal, so I needed to have a good week. Regardless of the match today, I was happy with the way that it had gone. Glad I managed to win today, but unfortunate the way it happened."

The title is Murray’s second of the season, after winning the AEGON Championships in June (d. Tsonga). The 24-year-old London resident claimed his seventh ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown and second in Cincinnati, having also defeated Djokovic in the 2008 final. Murray improved to a 4-6 record against the Serb.

Djokovic lost for just the second time this season (57-2), and was bidding to win his 10th title in 2011 and first at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Last week's Rogers Cup champion was looking to pull off a Masters 1000 double for the third time this season, having triumphed back-to-back at Indian Wells and Miami, and Rome and Madrid. "I just could not serve. I served an average 90 miles per hour the first serve, and I could not play forehands," said Djokovic. "I could have maybe played another couple of games, but what for? I cannot beat a player like Murray today with one stroke."

Added Djokovic, "There is no good loss, that's for sure. But the good thing is that there is a week, eight days [before] the start of the US Open. So I think that's enough time for me to get ready."