Nishikori beats Wawrinka to reach Toronto final

Djokovic also won the Rogers Cup in 2007, 2011 and 2012.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia defeated Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-3, 7-5 here on Sunday afternoon to win his fourth Rogers Cup title.

“After Grand Slams, these are the biggest events we have in sport of tennis”, said Djokovic, who has won 12 Grand Slams. “I’m very grateful for the support of Serbian people who live here and of course Canadian crowd and all the worldwide people coming to watch this tournament”.

In the first set, Djokovic could only nod in appreciation as one of Nishikori’s rare aces sailed by him on game point to make it 2-2. I think I’m getting closer and closer. “I had to come up with accuracy in the first serve at least and I hit a very high percentage of first serves, especially in the first set”. In April in their previous match, Djokovic won the Key Biscayne final.

Dodig and Melo beat the Romanian team of Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau 6-4, 6-3 in the day’s first semifinal, while Murray and Soares beat Canadians Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-7.

Djokovic had dominated head-to-head, winning all 11 previous meetings, but Monfils entered with that nine-match streak and the confidence that comes with it.

“I am very happy to be here in the final tomorrow but I really have to play my (best) tennis to beat either Novak or Monfils”. “I can not hit stronger than her because she’s very strong”. I guess I had some opportunities, and tonight I just made them’.

Nishikori fought hard to stay in the final set but failed to prevent a ninth successive loss against the Serbian.

Halep won’t be at the Olympics as she is among the contingent of athletes that did use the Zika panic to skip the event.

Nishikori should be proud of his effort in the second set, and he will take home $383,690 in prize money and 600 ranking points for his efforts.

“On a quick surface like this you need a good serve”. She also reached the semis at Sydney in 2014 and Osaka in 2013.

“Kei is one of the best returners in the game”, Djokovic said afterward.

“I really don’t think about negative stuff and stuff that might cause a fear or concern like viruses or security issues”, Djokovic said. He has captured six titles at Miami, five at Indian Wells, four in Rome, and three in Shanghai, and two in Madrid, Monte Carlo. “Sometimes it happens. Just take the positives from that and move on”. There weren’t a pile of thrilling matches, but the tournament generated plenty of interesting moments- 17 year old local Denis Shapovalov’s breakout win over Nick Kyrgios, Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil’s semi-final run in doubles, and Gael Monfil’s statement victory over Milos Raonic, to name three-and was capped off by a stellar performance from the man who could go down as the greatest to have ever played the game. And a point after his emphatic second-set ace, Wawrinka lined up a potential backhand victor against an out-of-position Nishikori, only to steer the shot wide right. On the next point, Wawrinka’s shot ricocheted off the net cord and out of play, and his forehand error on the clinching point was truly untimely.