Roger Federer cemented his position as world number one with a 6-0 7-6 victory over Novak Djokovic in the final of the Cincinnati Masters.
It took just 20 minutes for the Swiss star to secure the first set but the inevitable backlash followed as the Serb fought his way into the match.
However, he was unable to break the Federer serve - which held firm all week - as the top seed clinched the win 9-7 in the tie-break.
Helped by a double-fault, Federer broke Djokovic's serve to start the match and then, helped by two more double-faults, he broke him again to go up 3-0.
Djokovic went to his chair at the break and grabbed a different racket, hoping to change the flow of the match. It made no difference whatsoever.
Federer went back on court and served back-to-back aces on the way to a shutout as Djokovic had 10 unforced errors in the opening set, the same number of points he won. He had four double-faults, each one setting up a break point or ending a game.
The fans gave Djokovic a loud ovation when he held serve to open the second set bringing a wry smile to his face.
The world number two showed more energy but never put much pressure on Federer, who didn't face a break point in the match.
However, he survived to the tie-breaker, where he saved one match point and got one point away from winning it. Federer ran off the last three points though, closing it out with a forehand after 80 minutes of play.
"He started off really well and I made a lot of double faults and errors," said Djokovic. "I had my chances in the second set and I missed them and he deserved the win."
In winning, Federer becomes a five-time champion in Cincinnati with his sixth title of the season.
It makes him a clear favourite for the US Open starting on Monday week, a tournament he has won five times but not since 2008.
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