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Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray Rogers Cup 2015 Final Preview

Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray Rogers Cup 2015 Final Preview

  • Posted: Aug 16, 2015

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic looks for his fifth Masters 1000 title of the year when he faces Andy Murray in tonight’s Montreal final. The Serbian looks to further extend his unassailable lead in the rankings with almost a 6600 point lead over his opponent if he were to win tonight.

At 52-3, Djokovic is on course to match or even better his outstanding 2011 season aside from the winning streak that he began the year with. He hasn’t quite looked like a dominant force at all times this week, especially in his victory over Ernests Gulbis. Gulbis held a break lead in the second set and 2 match points in the tiebreak during the same set but Djokovic would not be denied and the third set was never in doubt from them on with Gulbis winning just one more game.

Meanwhile, Murray bounced back from a surprise loss to Teymuraz Gabashvili in Washington by making the final without losing a set. Most impressive was his win over the No.5 Kei Nishikori, breaking 6 times in a 6-3 6-0 victory although the Japanese star did appear to be suffering with injury.

Now back as World No.2, Murray will hope to make a statement against his opponent but the head to head in this match as now shifted wildly back in Djokovic’s favour after previously looking like it might be quite even a few years back. Djokovic has won eight straight, dating back to the Miami Masters final last year. More so than that, Murray has won very few sets with just one in the five BO3 encounters. In the matches that Murray did win sets, he faltered quickly in the final set of three of them twice losing the last set 6-0 (Miami 2015, Australian Open 2015) and another 6-1 (French Open 2015).

There seems little to suggest that Murray can reverse the slide at this current time with Djokovic capable of bettering him in most aspects of the game and if he does push him, the Serbian will still be confident of outlasting his opponent. Djokovic is yet to lose a Masters 1000 match this year and next week will go for the one title he has yet to win in Cincinnati.

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Simona Halep vs Belinda Bencic Rogers Cup 2015 Final Preview

Simona Halep vs Belinda Bencic Rogers Cup 2015 Final Preview

  • Posted: Aug 16, 2015

Simona Halep

Belinda Bencic looks to win her second WTA title in Toronto when she faces Simona Halep tonight. The Swiss youngster made it three years running that an unseeded player made the final after Venus Williams and Sorana Cirstea did so in 2014 and 2013 respectively.

Bencic will be hoping to do better than the pair who didn’t win a set between them and is a definite threat to win if she can repeat the performance she put in against Serena Williams. The World No.1 had lost just one match all season and it looked like she would move to 44-1 after taking the first set 6-3.

Bencic fought back to earn set point but after double faulting and eventually getting broken. Having recovered from 0-40 in the following service game at 5-5, she took the set and took the momentum into the decider, going 4-0 and 5-1 up. Serena was forced into action and looked like she would win after getting the match on serve but Bencic was fearless in the final game, breaking to 30 to pick up the best win of her career. It caps a very tough run to the final that included Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Sabine Lisicki and Ana Ivanovic.

Halep’s run to the final was no cakewalk either with the in-form Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani defeated on her way to the final. Halep is now 27-2 on hard courts this year with losses to Serena Williams, and Ekaterina Makarova. The Romanian will boosted by her home contingent in the crowd once more who have been very vocal throughout the week.

Unlike many of the prospects in recent years, Bencic’s rise has been gradual with the 18 year old suffering a number of disappointing losses alongside her impressive weeks. However, the grass season seems to have been what was needed for Bencic who has been on a cracking run since it began. Toronto marks her third final after ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Eastbourne, the latter of which she had won.

It would be fair to assume that Bencic might not have enough in the tank to defeat a reasonably well-rested Halep but in the form she is in, it wouldn’t be a shock to see this supremely talented prospect cap a dream week off in style with another top 10 win. She moved into the top 15 with victory and a title would put her in the top 12, which could aid her in getting a kinder US Open draw should it hold until then.

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