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Djokovic wins Rogers Cup, eyes U.S. Open

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the trophy after the final match of the Toronto Masters tennis tournament against Richard Gasquet of France in Toronto, Canada, on Aug. 12, 2012. Novak Djokovic won 2-0 to claim the title. [Xinhua]

Defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia on Sunday won Rogers Cup for a third time, defeating Richard Gasquet of France in two straight sets of 6-3, 6-2 in the final held in Toronto, Canada's largest city.

Djokovic, the heavy favorite going into the final as world's No. 2, overpowered 21st-ranked Gasquet with precise serves and aggressive returns and won the match in just over an hour.

Sunday's win was Djokovic's 12th ATP World Tour Masters title and, as his first on hard court since Miami in March, serves as a confidence booster going into the U.S. Open in 15 days.

Gasquet, whose last final at an ATP Masters series event was Rogers Cup in Toronto in 2006, beat three higher-ranked opponents to reach the final before his momentum was checked by a dominant Djokovic.

In the first set, Gasquet put up a good fight, earning points on volleys and drop shots with his swift movements on the court and winning his first three service games. But once Djokovic took control and broke Gasquet's service game to lead 5-3, Gasquet failed to win a single point in the last game and lost the first set 6-3.

Even though Gasquet kept hitting the ball from the left side of the court, he was not able to take advantage of the backhand shots. Gasquet is known as a precise, powerful backhand player.

Commenting on his performance in the first set, Gasquet said after the match, "I had a very bad game at 4-3, and it made the difference."

"It's tough when you have Djokovic in front of you and you are not playing your best tennis," he said.

Djokovic agreed that it was a turning point at 4-3.

"The opening couple of games of the first game were quite close," he told reporters. "I made a crucial break at 4-3."

In the second set, Djokovic again broke Gasquet's service in the first game. Gasquet, who is known an all-court player -- in contrast to Djokovic's signature attacks from the baseline -- had a few thrilling shots but lost most of the rallies.

The clock on the court showed 1:01 when Djokovic threw his arms up in the air to celebrate his victory.

After the win, Djokovic said he didn't expect to win Rogers Cup after his losses at the Olympics.

"Truly did not expect myself to win this tournament, you know, after the emotional losses in Olympic Games. I really took it hard," Djokovic told reporters.

"The losses on Olympic Games were more difficult for me emotionally than Wimbledon," said Djokovic, who was the flag bearer for Serbia at the opening ceremony.

Djokovic lost to Roger Federer in the semifinals at Wimbledon. At the Olympics, he was defeated by eventual champion Andy Murray in the semifinals and then lost the bronze medal to Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina.

"The two losses that I had in three days in Olympic Games gave me even more desire to come here and perform my best and try to win a title."

"So this is actually a huge confidence boost for me," he said. "This is a great hard court season start."

The winner of this year's Rogers Cup takes home 522,550 Canadian dollars in prize money, while the runner-up gets half of that amount.

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