Novak Djokovic stormed back from an early deficit to defeat Milos Raonic in the Western & Southern Open final on Saturday in Flushing Meadows, New York.
World No. 1 Djokovic captured the Masters 1000 title 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to extend his record to 23-0 this season and 11-0 all time against the hard-hitting Canadian.
The victory bodes well for Djokovic's chances of securing an 18th Grand Slam title when the US Open kicks off Monday at the same venue the makeshift W&S Open was held due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Raonic couldn't have asked for a better start. The 29-year-old capped a dominant first-set drubbing with an ace to record just a third set victory in 27 tries against the 17-time Grand Slam winner.
Raonic was spry, covering ground with ease while displaying a level of sharp footwork that largely escaped the former World No. 3 during the early stages of his career.
On the other side, Djokovic appeared rigid and laboured following the previous day's three-hour tilt with Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.
Perhaps it was all a ruse, as Djokovic treated the second set with more verve, storming back to snatch the stanza courtesy of improved shot placement, earning his first break on the afternoon to take a 4-2 advantage.
Raonic answered with an early break in the third set before Djokovic again turned the balance of the match with a break of his own to take a 3-2 lead as part of a dominant stretch where the Serbian won 16 of 20 points.
Coming into the final, Raonic had dropped serve only twice. He was broken three times in the final frame as Djokovic put his stamp on the meeting to secure a 35th ATP Masters 1000, joining Rafael Nadal for the most all time.
