Federer vs. Djokovic in Cincinnati final is must-watch TV before US Open

Though Roger Federer said that a 37-year-old shouldn’t be the favorite of the US Open, he is. Some consider that a callout of guys like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, but whatever the case, Sunday’s final at the Cincinnati Masters between Federer and Djokovic should give us a good idea of whether or not the oddsmakers are right.

Of course, Federer also said prior to the Australian Open that a 36-year-old shouldn’t be favored to win, and then he went ahead and did it anyway. Now with the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, fast approaching on Aug. 27, Federer looks in good shape.

But both he and Djokovic have had their setbacks of late.

Djokovic’s struggles have been going on for awhile now, with sporadic play seeming to get into his head more than most top players, though the back half of this season has been better than the first. At the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Djokovic has beaten some good players en route to the final, but he’s also needed three sets in all but one of his matches (his opener vs. Steve Johnson).

Still, needing three sets against guys like Marin Cilic, Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and Adrian Mannarino isn’t bad by any means. Prior to the tournament in Cincy, Djokovic made it to the finals of Wimbledon, where he bested Kevin Anderson, and also to the Round of 16 at the Rogers Cup, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Federer, on the other hand, hadn’t played in a tournament since since the Wimbledon quarterfinal, which he lost to the hard-serving Anderson. Federer didn’t look bad in that loss, but after skipping the clay court season for the second year in a row to keep himself fresh for the majors, it was a deflating one. In Cincinnati, he’s beaten Peter Gojowczyk, Leonardo Mayer, Stan Wawrinka and David Goffin.

Federer and Djokovic have played against one another 45 times, with Djokovic holding a narrow edge of 23-22 in the head-to-head. He’s won the last two, at the 2016 Australian Open and 2015 ATP World Tour Finals, which is also where Federer picked up his last win over him. A total of 34 of their matches together have come on hard courts, with each winning 17 of them.

Both players are in a very interesting place going into their final. Federer is getting near the end of his career, but he’s still playing at a high level and is consistent enough to be favored by experts. Djokovic has more time, but it would be really great for him to finish out the Grand Slam season on a high note.

Regardless of what actually happens at the US Open and later tournaments, a win on Sunday for either player would be a big confidence booster.

Date: Sunday, Aug. 19

Time: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN2

Online Streaming: WatchESPN