Toronto: Minutes after completing a 6-3, 7-5 ATP Toronto Masters final win over Kei Nishikori on Sunday for his 66th career title, Novak Djokovic had already shifted his focus to the Rio Olympics.
The world No. 1, who claimed his fourth Canadian title with a command performance over Asia’s top player lasting less than 90 minutes, will waste no time in heading south to Brazil for the weekend start of the Summer Games.
“It’s the biggest event in the history of the sport, so to be part of it is already a huge privilege and honour that I will cherish, as I did in Beijing and London Olympic Games,” said the holder of a leading 30 Masters 1000 trophies.
“I had an honour of carrying the flag for my country in London 2012, one of the most unique and unforgettable moments of my life. So I look forward to that, honestly, just being part of it.
“I’m approaching the Olympic Games as any other tournament. I’m trying to respect the same kind of preparation and routine that I have with my team and that I have respected for so many years.
“It has worked well for us this week and as most of the other weeks the last couple of years.”
Djokovic lifted his game in Canada as the week progressed, sweeping to the title without the loss of a set and dispatching challenges from Gael Monfils in the semis followed by Japan’s Nishikori.
“The overall sensation (of Rio) is not going to be the same as the other tournaments, because it’s Olympic Games,” he said. “Of course you represent your country.
“You get to feel that you’re part of something much larger than just the tennis event. I look forward to that.
“I’m going to try to extract that positivity out of that huge attention and energy that will be directed into the Olympic Games and hopefully put myself in a position to battle for a medal.”
Djokovic won a bronze medal in Beijing and just missed the podium in London, losing to Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro in the bronze medal match.
‘Everything happens for a reason’
Sunday’s title erased memories of a third-round Wimbledon upset loss a month ago to Sam Querrey.
“Everything in life happens for a reason. The fact that I have lost in the first week of Wimbledon allowed me to have a week more of the time with my family and just the quality time off the tennis, thinking about other things, recharging my batteries, and then coming in here with plenty of motivation to do well.”
Meanwhile, Simona Halep beat a mistake-prone Madison Keys 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 on Sunday to win the WTA Montreal hardcourt tournament and claim her 14th career singles crown.
World number five Halep, of Romania, has now won 23 of her last 26 matches, a stretch that has included lifting titles in Madrid, Bucharest and now Montreal.
“It was not my best tennis because I couldn’t play my best tennis,” Halep said. “I cannot hit stronger than her because she’s very strong.
“I tried just to keep the ball away from her and to make her run.
“I think I did it pretty well, and she missed shots. It was really tough for me to hit winners today.”
Halep had some unfinished business to take care of at this tournament after reaching the final for the second straight year. Halep was unable to close the deal last year when she became ill in the third set, handing the title to unseeded Belinda Bencic.
Sunday’s win wasn’t pretty as she hit just four winners against Keys, an American playing in her first career hardcourt tournament final.
It was a match Keys would no doubt like to quickly forget as she finished with 45 unforced errors and had her serve broken five times, including four times in the opening set.
Her best previous hardcourt performance was a semi-final run at the 2015 Australian Open. “I’m obviously not going to say it’s a bad week just because I lost one match. I think I played really a pretty good tournament,” Keys said.
“I wish today went a little bit differently. Sometimes it happens. Just take the positives from that and move on.”
Halep is the first player to reach back-to-back finals in the event since Jennifer Capriati did it in 2001 and 2002.
Halep won a sloppy first set in 43 minutes despite hitting just one winner.
The Romanian took the set on the second of five potential set points in the tiebreaker when Keys hit a backhand wide.
She then claimed the title on another Keys error as the American blasted a forehand into the net on championship point.
Result on Sunday in the Toronto ATP Masters hardcourt tennis tournament (x denotes seeded player):
Final
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN x3) 6-3, 7-5
Result on Sunday in the WTA Montreal hardcourt tennis tournament
Final
Simona Halep (ROM) bt Madison Keys (USA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3
