Novak Djokovic, from Serbia, kisses the winner's trophy after beating Roger Federer in the final at the Rogers Cup yesterday.

MONTREAL (AP):

Novak Djokovic upset top-ranked Roger Federer 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (2) yesterday to win the Rogers Cup, solidifying himself as a serious contender for the U.S. Open.

"It's a dream come true to win such a strong tournament as this and to win against probably the best player ever in the sport," Djokovic said.

It was third-seeded Djokovic's fourth tournament win this year and his first win in five career matches against Federer, whose 16-match Rogers Cup winning streak ended.

The Swiss star won the Masters tournament in 2004 and 2006 and sat out in 2005 with a foot injury.

With wins over Andy Roddick and second-ranked Rafael Nadal in his previous rounds, Djokovic also became the first player to beat the world's top three players in the same tournament since Boris Becker defeated No. 3 Michael Stich, No. 1 Pete Sampras and No. 2 Goran Ivanisevic in succession, in 1994 in Stockholm.

Federer rallies

Federer broke Djokovic to finish off the second set but the Serbian broke back to open the third. Federer rallied to tie it at four.

Djokovic took over in the tie-breaker, finishing off Federer with a drop shot followed by a lob that fell inside the line. Federer's attempted return through his legs struck the net and Djokovic fell to his knees to celebrate.

Djokovic rose from No. 83 into the top 20 last year and has continued to move up this season. He will return this week to the No. 3 ranking, which he first took on July 9 but then surrendered to Roddick.

Federer remains tied with Becker for ninth with 49 career tournament victories.

Djokovic collected US$400,000 for the win, while Federer got US$200,000.