What did the Cincinnati Masters teach us about Andy Murray and co?

The race is on for the US Open after the final warm-up tournament, the Cincinnati Masters, concluded with a Roger Federer victory.

But what did the tournament in Ohio tell us about Federer, Andy Murray and the usual suspects?

Here are some post-Cincinnati contemplations...

If you needed proof that there's life in the old dog yet, then Federer's scintillating dash to the Cincinnati title demonstrated his worthiness.

The Swiss legend's 17 Grand Slams are the most by any men's player in the Open era but only two of those titles have arrived in the past five years, indicating his ability to win when it really matters might be dwindling.

The emergence of Novak Djokovic as the world's top player hasn't helped but Federer's Cincinnati Masters final butchering of the world No 1 demonstrates that, even aged 34, he can still hang with anyone.

One-sided masterclasses against Andy Murray and Djokovic in consecutive days should also go a long way to underlining how Federer's court-craft can overcome the speedier legs of his younger rivals.

 It's just got harder for Murray

Repeating his 2012 triumph at Flushing Meadows – Murray's first ever Grand Slam title – was always going to be a monumental challenge, but the result of the Cincinnati final means it just got harder.

The British No 1 could be forgiven for wincing as he watched Federer v Djokovic because the outcome would directly affect his US Open hopes. Federer, who eliminated Murray the day before, would also take his world No 2 ranking if he beat Djokovic.