Final Sunday at the historic Western & Southern Open was a day ripe with opportunity. The winners were presented with classic trophies made by Cincinnati-based Rookwood Pottery to commemorate their achievements this weekend. The modern trophy, which debuted in 2010, is an homage to the first prizes ever awarded by the tournament. In 1899, the men's singles champion was presented a Rookwood Ale set while the women's singles winner was awarded a Rookwood vase.

Women's Singles Championship [4] Garbiñe Muguruza (Spain) d. [2] Simona Halep (Romania) 6-3 6-2

Garbine Muguruza continued her dominant streak winning in what appeared as two effortless sets. But of course, they were not. Halep had this to say about Muguruza’s performance, “She played really well, first of all, and she was hitting very strong.” The impact of Muguruza’s aggressive play was felt by Halep and she stated,”.. after a few games, I got down with the confidence.”

With this headspace, the door was open for Garbine to close and that she did. In both sets, she won the 1st break which gave her a mental lift. To her credit, Simona did not give up. Down a set and two breaks in the 2nd, she forced a 20-point game but could not catch the break and Muguruza served out the set as this outcome was in the cards. Prior to taking out Halep, Muguruza handled a string of strong fighters all week, Keys, Kuznetsova, and Pliskova. Halep also wore the pressure of playing for the No. 1 ranking.

What impressed me almost as much as her performance this week is the very natural, at ease presence that Muguruza has found. It was evident in her pressers and this ease seemed to carry onto the court. She first appeared in Barcelona as a qualifier in 2008, so, perhaps she has reached a new level of self-assurance and wisdom.

When asked about demands for her time off-court and how she chooses where she devotes her time, Murugurza had this to say, “Normally is things that I feel how you say, I see myself with this…identify that’s the word…Not just do for do. I like to do something that I feel I’m going to be happy and involved in there.”

Concerning her plans for the U. S. Open, she said, “I’m looking forward to be able to be there and feel… that I improve what happens the past years because I never really found…you know my game…so I want to change that…I want to find the recipe this year.” Given her steady success, it seems a realistic plan.

Men's Singles Championship - [7] Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) d. Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 6-3 7-5

The men’s final held significant pressures beyond this match. Both players have been and continue to be hailed as exceptional talents. And while they have found success over top-ten players and at smaller events,” big titles” like the Western & Southern Open Masters 1000 have been elusive.

Both players produced high-level tennis but Sunday, Dimitrov was more consistent and seemed to have more in the tank. Kyrgios is working to maintain health and had to address a nagging hip injury. Earlier in the week, he was visibly wincing during his 1st round match against David Goffin. The persistence he showed throughout this week is positive. Despite 15 aces, the Aussie powerhouse could not pull out the win. Dimitrov showed precision and a stronger return game which is impressive against an opponent with massive serves. Kyrgios held onto belief after losing the 1st set and tied the second set at 5-5. Unusual double-faults crept in and Dimitrov seized the moment to break. Despite his own double fault in the final service game, he recovered well. On the final point, Nick missed the line. The hold, set, and the match went to Dimitrov, the first ever Bulgarian Western & Southern Open champion.

Despite a 1st set lead Dimitrov spoke about that fact that Kyrgios can turn on a dime, he’s unpredictable, and that makes him dangerous. He said, “He can do anything with the first or second serve. Can put the ball absolutely anywhere in the box. I mean, it’s pretty amazing. So, today it came down to a few points I could have done better than him, and yeah, I was just able to hold my nerves.”

Men’s Doubles Final - [5] Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) / Nicolas Mahut (France) d. [3] Jamie Murray (Great Britain) / Bruno Soares (Brazil) 7-6(6) 6-4

Two very accomplished doubles teams took the Grandstand stage at 12:15 pm. The crowds witnessed a thrilling 1st set with no breaks of serve. An eight-point deciding breaker had many on the edge of their seats. The match contained continuous lighting speed rallies, heroic lobs, and exceptional strategy. While most games were a brief series of points, the path to winning those points was much more complex. Although the 1st set win was a very narrow margin, Hebert-Mahut held a “visible” edge in intensity.

The second set went the way of the 1st with virtually no breaks of serve until the last possible moment. At 5-4, Herbert-Mahut pressed Bruno Soares to a 7-point game. Soares probably feeling the pressure, double-faulted at 15-15. While he and partner Jamie Murray recovered well, capturing the next two points, Herbert-Mahut would win the deciding point, the set, and match 6-4. In a display of full on emotion, Herbert was immediately airborne in celebration. The Frenchmen have three back-to-back wins in 2017, Rome, Canada, and Cincinnati. As of Monday, they will arrive in New York the world No. 3 ATP doubles team.

On court, Pierre-Hugues Herbert acknowledged, “I think it was a great final, a great level of doubles. Both teams are playing well. It was all played on one, two, three points.”

Overall, the Western & Southern Open showcased an exciting mixture of classic veteran champions and a very hungry group of next generation players that are making a name for themselves. Tennis evolves daily but Cincy set the stage for so many players to shine. The crowds were appreciative of the displays of showmanship and fair play that set the tone for the year’s final slam, the U. S. Open.