Novak Djokovic has revealed that he had to "fight" his way to the final of the Cincinnati Masters after struggling with his game.

The world number one was blitzed by Roger Federer in the final, but while he admits that he is not happy with his form, he has acknowledged that he was pleased with how he managed to progress through the rounds in Ohio.

The 28-year-old told Sky Sports News: "I haven't been happy with the way I played in Cincinnati, except I think the match against Stan Wawrinka in the quarters, that was the best match of the tournament for me.

"Other than that, I was just holding on, fighting, and winning with that fighting spirit. Not giving up. That's how I reach finals and I thought it was a great result under the circumstances, the way I played.

"That's sport and sometimes you are not able to play as well as you want, but you have got to keep on going and finding a way to win."

Djokovic begins his US Open campaign against Joao Sousa on Monday.