Djokovic, Serena Repeat in Miami Open
Djokovic Captures 5th Miami Open Crown
miamiopen.com April 5 2015 Steve Gorten Key Biscayne FL – Miami is home for Andy Murray, the place where he lives two to four months every year and trains on the courts at Crandon Park Tennis Center. But on a typically hot and humid afternoon in South Florida, Murray faded physically in the final set while Novak Djokovic seemed to grow more and more energized.
Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked player, claimed his fifth Miami Open championship Sunday with a 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0 win on stadium court against two-time winner and third-seeded Murray. In doing so, Djokovic became the first player to win at Indian Wells and Miami in the same year on three separate occasions.
Despite the loss, Murray will move up to No. 3 in the Emirates ATP rankings, one spot below his career-high ranking of No. 2, achieved in August 2009. Djokovic and Murray have combined to win seven of the past nine Miami Open men’s titles, so their appearance in Sunday’s final was predictable. So was the outcome. Djokovic came in having won their past six matchups, and their past nine on hard courts, winning 17 of 25 encounters all-time.
Murray, now 10-23 against reigning world No. 1’s, and 3-10 against Djokovic when the 27-year-old Serbian has sat atop the rankings, has lost his past 12 matches against fellow members of the Big Four – Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
After Murray broke Djokovic’s serve to capture the second set Sunday, Djokovic broke Murray’s to start the third set. In the third game of the set, Murray fought off five break points before Djokovic finally broke on his sixth chance. Of wearing down in the final set of the two-hour, 46-minute match, Murray, who said he usually spends three and a half weeks of December in Miami and returns after Wimbledon and sometimes the Australian Open, insisted he has trained the best he can.
Still, Murray apologized to the fans after the match for not being more competitive in the third set, which lasted just 42 minutes. Djokovic and Murray played a four-set match in the final of this year’s Australian Open. At Indian Wells last month, Djokovic won 6-2, 6-3. Novak Djokovic has now won the Miami Open on five separate occasions, becoming the first player to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back for three consecutive years.
Women's Singles Final
Serena Wins Record 8th Miami Open Title
miamiopen.com April 5 2015 Steve Gorten Key Biscayne FL - Serena Williams took less time to throttle Carla Suarez Navarro and capture her eighth Miami Open championship Saturday than some fans spent fighting traffic to get to the match. On a sunny, sizzling afternoon in South Florida, the world’s No. 1 ranked women’s player scorched the 12th-ranked Suarez Navarro with one blistering winner after another in a surgical 6-2, 6-0 dissection on stadium court.
The match lasted 56 minutes, the second set just 24. Williams joined Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert as the only players to win the same WTA title at least eight times, winning her third consecutive at Crandon Park Tennis Center while boosting her unbeaten streak here to 18 consecutive matches. She has a 73-7 record all-time at the Miami Open.
Williams said she’d put this year’s trophy in her father’s house. Richard Williams wasn’t able to attend the last three days of the tournament for personal reasons. The 33-year-old American once again dominated the 26-year-old Spaniard, who will make her top-10 debut at No. 10 when the new rankings are released. In five head-to-head meetings, all won by Williams, Suarez Navarro has won just 12 games combined.
She won just five points in the second set Saturday. Williams captured 23 of 25 points during one stretch. This matchup was expected to be more competitive than their previous four after Suarez Navarro defeated No. 22 seed Alize Cornet, No. 7 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 16 seed Venus Williams and No. 9 seed Andrea Petkovic in succession to reach her first Miami Open final and eighth overall.
She became the lowest ranked/seeded player to reach the Miami Open final since 2011. Williams, who was unsure she’d even defend her title here after withdrawing from the semifinals at Indian Wells because of an injured knee, had dropped a set in each of her past two matches against No. 27 seed Sabine Lisicki and No. 3 seed Simona Halep.
Saturday’s match started with Williams and Suarez Navarro splitting the first two games, with each holding serve. It was 30-all in the fifth game when Williams ripped back-to-back aces. She broke Suarez Navarro’s serve the next game, and did so again on all of Suarez Navarro’s four remaining service games. Williams finished with 29 winners in just 14 games compared to three for Suarez Navarro. She had 11 unforced errors, eight fewer than Suarez Navarro.
Miami Open Men's & Women's Results
Miami Open Men’s Singles Finals
1-Novak Djokovic beat 3-Andy Murray 7-6(3) 4-6 6-0
Miami Open Men’s Singles Semifinals
1-Novak Djokovic beat 22-John Isner 7-6(3) 6-2
3-Andy Murray beat 8-Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4
Miami Open Men’s Singles Quarterfinals
1-Novak Djokovic beat 6-David Ferrer 7-5, 7-5
3-Andy Murray beat Dominic Thiem 3-6 6-4 6-1
22-John Isner beat 4-Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-3
8-Tomas Berdych beat Juan Monaco 6-3 6-4
Miami Open Men’s Singles Fourth Round
1-Novak Djokovic beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-7(3) 7-5, 6-0
3-Andy Murray beat 15-Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
4-Kei Nishikori beat 18-David Goffin 6-1, 6-2
22-John Isner beat 5-Milos Raonic Milos 6-7(3) 7-6(6) 7-6(5)
6-David Ferrer beat 12-Gilles Simon 7-6(5), 6-0
8-Tomas Berdych beat 17-Gael Monfils 6-3, 3-2 ret.
Dominic Thiem beat 28-Adrian Mannarino 7-6(5) 4-6 7-5
Juan Monaco beat 29-Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-3
Miami Open Women’s Singles Final
1-Serena Williams beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-0
Miami Open Women’s Singles Semifinals
1-Serena Williams beat 3-Simona 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Carla Suarez Navarro beat 9-Andrea Petkovic 6-3 6-3
Miami Open Women’s Singles Quarterfinals
1-Serena Williams beat 27-Sabine Lisicki 7-6(4) 1-6 6-3
9-Andrea Petkovic beat 14-Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2
Carla Suarez Navarro beat 16-Venus Williams 0-6, 6-1, 7-5
3-Simona Halep beat Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5
Miami Open Women’s Singles Fourth Round
1-Serena Williams beat 24-Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3
14-Karolina Pliskova beat Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-2
Sloane Stephens beat Belinda Bencic Belinda 6-4, 7-6(5)
3-Simona Halep beat 15-Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 7-5
16-Venus Williams beat 4-Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 7-6(1)
Carla Suarez Navarro beat 7-Agnieszka Radwanska 5-7 6-0 6-4
9-Andrea Petkovic beat 8-Ekaterina Makarova 6-1 7-5
27-Sabine Lisicki beat 11-Sara Errani 6-1 6-2