Miami Open Archives

Jakub Mensik upsets Novak Djokovic to win Miami Open

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik upset Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) to win the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, denying the Serb his 100th career title.

The 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, claimed his first title on the ATP Tour with an outstanding display of powerful tennis.

The final was delayed by almost six hours due to heavy rain and when the players emerged it was clear that Novak Djokovic had an eye infection. He used eye-drops during a changeover in the first set.

Mensik started strongly breaking Djokovic’s first serve game to go 2-0 up and the tall, big-serving Czech was dominating until, at 4-2 Djokovic broke back when Mensik found the net.

The set remained on serve from then on, but in the tie-break Mensik’s powerful serve, with two aces, put him in charge from the outset. He opened up a 5-0 lead and although 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic fought back the youngster sealed the set with an overhead volley.

It was the first set that Djokovic had lost in the entire tournament. Twice he lost his footing and ended up on his back, and he changed his footwear between sets.

Mensik had beaten Djokovic by the exact same margin in the first set of their only other meeting in Shanghai before losing in three sets.

This time, however, the momentum appeared to be with him.

The second set was a nip and tuck affair, though, with neither player able to break. Once again Mensik’s power proved decisive in the tie-break and when Djokovic went long on a return to hand him victory he fell to his back in celebration.

“To be honest I don’t know what to say. It feels incredible, obviously,” Mensik said in his on-court interview.

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“It was probably the biggest day of my life and I did super, which I’m really glad (about), to show the performance and keep the nerves outside of the court before the match.

“I feel just super happy and I think that the feelings will come later,” he said.

Mensik has made no secret of the fact that he grew up with Novak Djokovic his idol and after receiving the trophy he said that he started his career in the hope of emulating the Serb.

“There is no harder task for a tennis player than to beat you in the final of a tournament,” he said.

“I am pretty sure that this was just the first of many,” Mensik added, before revealing that he had been close to pulling out of the tournament before his first match due to a knee injury before last minute physiotherapy produced the desired results.

Djokovic, who after the match declined to discuss the problem with his eye, paid tribute to the Czech’s display.

“This is Jakub’s moment, a moment of his team, a moment of his family. Congratulations, unbelievable tournament. It hurts me to admit it, but you were better. In a clutch moment, you delivered the goods,” he said.

“Unbelievable serving and just a phenomenal effort mentally as well to stay tough in a difficult moment. For a young player like yourself, this is a great feature. Something that I’m sure you will use many times in the years to follow,” Djokovic added.

The match between the 37-year-old Djokovic and Mensik was the biggest age gap difference in a Masters 1000 final and the biggest age gap of any tour-level final since 1976.

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Andy Murray out for ‘extended period’ with ankle injury

Britain’s Andy Murray faces an “extended period” out of tennis after suffering serious ankle injuries in his third-round exit from the Miami Open on Sunday.

Murray exited the Miami Open for the final time and in characteristic style, he did so with a performance full of grit and skill but also plenty of passion.

The emotion of the game itself, a missed chance for a third straight win in a tournament for the first time in over a year, was enhanced by Murray knowing this week was his final appearance in a city he calls his “tennis home”.

The two-times Miami winner lost out in a thrilling third set tie-break to Czech Tomas Machac, managing to battle on after receiving treatment for an ankle injury.

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While he continued to play and was initially optimistic about his ankle he said on Monday that he had suffered a full rupture of his anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and a near full-thickness rupture of his calcaneofibular ligament (CFL).

“I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine the next steps,” Murray posted on Instagram.

“Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period. But I’ll be back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right,” he said.

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Murray, who will be 37 in May, has already indicated he will retire later this year after battling back from hip surgery in 2019.

He is likely to play at the Olympics in Paris and Wimbledon, where he has won twice, before departing from the sport.

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Emma Raducanu pulls out of Miami Open with back injury

Britain’s Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Miami Open with a lower back injury, tournament organisers said on Tuesday, the latest setback for the 21-year-old.

Raducanu spent eight months out with wrist and ankle problems last year but returned to action in January and had an encouraging performance at Indian Wells last week where she reached the third round.

“I have been experiencing lower back pain and at this stage of my return to competition I don’t want to risk anything happening,” said Raducanu.

“I really tried my best to be ready and I’m sad to be pulling out of Miami as it’s a cool tournament but wish the event all the best.”

The 2021 US Open winner, a wildcard entry at Miami, was scheduled to play China’s Wang Xiyu in the first round on Tuesday.

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Raducanu had surgeries on her ankle and both wrists during last year.

She was beaten in the Indian Wells third round by world number two Aryna Sabalenka.

Wang will now face Slovakian qualifier Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

Tuesday’s action sees Romanian Simona Halep return to action after her four-year doping ban was reduced to nine months and she was cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for an immediate return.

Halep, given a wildcard entry, will take on Spain’s Paula Badosa.

Venus Williams takes on Russian Diana Shnaider in the first round.

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Medvedev wins fourth title of year with Miami Open triumph over Sinner

MIAMI GARDENS: Russian Daniil Medvedev claimed his fourth ATP title of the year with an emphatic victory over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final of the Miami Open on Sunday.

Sinner had upset world number one and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Friday’s semi-final, but the 21-year-old struggled in the heat against the fourth seed Medvedev, who triumphed 7-5, 6-3.

The win was Medvedev’s 19th career ATP title and his fifth in a Masters 1000 event and confirmed his dominance on hard courts in 2023.

Sinner, also beaten in the Miami final two years ago and now with a 0-6 record against the Russian, said he had not been at 100%.

“We woke up this morning not at my best, I felt a little bit sick….unfortunately today I couldn’t play at my best,” said the Italian who, however said there had been no question of him pulling out of the contest.

“No, it was not that bad. But, you know, with the heat, when you run a lot, it gets a little bit worse and worse. Obviously the first half an hour we played in the sun also,” he said.

Medvedev, who had already won three titles in three weeks at Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai before losing to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final, started confidently, holding serve to love while Sinner’s first service game was a real battle.

Sinner had to save a break point and fought through a 26-shot rally before coming through at the end of a 10-minute game.

In contrast, Medvedev again served to love but Sinner was showing signs of settling as he held his serve and then the Italian broke Medvedev to go 3-2 up, with a deft touch volley.

Medvedev immediately broke back, however, with Sinner’s effort clipping the net and going out and after the Russian held again, the Italian had attention from the ATP trainer.

Sinner, looking uncomfortable in the bright sunshine, took a pill along with a powder in his water in the 87 F (30.5 C) heat.

Medvedev, looking composed and confident, grabbed the first set when Sinner was serving at 6-5 down and the Italian’s poor shot into the net handed the Russian the crucial break.

Medvedev quickly got ahead in the second set when Sinner sent a forehand long but just as quickly handed the break back to Sinner.

But Sinner was making too many errors and when Medvedev broke again to go 3-1 up, the Italian was unable to turn things around and the world number five completed his first ever win in Miami.

“I’m really happy. Today was a tough match. It was probably the hottest day and the most humid during the day,” Medvedev said.

“It was not easy conditions. I don’t know if Jannik had a small injury or cramp. I was also struggling, tried not to show it,” he added.

– At home on hard courts –

Medvedev’s 19 ATP Tour wins have come at 19 different events, but he had not won a Masters 1000 event since Toronto in 2021.

“I haven’t won’t such a big title in probably a year and a half. At the end I was quite shaky,” he said.

“Not even tight, because I’m not scared to win. But still the hands get a little shaky so the serve is a little bit tougher… I managed to get myself together and close the match.”

The 27-year-old has now won five of the six hard-court ATP Masters 1000s and has also reached the final at both hard-court Grand Slams, winning the 2021 US Open.

Now he must turn his attention to the clay courts where he has had much less success.

“I love hard courts, If it would be my choice there would be only hard courts,” he joked.

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Sinner downs Alcaraz to set up Miami final with Medvedev

FLORIDA: Italy’s Jannik Sinner turned on the style to end Carlos Alcaraz’s hopes of the “Sunshine Double” and his reign as world number one, triumphing 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 in their Miami Open semi-final on Friday.

Sinner will meet Russian Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final while Alcaraz will lose his number one ranking to Novak Djokovic.

Medvedev reached his fifth straight ATP Tour final with a 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 win over fellow Russian Karen Khachanov.

The disappointment for the 19-year-old Alcaraz, the defending champion in Miami and coming off a title at Indian Wells, will be tinged with frustration after he struggled in the third set with leg cramps.

It had been an enthralling and entertaining power-hitting performance from both men in the first set, with an incredible 25-shot exchange in the seventh game, bring the crowd to their feet.

The intense, high quality set was eventually won by the Spaniard after a tie-break, but an inspired Sinner fought back in the second.

Sinner broke in the first game and although Alcaraz broke back to make it 2-2, the 21-year-old Italian sensed his moment was arriving and showed confidence in his powerful groundstrokes.

The world number one was moving with difficulty and was broken on his first serve in the deciding set. Looking in discomfort, he crouched down on his baseline in between points and shot some worried and confused looks to his team in the stands.

Sinner chose some more conservative strokes and although Alcaraz appeared to recover a little, the Italian ran out the winner in three hours.

Alcaraz said his problems had appeared during a bathroom break after the second set.

“I went to bathroom for five minutes and yeah, everything went down for me a little bit. I stopped myself. I started cramping a little bit. You know, after a really tough match it’s, well, it is tough to stop the match for five minutes,” he said.

“I started cramping at the beginning of the third set, but it wasn’t the reason for I lost the match. I came back…I started to feel better but of course Jannik, he was better than me in the third set. That’s the truth,” he said.

Sinner had lost to Alcaraz in straight sets in their meeting at the same stage in Indian Wells and he said he could feel just how high the quality of their encounter at Hard Rock Stadium had been.

“When both players play tennis like this it is very nice to play, you can feel it with the crowds. There was just a great energy with everything. It is just nice to be part of matches like this,” he said.

Sinner also said that he had suffered some cramping during the second set but recovered quickly.

“I knew that I had to go on and wait for the right moment,” he said. “I feel ready to compete and I am happy to be in the final,” he added.

The 27-year-old Medvedev, playing against his boyhood friend, survived a second-set comeback but his trademark precision stroke play saw him through against the big-serving Khachanov in a high quality encounter.

The contest saw a series of long rallies as Medvedev fended off Khachanov’s thumping shots from the baseline and then pinned his opponent back on his service game.

Medvedev hit 13 aces and saved four of six break points as the match turned decisively in his favor when he broke Khachanov in the fourth game of the third set.

Medvedev won 82% (14 of 17) of his first-serve points in the final set and was relieved to have beaten a player who knows his game so well.

“In my opinion, it was a top match,” Medvedev said. “In the first set when we lost our serves, it was just a good game from the returner.

“In the second set, I had one bad game and he won the set. I had one break point, I could have done better. He had a break point in the first game of the third set, I managed to play well. He had one bad game in the third set, I managed to take it and I am really happy to be through. It was a very tough match”.

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Iga Swiatek beats Naomi Osaka to win Miami Open

MIAMI: Iga Swiatek’s dream season continued as the incoming world number one scooped her third successive WTA 1000 title to beat Naomi Osaka in the Miami Open final on Saturday.

The Polish 20-year-old became only the fourth – and youngest – player to win the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami in the same year following Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Osaka.

Swiatek, who will be formally confirmed as world number one when the new WTA rankings are announced on Monday, has now won 17 straight games, a winning streak that includes titles in Doha, Indian Wells and now Miami.

Osaka, 24, enjoyed a welcome return to form in Florida even if the four-time Grand Slam champion’s first final since the Australian Open in 2021 ended in a comprehensive defeat.

Swiatek headed into a seventh career final on the back of 16 straight wins — the last player to win 16 or more in a row was Osaka, between Cincinnati in 2020 and last year’s Miami Open.

Osaka has been serving well this tournament but was broken by Swiatek to make it 3-2 in the first and began to look vulnerable.

The former French Open champion is one of the finest returners in the women’s game and even though Osaka was attempting to aggressively jump upon Swiatek’s second serve, her opponent was far more consistent and clinical overall.

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Ruud powers past Cerundolo to set Miami title clash with Alcaraz

MIAMI: Carlos Alcaraz is one win away from creating Miami Open history after defeating defending champion Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets to book a final date on Sunday with Norway’s Casper Ruud.

The 18-year-old Spanish sensation brought the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium to their feet for the second night in succession following his dramatic quarter-final win over Miomir Kecmanovic on Thursday night as he saw off 10th-ranked Hurkacz of Poland 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/2) to reach his first ATP Masters final.

If he triumphs this weekend, Alcaraz, who made the last four in Indian Wells earlier this month, will become the youngest champion in the tournament’s 37-year history.

“This will be my first big final on a hard court but I have confidence and I am going to enjoy it.” said a delighted Alcaraz during a courtside interview after completing the win in just over two hours.

World number eight Ruud, meanwhile, becomes the first Norwegian to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final. His clash with the 2021 ATP Next Gen champion will be the biggest match of his career.

Ruud’s father, Christian, was Norway’s most successful player until he was surpassed by Casper, reaching 39th in the world. His first Masters 1000 final comes after three semi-final defeats at the level.

He overpowered Cerundolo, making his first appearance at the elite Masters level, 6-4, 6-1.

Cerundolo, cheered on by an enthusiastic group of Argentina fans in the stands at Hard Rock Stadium, was outserved by Ruud in the first set and a break to make it 3-1 in the second signalled the beginning of the end for the world number 103.

“I didn’t expect that if I ever made a Masters 1000 final, it would be here in Miami but I’ll take it,” said Ruud, who sealed the win with an ace.

For Cerundolo, defeat hurt but the progress made by the 23-year-old in south Florida is undeniable.

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Djokovic stays No.1 as Medvedev falls to Hurkacz at Miami Open

MIAMI: Daniil Medvedev said physical struggles destroyed any chance of a victory to reclaim the world’s number one ranking on Friday after falling to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 at the Miami Open.

Medvedev dropped to second with a third-round loss to Gael Monfils at Indian Wells last week but would have taken back the top spot from Serbia’s Novak Djokovic had he defeated Hurkacz, the defending Miami Open champion.

Instead, 10th-ranked Hurkacz advanced to the semi-finals by ousting the reigning US Open champion at Hard Rock Stadium and 20-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic stays number one.

Hurkacz, now 2-2 all-time against the Russian, faces Carlos Alcaraz for a place in Sunday’s final after the 18-year-old Spanish sensation produced a scintillating display to beat 48th-ranked Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets in one of the best matches of the tournament.

Medvedev said he found it hard to breathe at times and was cramping so badly in the locker room he was like “a fish on a sofa.”

“All match, I wasn’t feeling my best,” Medvedev said. “After the tough points, I was struggling to get my breath. I wasn’t recovering fast enough. You just have to fight but in the second set, I felt strange.

“I don’t often feel like this but it happens sometimes when it’s hot. Maybe it was the heat but I was feeling dizzy and tired and there was one game where I couldn’t serve anymore. In the locker room, I was cramping.”

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Daniil Medvedev breezes into last 16 in Miami Open

MIAMI: Daniil Medvedev moved into the last 16 of the Miami Open on Monday with a comprehensive straight-sets triumph over Spain’s Pedro Martinez.

The Russian top seed remains the favourite for the title and his 6-3, 6-4 victory was as clinical as the one which sent Andy Murray out of the tournament in the previous round.

Martinez competed well but once he was broken by Medvedev midway through the second set, the reigning US Open champion never looked back and wrapped up the win in one hour and 24 minutes.

“I hit 14 aces and felt pretty good, the second set was tight but I managed to stay consistent,” said Medvedev during a courtside interview.

The 26-year-old will regain the world number one ranking by making the semi-finals in Miami.

Medvedev will face 21-year-old Jenson Brooksby after the American defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 on Monday.

Brooksby made headlines at the start of the tournament for throwing his racket toward a ball boy during a first-round win which resulted in a $15,000 fine.

Brooksby knows he has to channel his emotions in the correct way and hopes his decent form continues against Medvedev.

A run to the fourth round of the US Open last year has been backed up with a last 16 defeat in Indian Wells and now the chance to reach the quarter-finals in Miami.

“This is a big learning curve for me,” he told AFP. “I am definitely the type of player that needs to play with emotion.

“But as my coach has said I have to work on balancing it better and finding other ways to let out frustration because what happened was unacceptable and I am definitely sorry. I need to learn from what happened.

“Daniil’s got a very solid game and is obviously in the top two in the world for a reason but the more matches I play on these big stages can only help me.”

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Medvedev beat Murray to advance in Miami Open

MIAMI: Daniil Medvedev is thriving on the pressure of being the man to beat after dispatching Andy Murray in straight sets at the Miami Open on Saturday to edge closer to regaining his world number one ranking.

The Russian top seed served superbly against the 34-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion to ease to a straightforward 6-4, 6-2 triumph at Hard Rock Stadium and will face Spain’s Pedro Martinez next.

Medvedev lost his No. 1 ranking after just 18 days, having failed to go deep in Indian Wells, but will regain it once again from the absent Novak Djokovic if he reaches the semi-finals in Florida.

With Djokovic and Rafael Nadal both missing, the 26-year-old is the favourite to claim his first Miami Open title and his performance against Murray showed he’s in the kind of form that will cause the rest of the field a multitude of problems.

“For sure, guys going against you are going to have more motivation if you are the top seed,” Medvedev told AFP.

“It could be the biggest win of their season but I like to be in this position. The more pressure you have, the more you expect from yourself.

“At the beginning of my career, I would be really happy when I was in the third round for the first time but now I want to achieve more. So yeah, there’s definitely more pressure but also more motivation to continue doing well.”

Medvedev was delighted to briefly reach the pinnacle of men’s tennis but is determined to ensure his next spell at the top won’t be as short.

“It felt good to touch it,” smiled Medvedev. “Reaching No.1 is something that nobody can take away from me even if it was for two weeks.

“But when I did lose it, I just headed back to the practice court and knew I had to get to the semis in Miami to get it back again.

“I have a lot of motivation to stay at No.1 for a long time.”