New venue, same drama under the Florida sun. The move to the Hard Rock Stadium was welcomed with plenty of riveting storylines and pulsating moments over the past fortnight in Miami. From an eight match point saving performance in the first round to Roger Federer adding to his trophy haul, relive the best moments of the 2019 Miami Open presented by Itau…

Roger Romps For Fourth Miami Title: Federer dropped his first set of the tournament, against Radu Albot, but the Swiss was in cruise control from there. He did not drop another frame all week, dominating the field en route to his 101st title, 28th at the ATP Masters 1000 level and fourth in Miami.

It all culminated with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win over John Isner in the final. Federer has not only reached three straight finals, posting a 15-1 record in that span, but he adds a Miami crown to his 2019 championship silverware in Dubai.

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Metal Hip For The Championship: Less than three months after kicking off his comeback from hip surgery, Bob Bryan returned to the Masters 1000 winners’ circle with brother Mike Bryan. Bob was diving on his metal hip in a thrilling semi-final win, which saw the Americans save four match points, and he and Mike would clinch their sixth Miami crown a day later.

The Bryans defeated Wesley Koolhof and Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6(6) for their 118th tour-level title and 39th at the Masters 1000 level.

“A doctor was cutting me open eight months ago and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it back on court,” said Bob. “To win this title is a dream and certainly wasn’t possible eight months ago. This is huge for us.”

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Isner’s Miami Mastery: One year ago, the 6’10” American celebrated his first ATP Masters 1000 title on home soil in Miami. Despite falling one win short of retaining his crown, Isner produced a dominant display all fortnight in South Florida.

Not only did the World No. 9 refuse to drop a set en route to the championship match, but he went 9-0 in tie-breaks, topping the likes of Kyle Edmund, Roberto Bautista Agut and an inspired Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semis. It was his 27th tour-level final in total.

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Hard Rock Stadium Debuts To Rave Reviews: After 32 years, the Miami Open presented by Itau made the move from Crandon Park to Hard Rock Stadium, with 2019 marking the first year at the new venue. With a 14,000 person capacity stadium and expansive grounds that include 28 additional courts, needless to say the state-of-the-art facility has been a stirring success from first ball to last. Players and fans soaked in the energy and excitement throughout the fortnight at the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

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Canadian Teens Shine: It was a tournament to remember for Canadian tennis. Not one, but two #NextGenATP stars surged into the spotlight, with Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime both reaching the semi-finals. The teens announced their arrival on one of the ATP Tour’s biggest stages and added their names to the record books along the way.

It marked the first time since 2007 that multiple teenagers reached the semis of a Masters 1000 event. The teens created such a buzz that even Federer took note and was full of praise for the future standard bearers of the sport.

Federer Full Of Praise For #NextGenATP Canadians

Bautista Agut Digs Deep: Comeback of the tournament? How about comeback of the year? Roberto Bautista Agut reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a stunning 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Novak Djokovic in the fourth round. The Spaniard had dropped seven of the first eight games, falling behind by a set and a break, before storming back to upset the World No. 1 and six-time champion. Djokovic was previously 39-0 in Miami when winning the first set.

Not to be outdone, earlier in the tournament, Mischa Zverev rallied from eight match points down to defeat Nicola Kuhn.

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Why Is This Guy Retiring?: David Ferrer turned in a vintage display under the lights at Hard Rock Stadium, exhibiting his trademark grit and determination to upset Alexander Zverev from a set down. The 36-year-old, who is retiring from professional tennis next month, gave fans plenty to cheer for. It was his first win over a Top 5 opponent since 2015.

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Hubi’s Heroics: One week after reaching his first Masters 1000 quarter-final at the BNP Paribas Open, Hubert Hurkacz made his mark in Miami. He earned the first Top 5 win of his career with a straight-set defeat of Indian Wells champ Dominic Thiem. The Pole’s new partnership with coach Craig Boynton is already paying dividends.

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Roger & Rafa, 15 Years On: Fifteen years ago, a straight-set result in the Miami third round marked the beginning of tennis’ most legendary rivalry. Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal was born.

Kevin Had Roger’s Attention: Prior to Federer’s quarter-final encounter against Kevin Anderson, the Swiss provided an early candidate for quote of the year, exclaiming, “If you beat me at Wimbledon, you’ve got my attention.”

Safe to say, Federer was dialed-in for their seventh FedEx ATP Head2Head clash, producing a 6-0, 6-4 masterclass.

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Shapo’s Rallying Cry: Shapovalov is set to make his Top 20 debut in the ATP Rankings after a stirring semi-final run in Miami. Perhaps his most impressive achievement of the fortnight was his trio of comebacks from a set down, exhibiting great poise under pressure. The 19-year-old rallied past Daniel Evans in the first round, followed by comeback wins over fellow #NextGenATP stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Frances Tiafoe.

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Felix Not Scared Of Losing: Like his countryman, Auger-Aliassime is also ready for an ATP Rankings milestone, breaking into the Top 50 for the first time. Earlier in the tournament, the youngest semi-finalist in Miami history admitted he is not scared of losing. In fact, he embraced his defeat to Isner with a solo practice session immediately following the match. Immense talent and the work ethic to go with it.

Read Felix Feature

Nick At Night: Underarm serve? Check. No-look volley? Check. Radar-busting forehands? Check. Nick Kyrgios pulled out all the tricks in his bag in a blistering, yet entertaining, third-round win over Dusan Lajovic.

Say What? Kyrgios Says HE Was The Disciplined One

Shot Of The Tournament: And the Aussie wasn’t done there. In his next match, against Borna Coric, Kyrgios hit the shot of the tournament, firing a jaw-dropping tweener that brought the Miami faithful to its feet.

Kecmanovic Takes Over Media Day: One week after reaching his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in Indian Wells, Miomir Kecmanovic was put to the test on Miami media day. The Serbian teen played Next Gen reporter for the day, asking the tough questions to Federer, Djokovic and others.

Mackie Marooned On I-95: It takes a lot to deflate a lucky loser who has just toughed out a first-round third-set tie-break win. But standing on the side of Interstate 95, just north of Miami, at close to three o’clock in the morning is enough to dampen any man’s mood.

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The Newest Member Of ‘Team Zverev’: Alexander Zverev went all in during a visit to the Humane Society of Greater Miami, prior to the tournament. A scheduled half-hour promotional visit to the dog and cat adoption facility turned into a significantly longer commitment when he left with a two-month-old terrier mix.

Zverev Adopts Puppy: “Love At First Sight

Tipsy Turns Back The Clock: Janko Tipsarevic went 570 days without a tour-level match win before advancing to the second round in Miami. After struggling with a litany of lower-body injuries over the years, the former World No. 8 has found a new inspiration to continue fighting: five-year-old daughter, Emili.

Tipsarevic Still Digging, Seven Surgeries Later

Back From The Sofa: Last February, Andrey Rublev reached his career-high ATP Ranking of No. 31. Two months later, he was at home on the sofa, recoving from a stress fracture in his lower back. But the Russian rediscovered his form in a hurry in Miami, scoring one of his biggest victories over ninth seed Marin Cilic, en route to the third round as a qualifier.

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What’s Your Florida Man?: Grigor Dimitrov, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Jeremy Chardy and Radu Albot take on the ‘Florida Man’ challenge.

The 2019 Miami Open presented by Itau was all about new beginnings, but in the end, some things never change.

On Sunday, Roger Federer became the first champion at the new Hard Rock Stadium, completing an impressive run to the title with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of John Isner. After conceding his opening set of the tournament to Radu Albot, he was nearly flawless from there, blitzing the field for his fourth tournament title.

One year after succumbing to Thanasi Kokkinakis in an opening-round stunner, Federer admits that he wasn’t entirely sure of his return to the ATP Masters 1000 event. Safe to say he’s happy with the decision to come back.

“It’s easy to say that last year didn’t work out, so I won’t come back this year,” said Federer. “And as I’m playing clay, maybe add rather another clay-court event. But I felt like let’s extend the hard court season. Let’s see the new venue. To be honest, I think that was something also I was excited to see… So I’m happy with the team we took the right decision.

“Of course you feel fortunate when you come all the way to the end of the event and you can sit here with the trophy. It’s definitely a moment you appreciate a lot, because you know it could have turned out very different.

“And also the secret was I was more positive this year after losing in Indian Wells over last year. Because last year I was, I don’t want to say frustrated, but I think I was down on myself. I think it cost me a little bit on confidence because I was so down. So maybe this year I didn’t feel that way. Let’s go to Miami and have a good tournament. And I did.”

Federer notched his 101st tour-level crown, 28th at the ATP Masters 1000 level and fourth in Miami. Previously the champion at the old site on Key Biscayne in 2005, 2006 and 2017, the Swiss has fond memories of his time in South Florida.

In his post-match speech, an elated Federer reflected on his experiences competing in the area. From his junior days competing at Flamingo Park and The Biltmore to his Miami Open debut in 1999, the region has a special place in the 37-year-old’s heart.

“The other three [Miami titles] were very special in many ways,” Federer added. “I felt like it reflected who I have become until that moment. These Masters 1000s are hard to win. They are really a test for me, especially later in my career. So I know these don’t come around very often, so when they do, it’s a bit of a surprise for me. That’s why this one feels really cool in many ways.

“Being able to fight back [vs. Nadal in the 2005 final] and find a way to win, I ended up playing unbelievable tennis. I really feel like it was a big moment for me in my life and in my career there. The final against Ivan [Ljubicic] was just during the time when I was dominating so much and I was thinking how many times could I beat Ivan in a row. All these things were happening. It was just a matter of extending whatever you can and for as long as you can.

“And then of course the win here two years ago, maybe as much as it didn’t come as a surprise for people, for me it still did, because I felt like the tank was empty. I had a tough week here against Berdych and Kyrgios, as well. And I also didn’t expect this one, to be honest. I lost in a very close final in Indian Wells and it was a new venue. I didn’t know what to expect.”

Federer will next compete at the Mutua Madrid Open, making his return to clay for the first time in three years. His last match on the surface came at the 2016 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. He did not compete on the surface in 2017-18 to give his body a break ahead of the grass season. And while the Swiss says he is ready to make his clay comeback, he admits his confidence is low in making the transition.

“I’m not very confident going into this clay court season, I can tell you that. I didn’t even remember how to slide anymore. I’m taking baby steps at this point. I didn’t play one point – not one shot – on clay last year. Two years ago I played two days. Three years ago I played not feeling great in Monte-Carlo and Rome and all that. It’s been so little that I really don’t know what to expect.

“What this win does for me is it just takes even more pressure off from the clay-court season. That’s what I’m looking at now the next four or five weeks, figuring out how we are going to go about it. I’m very excited. It’s a good challenge, a good test.”

Roger Federer has sprinted out of the gates in the Miami Open presented by Itau final, streaking to a 6-1 lead against John Isner. He broke the American three times in the opening set.

The three-time champion Swiss is not only bidding for a 28th ATP Masters 1000 crown, but also a 101st title at the tour-level. Federer has been at his ruthless best in Miami, having won 10 consecutive sets to reach the championship match.

On the other side of the net, Isner is hoping to add a second Masters 1000 shield to his trophy case with a successful title defence in Miami. Last year, he defeated Alexander Zverev for the crown and on Sunday he is targeting yet another Top 5 scalp for the prestigious title.

It is the oldest combined final in the history of the Masters 1000 tournament. While 37-year-old Federer leads the FedEx ATP Head2Head by a count of 5-2, it was 33-year-old Isner who claimed their most recent meeting, prevailing on the indoor hard courts of Paris in 2015.

Much has changed since they last met four years ago, but Federer’s serving prowess against Isner remains the same. Entering the final, he had saved a combined 16 of 16 break points against the North Carolina native. And he would drop just one point on serve in the opening set on Sunday.  

Federer put the clamps down on Isner’s mammoth delivery from the first ball, immediately applying pressure on the big-hitting American. He would convert his third break point of the opening game to send a message right out of the gates.

A hyper-aggressive Federer was on the attack in longer rallies, pouncing on every short ball and using his backhand slice to disrupt Isner’s rhythm at the back of the court. And he consistently put the 33-year-old out of his comfort zone, often baiting him to come to the net. A running forehand pass secured a second break for the Basel native and he streaked to a one-set lead in a flash, needing just 24 minutes.

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan made it clear they’re back in top form on Saturday by winning their sixth doubles title at Miami Open presented by Itau. The third seeds defended their crown by saving four set points in the second-set tie-break to defeat Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 7-5, 7-6(6).

“Bob’s been through a lot on the couch. To have him back at full strength and winning here in Miami, [our] hometown, with all the friends and family support is unreal,” said Mike. “This is a special event for us and to defend it is amazing.”

The Bryans picked up their 39th ATP Masters 1000 title and 118th tour-level doubles title as a team. Bob returned to action in January after missing eight months due to a hip injury that he underwent hip replacement surgery for last August. They won their first title in Bob’s comeback last month at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com (d. Skupski/Skupski).

“A doctor was cutting me open eight months ago and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make it back on court,” said Bob. “To win this title is a dream and certainly wasn’t possible eight months ago. This is huge for us.”

The Americans didn’t have it easy in their road to the title. They needed a Match Tie-break to win their second-round clash with Franko Skugor and Nicolas Jarry, and saved four match points in their semi-final victory over top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo. 

Despite the loss, Koolhof/Tsitsipas can be pleased with their run. Koolhof had never won a match at a Masters 1000 event and Tsitsipas entered Miami with a 3-12 record in ATP Tour doubles events.

The Bryans dropped just six points on serve in the opening set (24/30) and weren’t pushed to deuce, but applied constant pressure in their return games. Koolhof saved a pair of break points in each of his first two service games and Tsitsipas battled through two break points at 1-1. But with the Dutchman serving at 5-5, the Bryans made good on their seventh chance and comfortably held in the next game to take the early advantage.

Both teams held serve throughout the second set to force a tie-break, but it was Koolhof who played the point of the match in the sixth game of the set. The Dutchman landed a tweener and then worked his way into the net to finish off the point.

Koolhof/Tsitsipas took a 6/3 lead, but couldn’t take advantage of those set points or a fourth opportunity at 7/6. The Dutch-Greek pair erased a championship point with aggressive play at 7/8, but the Bryans converted on their second chance and wrapped up the contest in one hour and 37 minutes.

The Bryans pick up 1,000 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $457,290. Koolhof/Tsitsipas earn 600 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $223,170.