Andy Murray said he had to cope with added pressure to claim his first clay-court win over Novak Djokovic – and with it the Italian Open title in Rome.
The Briton, who turned 29 on Sunday, beat the world number one 6-3 6-3.
It was Murray’s second Masters title on clay and his first win over 11-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic on the surface in five attempts.
“There was a bit more pressure than usual when I play against Novak coming into the match,” Murray told BBC Sport.
“He had an extremely tough semi-final and was coming in more tired. I was very fresh and I think the expectation was that it was a good opportunity for me.
“I’m glad I managed to win and it’s a great way to finish off my birthday.”
Since beating Djokovic to win Wimbledon in 2013, Murray had managed just one victory in 13 matches against the Serb before Sunday.
However, he controlled the final in Rome and held serve throughout, saving three break points with some attacking tennis as Djokovic fought back in the second set.
| British winners in Rome |
|---|
| Andy Murray is the first British singles champion in Rome since Virginia Wade in 1971, and the first men’s singles winner there since George Patrick Hughes in 1931. |
Murray said: “When he started to play better and raise his intensity, I was able to hang tough in those moments. I saved the break points well.
“I think I was patient but still hitting the ball with a good weight on it and not allowing him to dictate too much.”
Murray won his first clay-court titles last year and has since accrued a 29-3 record on what used to be his weakest surface.
The Scot will now head to the French Open, which starts on Sunday, further established among a handful of leading contenders for the title that includes Djokovic and nine-time champion Rafael Nadal.
“It was nice for me to experience that last year, going in as one of the contenders at the French Open,” Murray said.
“It had never been the case really before. I’m hoping this year, having had the experience last year, it will help me.
“But the Slams are extremely tough to win. You’ve got to perform over two weeks, over five sets. Physically and mentally it’s more demanding than these weeks.”
As well as preparing for the second Grand Slam of the season, Murray also hopes to make progress on finding a replacement for departed coach Amelie Mauresmo.
He believes it is unlikely anyone will be in place for Roland Garros but has targeted the week after Paris as a possible time to trial someone new.
In the meantime, Murray plans to rest and celebrate his birthday with his wife Kim and three-month-old daughter Sophia, who were with him in Rome.
“My mum came over, my wife’s here and obviously my team, so we’ll try to do something and get back to work on Tuesday or Wednesday.”
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Andy Murray: Clay-court specialist?
On his 29th birthday, Murray finally bucked the trend, stopping Novak Djokovic in his bid for a three-peat at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and ending the Serb’s run of dominance in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. He triumphed 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 36 minutes, securing his 36th tour-level crown.
But of even greater significance is Murray’s increasing level of comfort on clay. The Scot clinched his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown on what was long believed to be his weakest surface. With a maturing shotmaking arsenal on the dirt, he improved to an impressive 29-3 record in the past 13 months.
“I never expected to be having the results I have been having on clay,” Murray admitted following the match. “But if you actually look at the past results, I have had opportunities to get to the final of Monte-Carlo and get to the final of the event here. I served for the match against Novak a few years ago and had a chance against Rafa a few years ago, too.
“Maybe I didn’t believe enough in myself. I always thought clay was my worst and hardest surface for me, but then last year, getting some wins against the best players made me realize a little bit. I had always been told that clay should really be my best surface, but it took me a long time to gain a little bit of confidence. But also I did make huge improvements in my movement on the surface, as well.
“That has changed my mentality when I go on the court a lot. I don’t feel like I’m off-balance anymore and I feel like I can chase most balls down. It’s an easy surface for me to move on now.”
Murray says he credits his coaches for implementing a new training program that has allowed him to feel more comfortable. The 29 year old firmly believes he is now a threat on all surfaces.
Back to World No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Murray is turning his attention to the second Grand Slam of the year as he looks to continue his strong run of form.
“The last couple of years, clay has probably been my most successful surface, which I never expected to be the case, but I’m not complaining about it. I’m going to Roland Garros with a lot of confidence and really good preparation. I feel like I’m on the right track. So hopefully I can have a good run there.”
Road to Roland Garros Ends: The final two clay court tournaments before Roland Garros get underway on Sunday in Nice and Geneva. Between both tournaments 10 of the Top 30 in the Emirates ATP Rankings are in action. This will be the culmination of 12 clay court tournaments over seven weeks leading into the second Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Open De Nice Cote D’Azur (Nice): The seventh edition of the Open De Nice Cote D’Azur is held at the prestigious Nice Lawn Tennis Club, featuring five of the Top 30 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Nice is one of five ATP World Tour tournament held in France, along with Marseille, Metz, Montpellier and Paris-Bercy.
Leading the way is Austrian Dominic Thiem, who is the top seed followed by Gilles Simon, Kevin Anderson, Benoit Paire and Joao Sousa. The other seeds are Fabio Fognini, Andreas Seppi and Alexander Zverev.
Thiem Top Seed/Reigning Champion: Reigning champion Dominic Thiem is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament for the second time in his career (‘15 Kitzbuehel – won). The 22-year-old Austrian is putting together a career-best season with two titles (Buenos Aires, Acapulco), a runner-up (Munich) and two semi-finals. He enters Nice with a 32-10 match record, second-most wins behind Novak Djokovic. Last year he came into Nice ranked No. 42 and dropped only one set en route to his maiden ATP World Tour title (d. L. Mayer).
Next Generation Stars: There are four teenagers of the Next Generation group making their Nice debut: Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Hyeon Chung and Quentin Halys (WC).
Frenchmen Lead the Way: There are a tournament-high five Frenchmen in the main draw, leading with No. 2 seed Gilles Simon and No. 4 Benoit Paire. Simon is 5-3 in Nice, reaching the semi-finals in 2012 and 1014 and quarter-finals in 2013. Paire is looking for his first main draw win (0-3).
Baker is Back: Brian Baker, who reached his first career ATP World Tour final in Nice in 2012 (l. to Almagro) as a qualifier, is playing here for the first time since then. He was ranked No. 216 at the time and later that year in October he reached a career-high No. 52. The 31-year-old American is playing on a protected Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 56. This is his third ATP World Tour tournament of the season. He lost in the first round at the Australian Open and ATP Masters 1000 Miami. He also reached the second round at two Challengers on clay.
Turnaround on Clay: Jiri Vesely struggled with a 1-7 hard court record but since switching to clay last month, the Czech left-hander has compiled a 9-3 record with a semi-final in Marrakech and quarter-finals in Istanbul. He also beat No. 1 Djokovic at Monte-Carlo.
Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open (Geneva): The Geneva Open is being held for the second straight year time at the Tennis Club de Geneve at the Parc des Faux-Vives, the oldest and largest tennis club in Switzerland. Last year the tournament returned to the ATP World Tour for the first time since 1991.The tournament, which relocated from Duesseldorf. With the addition of Geneva, there are three Swiss tournaments on the ATP World Tour calendar (Gstaad, Basel). Leading the way in the field as the top two seeds are Stan Wawrinka and David Ferrer, a wild card entry. The others are another wild card: Marin Cilic, John Isner, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Federico Delbonis, Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey.
Stan the Man: This is the second straight year Wawrinka is the top seed in Geneva and the 15th overall time in his career (third of the season). He’s won three of his last six titles as the top seed in 2015-16. He has five career titles as the top seed.
Bellucci Reigning Champion: Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci returns as reigning champion. Last year Bellucci defeated Joao Sousa 76 64 in the final to capture his fourth career ATP World Tour title, third on Swiss soil (2009, ’12 Gstaad). Bellucci is coming off a third-round showing ATP Masters 1000 Rome where he lost in three sets to Djokovic. Bellucci’s best result of the year is a finalist in Quito (l. to Estrella Burgos).
Cilic, Isner Return to Action: Marin CIlic and John Isner are playing in their first European clay court tournament of the season after being sidelined with knee injuries. In fact, this is Cilic’s first clay court event of the season and his last tournament came at ATP Masters 1000 Miami in March. Isner’s last tournament came in Houston (SF) last month. The top American is two match wins away from 300 in his career (298-184).
Ferrer Top 10 Streak Ends: Ferrer’s streak of 291 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 Emirates ATP Rankings came to an end (May 16) after his third-round exit in Rome (l. to Pouille). The last time Ferrer was not in the Top 10 was Oct. 4, 2010 at No. 11.
Janko Continues Comeback: Former World No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic is playing in his first ATP World Tour tournament of the season and first at this level since last year’s US Open. His only activity this year were at the Ostrava and Heilbronn Challengers. Tipsarevic returned to action last April in Houston after being sidelined nearly 18 months from the end of 2013 and all of 2014 due to a persistent foot injury.
In Case You Missed It
Birthday boy Andy Murray topped Novak Djokovic in the Rome final. Read
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan overcame Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock to claim the Rome doubles title. Read
A decade ago, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer played a match to remember in Rome. Read
Novak Djokovic ran into an unusual problem during his semi-final win in Rome. Read
#NextGen star Karen Khachanov is using the ATP Challengers Tour as a stepping stone. Read
Birthdays
16 May – Grigor Dimitrov (25)
18 May – Kevin Anderson (30), Tatsumo Ito (28)
22 May – Novak Djokovic (29)
Milestones
Geneva Singles
John Isner – 298
Nice – Singles
Andreas Seppi – 297
Joao Sousa – 99
Dominic Thiem – 96
Nice Doubles
Andreas Seppi – 99
Chris Guccione – 96
Rankings Movers
+27 – Juan Monaco (87)
+22 – Sergiy Stakhovsky (96)
+21 – Lucas Pouille (31)
+14 – Stephane Robert (89)
+3 – Nicolas Mahut (45)
Andy Murray finally dropped the hammer on Novak Djokovic.
On a slow clay court under rainy skies in Rome, Murray dialed up more power, improved his court position, and attacked the net in crucial moments to soundly defeat Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 in the final of International BNL d’Italia.
It was a commanding performance from the Brit, displaying a clear change in his defensive tactics that have only yielded one victory in the last 13 matches against the Serb. In the Madrid final last week, Murray totaled 22 winners in 26 games, losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to Djokovic. In Rome, he hit two more winners (24) in eight less games. The offensive switch was clearly flicked to ‘on” for this gladiatorial battle.
Groundstroke Superiority
Murray hit eight forehand groundstroke winners, with six standing inside the baseline, finishing off the point with commanding court position. Djokovic only had four forehand winners for the match, while committing 22 errors (15 groundstroke / 7 return).
In the Madrid final a week ago, which is more conducive to hitting harder in the higher altitude, Murray’s average groundstroke speed was 106km/h (66mph). With Murray leading 6-2, 1-1 in the Rome final, his average groundstroke speed was ramped up to 114km/h (71mph). It’s important to factor in the Rome final was played in a light rain for a significant period, and right at sea level. Murray’s increased power level was pre-meditated – not the result of his surroundings.
In the opening set, Murray’s increased speed from the back of the court powered him to win a substantial 64 per cent (21/33) of the baseline points, owning the world number one’s typical area of expertise.
Finishing at Net
A direct flow-on factor from Murray’s bigger ground game was the ability to extract shorter balls from Djokovic to finish points at net. Murray only won 38 per cent (5/13) at net in the Madrid final last week, but won a very healthy 76 per cent (13/17) in Rome.
The all-court pressure made the wolves howl in Djokovic’s mind, compounding his problems under foot in the heavy conditions. At all levels of the game, when frustration takes over between the points, it’s basically impossible to navigate your way successfully to the finish line during the point.
Drop Shots
There were 17 drop shots hit in 18 games, with Djokovic winning 56 per cent (5/9) and Murray winning 63 per cent (5/8). It was a smart secondary tactic from both players that was typically employed after a deep groundstroke, that then opened up the front of the court to be exploited.
One Crucial Serve & Volley Point
Djokovic did have a shot to get back into the match, earning a break point early in the second set with Murray serving at 1-2, 30/40. Djokovic split-stepped to cover Murray’s favorite sliding serve down the middle T, but Murray was mentally a step ahead, serving wide to Djokovic’s stronger backhand return with his only serve-and-volley play of the match.
On a huge point, on a damp clay court, Murray pulled out exactly the right surprise tactic with the match in the balance. He knocked off an easy forehand volley winner to stop the Serb in his tracks. It was just one point, but the aggression and timing said plenty about how Murray was taking the result into his own hands.
It also showed a keen understanding of avoiding a baseline exchange at that juncture of the match, as the Serb had won 75 per cent (12/16) of baseline points to date in Set 2.
At Ad Out, Murray mixed back down the middle T with a big sliding first serve that Djokovic returned long. A step ahead in the mind games once again.
Stepping Up on 2nd Serve
Djokovic had another small window of opportunity to get back into the match with Murray serving 4-3, 30-30 in Set 2. Murray missed his first serve, and had lost all seven of his second serve points so far in the set. Throughout Murray’s career, he has typically spun his second serve in around the 140km/h mark (86mph), but on this decisive point, he crushed a 170km/h (105mph) second serve, winning the point three shots later as Djokovic sailed a backhand long.
Big moment. Big serve. Fortune favours the brave Scot.
Serb reflects on challenging week in Rome
What was the first thing that Novak Djokovic said to Andy Murray after the Brit topped him in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final on Sunday?
“I wished him happy birthday and just to enjoy the time with his family,” Djokovic, a fellow family man, recounted. “I know that his wife, Kim, and [daughter] Sophia were here. I know as a young father how much it means to you when your family is on the road and when you get to have at least a couple of days alone with them. That’s what I wished him.”
The World No. 1 was no doubt disappointed after losing a big match to a rival, but the pair’s commonalities only added to Djokovic’s respect for the champion, who, on his 29th birthday, became the first British man since 1931 to win in Rome.
“Of course, you don’t like to lose, but, you’ve got to congratulate the better player. Andy deserved to win,” Djokovic said. “To compete with him in the long exchanges that we tend to have in our encounters required a lot of energy and a better performance from me, which didn’t happen.
“Andy was the better player. He was the player who had the best form throughout this week. I think he’s using the court better now [than in previous years]. He has more variety in his shots from the baseline.”
While Murray won all 10 sets played this week, Djokovic laboured to reach the final. The defending champion edged Stephane Robert 7-5, 7-5 in the second round, overcame a 0-6 first set against Thomaz Bellucci in the third round and needed a deciding tie-break to see off Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals.
“I had a long couple of weeks, especially the last couple of days. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle against Andy today,” Djokovic said. “I’m glad I managed to get to the final, because in a couple of matches I’ve had to come back from one-set deficits. All in all, it was very good two weeks after dropping out in Monte-Carlo early [against Jiri Vesely]. I needed this kind of results. I got what I was looking for, which is lot of matches.
“My confidence level is high because of the many matches that I have won this year on this surface and all the other surfaces, so I don’t feel that I’m doubtful or that I’m shaken up by this loss.”
Murray earns his 12th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy
Andy Murray celebrated his 29th birthday by lifting the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title. He is the first British man to win at the Foro Italico since Patrick Hughes in 1931.
Murray, who will return to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday, defeated four-time champion No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 in the final for his 12th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy. It broke Djokovic’s 17-match winning streak against Top 10 opponents.
Murray earned 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €717,315 in prize money with his first ATP World Tour title since July 2015 at the Rogers Cup in Montreal (d. Djokovic). He is now 22-5 on the season.
Murray broke Djokovic in the fourth game of the 47-minute first set, which was contested in light drizzle. The Scot saved three break points prior to breaking Djokovic for a 3-2 lead in the second set. Murray then hit a running backhand winner to break Djokovic to 15 and complete his 10th win in their 34-match series. It was also his first victory over Djokovic on clay.
Read How The Rome Final Was Won
Had Djokovic won, the Serbian would have become the first tennis player to exceed $100,000,000 in prize money and extend his own record with a 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 singles title.
Djokovic earned 600 points and €351,715 in prize money. He is currently tied at No. 7 on the all-time titles leaders list with Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras on 64 crowns. The World No. 1 is now 37-3 on the season, which includes five titles.
In 1931, Hughes defeated France’s Henri Cochet 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 for the Italian title.
Britain’s Andy Murray gave himself the perfect birthday present as he won his first Italian Open title with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Novak Djokovic.
It was a first win on clay against Djokovic in five attempts for the Scot, who turned 29 on Sunday.
He broke serve once in the first set and twice in the second in Rome to win in one hour and 35 minutes.
Murray will return to second in the world rankings before the French Open, which begins on 22 May.
He broke the world number one early in the first set, leaving Djokovic – who beat the Scot in last week’s Madrid Open final – visibly frustrated and exchanging words with umpire Damian Steiner.
A deft drop shot at set point saw Murray take the opener 6-3 amid light rain in Rome.
Murray then fought back from break point down to hold serve in the second set, before staving off another two in his next service game.
A frustrated Djokovic, 28, complained rain was making the Foro Italico surface “too dangerous”, but he was told to continue by umpire Steiner, and Murray immediately broke the world number one.
| British winners in Rome |
|---|
| Andy Murray is the first British singles champion in Rome since Virginia Wade in 1971, and the first men’s singles winner there since George Patrick Hughes in 1931. |
Murray then moved within a game of victory and the pressure started to tell on Djokovic.
Serving to stay in the contest, the Serb double faulted to hand Murray match point and the Scot duly closed out the win with a fantastic backhand winner from well out of court.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller:
“Murray imposed himself on the match from the start – in stark contrast to recent meetings with the world number one. He was the aggressor, backed up by a fine first serve, which is becoming a very potent weapon.
“To have won Rome, finished as runner-up in Madrid, and reached the semi-finals in Monte Carlo is fabulous preparation for Roland Garros – and to beat Djokovic for only the second time in 14 meetings a big psychological boost.
“This was a defeat, though, that Djokovic can put into perspective. While Murray was in a much easier half of the draw, the world number one had to beat Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, and did not finish his three-hour semi-final with Kei Nishikori until 23:30 CEST on Saturday night.”
Watch the Rome singles and doubles finals live online
* FINALS PREVIEW: In a re-match of the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid final, and perhaps a preview of the Roland Garros final, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will meet for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title on Sunday. Serving for the Madrid title, the World No. 1 saved seven break points to complete a 62 36 63 victory over Murray on May 8. Should he capture his fifth Rome championship, Djokovic would become the first tennis player to exceed $100,000,000 in prize money and extend his own record with a 30th ATP Masters 1000 singles title.
Watch Singles & Doubles Finals Live Online
Murray is also making history this week as the first Brit to reach the Rome final in the Open Era. He will return to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday just in time for Roland Garros seedings. A key to Murray’s success of late has been his improvement on clay. He had a 63-37 clay-court record with no finals appearances entering the 2015 season. Murray is 28-3 on clay since then, highlighted by back-to-back titles at Munich and Madrid last May. However, Murray is 0-4 against Djokovic on clay and 9-23 overall, losing 12 of 13 meetings since the 2013 Wimbledon final.
With Djokovic and Murray in the Rome final, a member of the Big Four is ensured to win the title at a 17th consecutive ATP Masters 1000 event. Djokovic, Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will have also combined to win 47 of the last 50 ATP Masters 1000 titles. In Rome, no player outside the Big Four has reached the final since David Ferrer finished as the runner-up in 2010. Murray needed under an hour to defeat Lucas Pouille in the semi-finals, while Djokovic’s match against Kei Nishikori lasted more than three hours and finished at 11:13 pm local time.
The doubles final features three-time Rome champions Bob and Mike Bryan against Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, who are in the Top 50 of both singles and doubles. The teams will meet for the sixth time in less than two years. Pospisil and Sock stunned the Bryans in five sets to cap their first event as a team with the 2014 Wimbledon title. They lead the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head 3-2, though the Bryans’ wins came in ATP Masters 1000 finals at 2014 Cincinnati and 2015 Miami.
FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: SINGLES AND DOUBLES FINALS
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [2] Andy Murray (GBR) Djokovic Leads 23-9
06 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Spain) Hard R16 Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-5 6-3
07 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3
07 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-0
08 ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo Clay R16 Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-4
08 ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (Canada) Hard QF Andy Murray 6-3 7-6(3)
08 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard F Andy Murray 7-6(4) 7-6(5)
09 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard F Andy Murray 6-2 7-5
11 Australian Open (Australia) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-2 6-3
11 ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Italy) Clay SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 3-6 7-6(2)
11 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard F Andy Murray 6-4 3-0 ret
12 Australian Open (Australia) Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-3 3-6 6-7(4) 6-1 7-5
12 Dubai (U.A.E.) Hard SF Andy Murray 6-2 7-5
12 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-1 7-6(4)
12 London Olympics (Great Britain) Grass SF Andy Murray 7-5 7-5
12 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard F Andy Murray 7-6(10) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2
12 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard F Novak Djokovic 5-7 7-6(11) 6-3
12 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard RR Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-3 7-5
13 Australian Open (Australia) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 6-2
13 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass F Andy Murray 6-4 7-5 6-4
14 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-3
14 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 7-6(1) 6-7(1) 6-2 6-4
14 Beijing (China) Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4
14 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-2
15 Australian Open (Australia) Hard F Novak Djokovic 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0
15 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3
15 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard F Novak Djokovic 7-6(3) 4-6 6-0
15 Roland Garros (France) Clay SF Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-3 5-7 5-7 6-1
15 ATP Masters 1000 Montréal (Canada) Hard F Andy Murray 6-4 4-6 6-3
15 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-3
15 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-4
16 Australian Open (Australia) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-1 7-5 7-6(3)
16 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Spain) Clay F Novak Djokovic 6-2 3-6 6-3
Djokovic 2016 FastFacts
W (5): Doha (d. Nadal); Australian Open (d. Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d. Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (d. Nishikori); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (d. Murray); QF: Dubai (l. to Lopez)
YTD W-L: 37-2 (9-1 on clay)
YTD Titles: 5 / Career Titles: 64
Date of Birth: May 22, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 1 (Career-High)
Rome W-L (Best Result): 38-5 (2008, 2011, 2014-15 Champion)
• Tournament Note: Seeking 6th title in last 7 ATP Masters 1000 events and 11th in last 15 (DNP 2015 Madrid)
• Tied Emerson’s all-time record with 6th Australian Open title (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Moved into tie with Laver and Borg for 5th all-time with 11 Grand Slam men’s singles titles
• Won a 5-set match en route to title for 7th time at a major, overcoming 100 unforced errors in 4R (d. Simon)
• Swept Indian Wells (d. Raonic) and Miami (d. Nishikori) for 3rd straight year and 4th time overall
• Added Madrid title for record-setting 29th ATP Masters 1000 championship (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Captured 60th career title to start season at Doha, not dropping a set all week (d. No. 5 Nadal)
• Became 3rd active player to reach 700 wins by beating Jaziri in Dubai 2R on Feb. 24 (also Federer, Nadal)
• Fell 1 shy of Lendl’s Open-Era record 18 straight finals when eye problem forced ret in Dubai QF (l. to Lopez)
• Had not retired since 2011 Davis Cup SF vs. del Potro, a stretch of 350 matches (318-32)
• Defeated Nedovyesov in 3 sets and Kukushkin in 5 sets to help Serbia beat Kazakhstan 3-2 in Davis Cup 1R
Murray 2016 FastFacts
F (2): Australian Open (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic); SF: ATP Masters
1000 Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal)
YTD W-L: 21-5 (11-2 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 35
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 3
Rome W-L (Best Result): 13-9 (2016 Finalist)
• Event Note: Finalist in 8 of 9 ATP Masters 1000 events during his career (all but Monte-Carlo)
• Fell to 0-5 in Australian Open finals with 4th championship match loss to No. 1 Djokovic
• With older brother Jamie, became 1st brothers in Open Era to reach singles and doubles finals at same major
• Beat No. 8 Berdych and No. 5 Nadal en route to ATP Masters 1000 Madrid final (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Lost 3-setters in Indian Wells 3R (l. to Delbonis), Miami 3R (l. to Dimitrov) and Monte-Carlo SF (l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Improved to 20-7 in 5-setters with wins over Raonic in Australian Open SF and No. 6 Nishikori in Davis Cup 1R
• Extended Davis Cup win streak to 14 matches with 3 victories to lead Great Britain past Japan 3-1
[5] Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA) vs [8] Vasek Pospisil (CAN)/Jack Sock (USA) – Pospisil/Sock Leads 3-2
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass F Pospisil/Sock 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4 3-6 7-5
14 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard F Bryan/Bryan 6-3 6-2
15 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard QF Pospisil/Sock 6-4 6-4
15 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard F Bryan/Bryan 6-3 1-6 [10-8] 15 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard QF Pospisil/Sock 7-6(3) 6-3
• Bryan/Bryan beat Johnson/Querrey 46 63 13-11 in 2R (saved 3 MPs), [4] J. Murray/Soares 63 64 in QF and [PR] Benneteau/Roger-Vasselin 67(5) 62 10-7 in SF (finished Sunday at 1:05 am)
• American twins are 21-8 this season and 976-299 lifetime — most team wins in Open Era
• Own 111-53 record as a team in finals, including 35-18 mark in ATP Masters 1000 finals
• Winners in their last 6 ATP Masters 1000 finals and 13 of last 14
• Saved 2 MPs in Houston 1R vs. Kudla/Young en route to 110th team title (d. Estrella Burgos/S. Gonzalez)
• Followed with 111th title at Barcelona (d. Kubot/Matkowski, Huey/Mirnyi and Cuevas/Granollers)
• Passed Connors’ 109 singles championships for most ATP World Tour titles ever in singles or doubles
• Defeated Hewitt/Peers in 5 sets to improve to 13-0 in Davis Cup road matches (USA d. AUS 3-1)
• Lost 3 matches with combined 17 MPs: Memphis 1R vs. Krajicek/Monroe (3 MPs), Delray Beach final vs. Marach/Martin (6 MPs) and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells QF vs. Roger-Vasselin/Zimonjic (8 MPs)
• Dropped to No. 9 and No. 10 in Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings on Apr. 18 (lowest since Aug. 26, 2002)
• Pospisil/Sock beat Huey/Mirnyi 76(6) 64 in 2R, Cuevas/Granollers 64 76(4) in QF and [6] Bopanna/Mergea 76(4) 76(2) in SF
• Canadian and American are 10-4 this season and 49-18 lifetime
• Own 4-4 record in finals, including 1-4 mark in ATP Masters 1000 finals
• Champions at 2015 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d. Bolelli/Fognini)
• First team since Hewitt/Mirnyi at 2000 US Open to capture major title in debut (d. Bryan/Bryan at ’14 Wimbledon)
• Also won titles at 2014 Atlanta (d. Johnson/Querrey) and 2015 Beijing (d. Nestor/Roger-Vasselin)
• In 2016, reached Australian Open QF (l. to Cuevas/Granollers) and ATP Masters 1000 final (l. to Herbert/Mahut)
• FedEx ATP H2H: Sock defeated Pospisil in their lone singles meeting 62 64 in 2016 Auckland 2R