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Monfils Fights Off Dimitrov To Reach Miami QFs

Posted: Mar 30, 2016

Monfils Fights Off Dimitrov To Reach Miami QFs

Mar302016

Frenchman uses nine aces to come back for the win

Gael Monfils saw a career-best showing within striking distance and grabbed it Tuesday night at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Monfils broke Grigor Dimitrov at 4-3 in the third set and served out their fourth-round match at love to come back from a set down and win 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3. Monfils has now beaten Dimitrov three consecutive times. He advances to the quarter-finals in Miami for the first time in his 12-year career.

The Frenchman had lost in the fourth round three times prior. In the final eight, he’ll play Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who routed Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-4 in 84 minutes on Tuesday night.

Nishikori won his only prior meeting with Monfils 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 (Halle 2014).

“Kei is a very good player. He has been very consistent,” Monfils said.

Monfils entered the fourth-round match against Dimitrov with a 3-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. But the Bulgarian looked to be picking up where he left off on Monday, when he beat World No. 2 Andy Murray in three sets.

Dimitrov won the first set. In the second, though, Monfils raised his game. The 29-year-old broke Dimitrov twice and never faced a break point. In the third, he again broke the No. 26 seed twice and had the upper hand against Dimitrov during their extended rallies, including a 46-stroke rally in the third. About 20 per cent of their points during the match lasted longer than nine shots, and Monfils won more than 60 per cent of those longer points.

Nishikori steamrolled Bautista Agut, hitting 22 winners and breaking the Spaniard four times. During Bautista Agut’s third-round match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the Spaniard was broken just two times in three sets.

“It was a great match for me,” Nishikori said. “I played the way I wanted to play.”

Bautista Agut served well, landing 77 per cent of his first serves. But he never got going from the ground, spilling 23 unforced errors to eight winners.

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Djokovic Holds Off Thiem In Miami

Posted: Mar 30, 2016

Djokovic Holds Off Thiem In Miami

Mar292016

The World No. 1 plays biggest on the most important points

Dominic Thiem pushed the World No. 1 on Tuesday, but the number 14 will haunt the 22-year-old from their fourth-round match. That was the number of break points Djokovic erased during their two-hour contest at the Miami Open on Tuesday.

The five-time Miami champion didn’t produce his best tennis but was as clutch on the biggest points and won a laborious contest 6-3, 6-4 against the No. 14 seed at Crandon Park.

Djokovic will face No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals. The Serb holds a 22-2 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry and has won their past nine matches.

He and Thiem’s fourth-round match lived up to its billing: The co-win leaders on the ATP World Tour this season facing off, an up-and-coming and confident star, Thiem, going against the World No. 1, who’s bidding for a sixth Miami title.

Djokovic gained the early advantage. He broke the Austrian during his first service game and fended off break point after break point to hold throughout the set.

It was never easy for Djokovic, though. He hit only six winners to 34 unforced errors. And he had to work to hold serve. Djokovic played 102 points on his serve while Thiem played 59 on his.

In the second set, Djokovic again earned an early break and looked to be in control of the match. At 3-2, though, Thiem finally broke Djokovic to tie the set when the Serb threw in a double fault, one of nine he committed during the match. But Djokovic quickly broke back to restore his lead.

Leading 5-4, he held off Thiem a few more times to win a 15-minute game and the match.

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Raonic, Kyrgios Lock In QF Clash

Posted: Mar 30, 2016

Raonic, Kyrgios Lock In QF Clash

Mar292016

Raonic holds 2-1 record against the Australian

Milos Raonic and Nick Kyrgios will duel it out for a place in their first Miami Open semi-final after both posted straight-sets victories in fourth-round action on Tuesday.

Raonic, the No. 12 seed, is through to his second straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final after romping to a 6-0, 6-3 victory over unseeded Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, while Kyrgios advanced 7-6(3), 6-3 over Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.

The 25-year-old Raonic dropped just six points on his first serve throughout, finishing with 11 aces. He never faced a break point in the 54-minute affair.

The result matches the Canadian’s best run in Miami; a quarter-final finish two years ago (l. Nadal). It continues an impressive start to his season in which he extends his record to 17-2, which includes a run to last week’s BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells.

Dzumhur, at No. 94 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, was one of six players making his Miami Open fourth-round debut. The 23 year old led No. 5 seed Nadal 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 before the Spaniard retired due to dizziness in the second round. It marked his first victory over a Top 10 opponent.

Kyrgios and Kuznetsov were also making their fourth-round Miami debuts but it was Kyrgios who would prevail on the back of 11 aces. The 20 year old becomes the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt to reach the quarter-finals in Miami 14 years ago and the youngest player to do so since Juan Martin del Potro in 2009.

The 25-year-old Kuznetsov had earlier downed No. 4 seed Stan Wawrinka in the second round and as a result of his fourth-round showing, will break into the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday. Raonic will carry a 2-1 FedEx Head2Head lead into his clash with Kyrgios.

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Djokovic into Miami quarter-finals

Posted: Mar 30, 2016

Novak Djokovic withstood the heavy hitting of Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem to reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

Thiem earned 14 break points but could convert just one of those as 28-year-old Djokovic registered a 6-3 6-4 win.

“It was far from easy, he has some of the biggest firepower from the back of the court,” said Djokovic.

The world number one will play Tomas Berdych – a winner over Richard Gasquet – in the last eight on Wednesday.

Theim, 22, led the ATP Tour alongside Djokovic on 24 wins this year heading into the match.

He pushed hard to recover a break when Djokovic served for the first set, and thought he had done so with a backhand down the line before Hawkeye ruled in the Serb’s favour.

Djokovic held on to take the set but needed two breaks and all his defensive ability to keep the Austrian at bay in the second, eventually winning in one hour and 49 minutes.

Czech Berdych earlier beat France’s Gasquet 6-4 3-6 7-5, while Australian Nick Kyrgios made his first Masters 1000 quarter-final with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over American Tim Smyczek and will next face Canada’s Milos Raonic.

In the women’s draw, Swiss ninth seed Timea Bacsinszky upset Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep 4-6 6-3 6-2.

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Azarenka ready for ‘impressive’ Konta

Posted: Mar 30, 2016

Victoria Azarenka expects British number one Johanna Konta to provide a severe test when they meet at the Miami Open on Wednesday.

Azarenka is the WTA Tour’s form player after her Indian Wells win, but Konta is rising fast through the rankings.

They meet for the second time, after the Belarusian retired at a set down in Wuhan last September.

“It was difficult to consider that a full match since I didn’t feel physically well,” said Azarenka.

“But it’s really impressive to see how much she improved over the last couple months.”

Their quarter-final is scheduled for the evening session in Miami.

Azarenka, ranked eighth, beat world number one Serena Williams to win in Indian Wells earlier this month, and looks to be back to the form that won her two Australian Open titles, before two injury-hit years.

However, Konta is on the verge of a place in the top 20 having been ranked 151st in the world this time last year.

“She obviously had some great results, playing with a lot of confidence,” added Azarenka. “She has a very solid game, big serve.

“I’m just looking forward to that challenge. I think for me it’s going to be our first meeting, but I’m looking forward to that.”

Konta, 24, is the first British woman to reach the last eight in Key Biscayne and would break the top 20 if she reaches the final.

“It will be an incredibly tough battle,” said the world number 23.

“Azarenka has had an incredible season so far. I’m going to have to really run down every ball, fight every single point and we’ll see what the day will hold.”

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Berdych Edges Gasquet To Reach Miami QFs

Posted: Mar 29, 2016

Berdych Edges Gasquet To Reach Miami QFs

Mar292016

Czech prevails in three tight sets

Tomas Berdych is through to the Miami Open quarter-finals after edging Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 28 minutes on a humid Tuesday at Crandon Park.

The seventh-seeded Czech will face either World No. 1 Novak Djokovic or 14th seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the semi-finals at the second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the year.

The 30-year-old Berdych claimed his 30th win in Miami as he advanced to the quarter-finals for the seventh time in 12 appearances. He went on to reach the final in 2010, finishing runner-up to Andy Roddick.

Berdych levelled his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Gasquet at 7-7 after edging the Frenchman in trying conditions. The right-hander rallied from a breakdown in the first set, reeling off four straight games from 2-4 down to clinch the opener.

Gasquet was able to hold on to his early break lead in the second set as he levelled the match, but it was Berdych who came good at the crunch stage, breaking Gasquet in the 11th game of the decider before serving out to love.

World No. 15 David Goffin is through to his second straight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final after beating Horacio Zeballos 7-5, 6-3. The Belgian lost just eight points on serve and converted three of his nine break point opportunities as he defeated the lucky loser in 86 minutes.

Goffin is coming off his first Masters 1000 semi-final showing in Indian Wells, where he defeated Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic before falling to Milos Raonic. The 25 year old is the first Belgian man in tournament history to reach the quarter-finals in Miami.

Next up for Goffin will be Gilles Simon, who swept aside fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-0, 6-1 in just 58 minutes, relinquishing only 11 points on serve.

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Motivation higher than ever – Murray

Posted: Mar 29, 2016

Jamie Murray says his motivation levels are higher than ever after capping a superb run of form by becoming world number one.

The Scot will top the doubles rankings on 4 April after reaching three Grand Slam finals, winning the Australian Open and the Davis Cup.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” said the 29-year-old.

“I think definitely my motivation is even higher than before, now that I’ve got here. You want to stay here.”

Murray and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares lost their opening match at the Miami Open on Saturday, but defeat for current number one Marcelo Melo of Brazil ensured Murray will overtake him in the rankings.

“I didn’t even know Marcelo was playing his match and then my phone just started going crazy, lots of people messaging me,” said Murray.

He has played with 63 different partners since making his professional debut in 2003, including 15 in 2012 alone.

Consistent success came first alongside Australian John Peers, with the pair reaching the Wimbledon and US Open finals last year, before Murray claimed his first men’s doubles Grand Slam title with Soares at the Australian Open in January.

“My career’s had a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “Once I started playing with John Peers in 2013, that gave me a huge lift, a lot of direction, which I needed.

“And I started working with [coach] Louis Cayer, which was probably the best decision of all.

“He got me to think how I could be successful on the court and today we’re here, number one.”

‘Andy can still be number one’

Murray beat his younger brother Andy to a first major title by wining the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007, and he has now reached the top of the rankings first, with his sibling currently number two in singles.

“Andy’s obviously been at the top of the game for such a long time but hasn’t been able to do it because the level that these guys are playing at these days is so incredibly high,” said Murray.

“He’s having an amazing career and done so many great things on the court.

“He inspired me to try and max out in my tennis and be the best I can be. I think bar a couple of players, or a slightly different generation, he would have been there.

“Hopefully he can still make it.”

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Emirates ATP Rankings 29 March 2016

Posted: Mar 29, 2016

Emirates ATP Rankings 29 March 2016

Mar292016

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Behind The Scenes In Miami

Posted: Mar 29, 2016

Behind The Scenes In Miami

Mar292016

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Life has changed for Murray – Croft

Posted: Mar 29, 2016

Fatherhood has affected Andy Murray’s form, according to former British number one Annabel Croft.

The 28-year-old world number two lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Miami Open.

Murray returned to action earlier in March after becoming a father but made an early exit from Indian Wells.

“Life has just changed for him and he’s just trying to regain momentum, but at the moment it’s a bit of struggle,” Croft told BBC Scotland.

“He [Murray] hasn’t played a lot of tennis this year. He took time off when his wife had their first baby,” she added.

“He looked tired and emotionally drained. It’s something that we never, ever throw at Andy that he could lose a match for a lack of fitness.

“I know he had his family over in Miami. Having had three children myself, you know that if there’s a baby in the house you can’t get away from it and if it’s crying at night, your sleep is going to be a little bit disrupted.

“He’s probably a little bit more drained in every area and suddenly there’s a lot more to think of off the court than there has been in the past. So, I definitely think it’s affected him.”

‘Way too many unforced errors’

Two-time Grand Slam winner Murray led Bulgarian Dimitrov 3-1 in the deciding set before losing 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-3.

“He will be very disappointed with the loss because he’s below par and he’s not at the level that we’ve come to expect from Andy Murray,” Croft said.

“Probably most disappointing of all for him was the fact he had a lead in the final set and let it slip.

“When you think of Andy Murray, he’s such a great warrior on the court. He very rarely loses real tussles like that and it’s happened a couple of times recently.

“There were way too many unforced errors for him – I think it was 50-plus.

“To give Dimitrov his due, he played a fantastic match, he didn’t go away and he competed well against Andy.”

World number one Serena Williams was another big name to bow out early in Miami, losing 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-2 to Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“There is so much depth in the game now and if you’re just slightly off your game, these players can come along, open up their shoulders and swing freely at the ball. They have no pressure, they can just go for it,” added Croft.

“Anybody who knows about pressure knows that is the hardest thing – how to play when the pressure is on you.”

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