Heather Watson’s run in the Miami Open came to an end in the fourth round with a 6-3 6-4 defeat by Simona Halep.
British number two Watson, 23, led 3-1 in the opening set before losing the next five games to the Romanian.
Fifth seed Halep, 24, broke Watson twice more to win the second set and reach the last eight for the second year in a row.
British number one Johanna Konta faces 32nd seed Monica Niculescu of Romania later on Monday.
The man who has helped guide Jamie Murray to the top of the world rankings believes the Scot can add more Grand Slams to his Australian Open victory.
Louis Cayer, Murray’s LTA coach, is widely considered to be the best doubles coach in the world.
And the Canadian says Murray and Bruno Soares are the perfect combination.
“By taking two players who combine very well to make each other look really good, I think they will do very well,” he told BBC Scotland.
Cayer said Murray had changed partners following a successful pairing with Australian John Peers because he wanted Grand Slam titles
“[Soares] was number two and three in the world for about three years,” said Cayer.
“He was very, very steady and he brings a game style that will make Jamie shine because Jamie is the best in the world at the net. Everybody agrees on that.
“But he needs someone who returns a lot, who can set him up and Soares is the best in the world at that.
“Hopefully, they can finish as a team at number one, because right now they are leading the race.”
Cayer first coached Murray in 2006, but it was not until three years ago that they resumed their relationship, at a point when the Scot was considering retiring, having dropped to 92 in the rankings.
“I said, if we work with you, it’s because you’ve got to aim to be the best, to be number one and he said ‘OK, I’ll do whatever it takes’ and he did that, legally of course,” said Cayer.
“I think the key thing for Jamie was first of all belief because it was shaken. When you don’t have belief, nothing is possible.
“Then it was to get him to accept his game style. Those who’ve seen him play know he chips his forehand. Nobody does that. He will lob, he will come in, he’ll poach a lot and creates a lot of uncertainty and confuses opponents.
“So, instead of playing like everybody else and hitting hard, he has a very good diversity. He’s accurate, placing the ball and mixing it up.
“By accepting that, he could win by being different. He went very quickly to the top.”
Cayer hopes to help Jamie and Andy Murray to Olympic gold in Rio this summer but for now is content to reflect on the older Murray’s success in taking a number one spot that has so often been dominated by the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike.
“I talked to him on the phone last night and he was ecstatic because, when you achieve that, it’s for the rest of your life,” he added.
“It’s a great achievement. It’s not easy to do. In the last 10 years, it was almost always a Bryan at number one and there was very little room at the top.
“And for myself it’s nice. We started a journey together Jamie and I in 2006 when I arrived in the UK and to share that feeling of being number one is amazing.”
Leading ATP World Tour stars look to advance at Crandon Park
DAY 6 PREVIEW: Third round action at the Miami Open presented by Itau continues on Monday with eight matches from the bottom half of the draw. World No. 2 and two-time champion Andy Murray, No. 6 Kei Nishikori, No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 12 Milos Raonic headline the order of play.
In the third match on Stadium, No. 2 Murray, champion in 2009 (d. Djokovic) and 2013 (d. Ferrer) and finalist in 2012 and 2015 (l. both to Djokovic), faces No. 26 seed Grigor Dimitrov for the 9th time. Murray leads 6-2 in their head-to-heads, winning the last three meetings. Dimitrov, who is 10-42 vs. Top 10 opponents (1-11 vs. Top 2), is trying to post his first Top 10 win since Madrid in May 2015 (d. No. 9 Wawrinka). This is the first time Murray has played in Miami ranked No. 2. He is bidding to reach his fourth final here in five years, to win his 12th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and his first title since becoming a father to daughter Sophia Olivia on February 7.
Next up on Stadium, No. 16 seed Gael Monfils takes on No. 23 seed Pablo Cuevas for the third time (Monfils leads 2-0). The Frenchman will match his career-best run in Miami with a victory, having reached the fourth round on three previous occasions dating back to his 2005 debut, as well as 2009 and last year. Cuevas has enjoyed a strong 14-4 start to 2016 as the Uruguayan completed a Brazilian double with title wins in Rio de Janeiro (d. Pella) and Sao Paulo (d. Carreno Busta) and left South America with an 11-1 record on clay.
In the evening session, No. 22 seed Jack Sock, the highest-ranked of two Americans left in the draw, takes on Canadian Milos Raonic, who has a 6-1 head-to-head lead against the 23-year-old. Since losing their first encounter, Raonic, the No. 12 seed, has claimed six consecutive wins against Sock, including five in 2014. Raonic is off to a career-best 14-2 start in 2016, including his 8th career title in Brisbane (d. Federer). He also reached his third career ATP Masters 1000 final in Indian Wells. Sock has also impressed early this year, reaching the Auckland final (retired with illness vs Bautista Agut) and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 22 on Jan. 18. The duo have not faced each other since the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris 2R, in October 2014.
In the day’s first match on Grandstand, Nishikori takes a 3-0 head-to-head record into his showdown with No. 27 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov followed by Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut’s match with No. 9 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – a rematch of the Auckland semi-final where the Frenchman lost after holding match point against the eventual champion (d. Sock), who also triumphed in Sofia (d. Troicki). Qualifier Tim Smyczek, fresh from his career-best three-set win over top American, World No. 13 John Isner, faces No. 24 seed and tournament debutant Nick Kyrgios. Smyczek won the previous ATP World Tour meeting in Memphis in 2014 (and ’13 Sacramento Ch.).
At least two unseeded players are guaranteed to appear in the bottom half of the fourth round draw, as Damir Dzumhur follows up his victory over Rafael Nadal with a showdown against qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin in Monday’s last match on Grandstand, while the second match on Court 1 features Frenchman Adrian Mannarino and Russian Andrey Kuznetsov in a first-time meeting.
DAY 6 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court
STADIUM
[26] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs [2] Andy Murray (GBR) Murray Leads 6-2
11 Bangkok (Thailand) Hard QF Andy Murray 6-4 6-4
13 Brisbane (Australia) Hard F Andy Murray 7-6 6-4
13 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Andy Murray 7-6(3) 6-3
14 Acapulco (Mexico) Hard SF Grigor Dimitrov 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(3)
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass QF Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2
14 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R16 Andy Murray 6-3 6-3
15 Australian Open Hard R16 Andy Murray 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 7-5
15 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Andy Murray 4-6 7-6(3) 7-5
Dimitrov 2016 FastFacts:
F: Sydney (l Troicki); SF: Delray Beach (l Ram); QF(2): Brisbane (l Federer); Acapulco (l Thiem)
YTD W-L: 13-6 (13-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: May 16, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 28
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 7-5 (4R – 2012)
• The 24-year-old Bulgarian is making his 6th straight Miami appearance and looking to reach 4R for first time since 2012. Reached 3R with 76(8) 46 64 win over Delbonis (1R bye) on Saturday. Made debut in 2011 as a qualifier (l. to Stakhovsky in 1R). Following year reached 4R (d. No. 7 Berdych in 3R, l. to No. 9 Tipsarevic). Last year lost to Isner in 3R.
• Comes in with a 13-6 match record on season. Held 1 MP in Sydney final before falling to Troicki 76 in 3rd set in 2nd week of year
• Advanced to SFs at Delray Beach (l. to Ram) and QFs at Brisbane (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Acapulco (l. to eventual champion Thiem)
• Reached Australian Open 3R (l. to No. 3 Federer)
• Won 2+ matches at first 5 tournaments during 1st 2 months of 2016 season. His lone opening round loss came at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to A. Zverev)
• Arrives with 10-42 record against top-10 opposition, 0-2 in 2016 (l .to No. 3 Federer at Brisbane QF and Australian Open 3R). Looking to break 7-match losing streak since last Top 10 win at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid in May 2015 (3R d. No. 9 Wawrinka). Has 1-11 mark vs. Top 2 foes with lone win over No. 1 Djokovic at 2013 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 2R
Murray 2016 FastFacts:
F: Australian Open (l Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 10-2 (10-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 35
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 2
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 28-8 (Winner – 2009, ’13)
• The 28-year-old Scot comes into Miami ranked No. 2 for the first time. Improved career record to 28-8 with 63 75 win over Istomin on Saturday. Last year advanced to his 4th final, losing to Djokovic 76 46 60
• Won 1st title in 2009 with three straight Top 10 wins (d. No. 9 Verdasco in QF, No. 7 del Potro in SF and No. 3 Djokovic in F) and won 2nd title in 2013 (d. No. 10 Gasquet in SF, No. 5 Ferrer in F-saved 1 M.P.). Also runner-up in 2012 (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Made his debut in 2006 and lost in 1R to Wawrinka
• In January, 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. Jamie will become new No. 1 in Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings after tournament on April 4
• Improved to 20-7 lifetime in 5-set matches 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
• In 1st tournament back as a father in Indian Wells, lost in 3R (l. to Delbonis)
• Daughter, Sophia Olivia, born on February 7 (top four players are all fathers)
Gael Monfils (FRA) vs [23] Pablo Cuevas (URU) Monfils Leads 2-0
08 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R128 Gael Monfils 6-4 6-4 6-1
15 Roland Garros (France) Clay R32 Gael Monfils 4-6 7-6(1) 3-6 6-4 6-3
Monfils 2016 FastFacts:
F: Rotterdam (l Klizan); QF(2): Australian Open (l Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (Raonic)
YTD W-L: 13-4 (12-4 on hard, 1-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: September 1, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 16
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 10-8 (4R – 2005, ’09, ‘15)
• The 29-year-old Frenchman is making his 9th tournament appearance since 2005, when he reached 4R on debut (l. to Hrbaty), matching career-best run in 2009 (l. to Roddick) and last year (l. to Berdych). Reached 3R with 63 62 win over qualifier Ito (1R bye). One of 7 Frenchmen to reach 3R
• Advanced to 1st Australian Open QF in 11th appearance (l. to Raonic)
• Fell to 5-18 in ATP World Tour finals with loss to Klizan in Rotterdam championship match
• Won 8th straight Davis Cup match to open France’s 5-0 sweep of Canada in 1R (d. Dancevic)
• Withdrew from Marseille due to right leg injury
Cuevas 2016 FastFacts:
W(2): Rio de Janeiro (d Pella); Sao Paulo (d Carreno Busta); QF: Buenos Aires (l Ferrer)
YTD W-L: 14-4 (3-3 on hard, 11-1 on clay)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: January 1, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 25
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 4-4 (3R – 2011, ’16)
• The 30-year-old Uruguayan has reached 3R in Miami for 2nd time in his 5th tournament appearance, having matched his 2011 run (2R d. No. 8 Roddick, l. to Simon). Reached 3R with 75 64 win over Millman (1R bye)
• Earned 9 straight wins on clay courts of Brazil, sweeping 4th and 5th career ATP World Tour titles at Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Has 11-1 on clay this season (3-3 on hard courts)
• Captured 1st ATP World Tour 500 championship of career at Rio de Janeiro, becoming 1st player to beat only lefties en route to a title (d. Bagnis, Monteiro, Delbonis, No. 5 Nadal and Pella)
• Followed by beating Bagnis, Monteiro, Lajovic and Carreño Busta for 2nd straight São Paulo crown
• Owns 10-1 record against left-handed players and 4-3 record against right-handed players in 2016
• Earned 1st Australian Open singles win in 4th appearance (d. Nishioka, l. to Kyrgios in 2R)
• Reached Australian Open doubles SF w/Granollers (d. Dodig/Melo and Pospisil/Sock, l. to Nestor/Stepanek)
[22] Jack Sock (USA) vs [12] Milos Raonic (CAN) Raonic Leads 6-1
13 Memphis (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Jack Sock 6-3 5-7 7-5
13 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard R64 Milos Raonic 3-6 6-4 6-3
14 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R64 Milos Raonic 3-6 6-4 6-3
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass R64 Milos Raonic 6-3 6-4 6-4
14 Washington (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Milos Raonic 7-6(3) 7-6(3)
14 ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (Canada) Hard R32 Milos Raonic 4-6 7-6(2) 7-6(4)
14 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R32 Milos Raonic 6-3 5-7 7-6(4)
Sock 2016 FastFacts:
F: Auckland (l Bautista Agut)
YTD W-L: 7-5 (7-3 on hard, 0-1 on clay, 0-1 on grass)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: September 24, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 24
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 4-3 (3R – 2015-16)
• The 23-year-old American is making his 4th Miami appearance and has matched last year’s personal-best 3R (d. Soeda, Fognini, l. to Thiem). Two years ago qualified (l. to No. 12 Raonic in 2R). Reached 3R with 62 32 ret. win over Stakhovsky (1R bye)
• Opened season by retiring with illness in Auckland final when he trailed Bautista Agut 61 1-0. Beat frequent doubles partner Pospisil, No. 12 Anderson and No. 8 Ferrer en route to final, snapping 9-match losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents
• Achieved career-high No. 22 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 18
• Played and won 1st 5-set match of career in Australian Open 1R (d. Fritz, l. to Rosol in 2R)
• Suffered 1st Davis Cup loss of career to Tomic (USA d. AUS 3-1 in 1R)
• Withdrew from Buenos Aires due to illness
• Reached doubles final at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells w/Pospisil (l. to Herbert/Mahut)
Raonic 2016 FastFacts:
W: Brisbane (d Federer); F: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Djokovic); SF: Australian Open (l Murray)
YTD W-L: 15-2 (15-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 12
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 8-3 (QF – 2014)
• The 25-year-old Canadian is making his 6th straight Miami appearance and his best result is QF two years ago (l. to No. 1 Nadal in three sets). Last year lost in 4R (l. to Isner). In 2012-13, after a bye, won a round before pulling out of 3R match due to injury both times (gave W/O). Beat Kudla 76(4) 64 in 2R on Saturday (1R bye)
• Comes in with a career-best 15-2 start after winning 1st 9 matches of 2016 season, highlighted by 8th career ATP World Tour title at Brisbane (d. No. 3 Federer). Victory over Federer avenged loss to Swiss in 2015 Brisbane final
• Upset No. 4 Wawrinka in 5 sets en route to 2nd Grand Slam SF at Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets). Suffered adductor injury in that match
• Returned at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells in first singles match since Jan. 29 after W/D from Delray Beach, Acapulco and Davis Cup 1R
• Reached 3rd career ATP Masters 1000 final and lost to No. 1 Djokovic in final
GRANDSTAND
[6] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs [27] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) Nishikori Leads 3-0
11 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-3
13 Brisbane (Australia) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-4 7-6(3)
15 Acapulco (Mexico) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-4
Nishikori 2016 FastFacts:
W: Memphis (d Fritz); QF(3): Brisbane (l Tomic); Australian Open (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Nadal)
YTD W-L: 15-5 (15-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11
Date of Birth: December 29, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 6
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 13-5 (SF – 2014)
• The 26-year-old Japanese star is making his 7th appearance and owns a 13-5 record, reaching SF two years ago (W/O vs. Djokovic after wins over No. 4 Ferrer in 4R & No. 5 Federer in QF). In opening match on Saturday, beat French qualifier Herbert 62 76(4) to reach 3R (1R bye). Last year reached QF (l. to Isner). Also 4R in 2012 (l. to No. 2 Nadal) & ’13 (l. to No. 5 Ferrer). Has 3 Top 5 losses
• In last tournament at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, reached QF (l. to Nadal)
• In February, earned 4th straight Memphis title, extended win streak at event to 17 matches (d. Fritz)
• Advanced to 3rd Australian Open QF of career (d. No. 10 Tsonga, l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Beat Evans before falling to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets, snapping 12-match Davis Cup win streak (GBR d. JPN 3-1)
• Reached Brisbane QF (l. to Tomic) and Acapulco 2R (l. to Querrey)
Dolgopolov 2016 FastFacts:
SF: Acapulco (l Tomic); QF(2): Sydney (l Dimitrov), Rio de Janeiro (l Nadal)
YTD W-L: 10-5 (8-4 on hard, 2-1 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: November 7, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 29
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 11-5 (QF – 2014)
• The 27-year-old Ukrainian is making his 6th straight tournament appearance (11-5 record) and on Saturday beat Seppi 64 64 in 2R (1R bye). Has never lost his opening match (6-0). Reached QF in 2014 (4R d. No. 3 Wawrinka, QF l. to No. 7 Berdych) and aiming to reach 4R for fourth time (also debut 2011, l. to No. 1 Nadal, and 2015, l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Defeated No. 8 Ferrer en route to Acapulco SF (l. to Tomic in 3 sets)
• Began season by reaching Sydney QF (l. to Dimitrov in 3 sets)
• Fell to 9-37 lifetime against Top 10 players with loss to No. 10 Gasquet in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R
• Conceded walkover in Rio de Janeiro QF vs. Nadal due to right shoulder injury
• Has a 9-37 career record against top-10 opposition, 1-2 in 2016 (d. No. 8 Ferrer at Acapulco 2R)
[17] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs [9] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) Tsonga Leads 2-1
15 ATP Masters 1000 Montreal (Canada) Hard R32 J-W Tsonga 5-7 7-6(6) 7-5
15 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R32 J-W Tsonga 6-2 6-2
16 Auckland (New Zealand) Hard SF R Bautista Agut 3-6 7-6(3) 6-4
Bautista Agut 2016 FastFacts:
W (2): Auckland (d Sock), Sofia (d Troicki); QF(3): Chennai (l Coric); Rotterdam (l Klizan), Dubai (l Baghdatis)
YTD W-L: 17-5 (17-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: April 14, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 18
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 4-4 (3R – 2014, ’16)
• The 27-year-old Spaniard is making his 5th straight appearance in Miami and has matched his best result, also reaching 3R in 2014 (l. to Fognini). Reached 3R with 75 22 ret. win over Bedene (1R bye)
• Captured 3rd and 4th titles respectively at Auckland (d. Sock) and Sofia (d. Troicki)
• Saved 1 MP to beat No. 10 Tsonga in Auckland SF, snapping 17-match losing streak to Top 10 opponents
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R for 2nd time (d. Cilic, l. to No. 6 Berdych in 5 sets)
• Reached QFs at Chennai (l. to Coric 76 in 3rd), Rotterdam (l. to Klizan after holding 5 MPs) and Dubai (l. to Baghdatis)
• Fell to countryman Lopez 76(5) 67(1) 64 after 3 hrs, 16 mins in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R
• Has a 4-24 career record against top-10 opponents, 1-1 in 2016 (d. No. 10 Tsonga in Auckland SF)
Tsonga 2016 FastFacts:
SF: Auckland (l Bautista Agut); QF(2): Buenos Aires (l Almagro); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 11-5 (9-3, 2-2 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: April 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 9
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 17-8 (QF – 2009-10)
• The 30-year-old Frenchman comes in with a 17-8 career record and playing here for the 9th straight year. His best result was quarter-finals in 2009 (d. No. 8 Simon in 4R, l. to No. 3 Djokovic) and ’10 (l. to No. 4 Nadal). Last year lost in 3R (l. to Monfils). Reached 3R with 63 61 win over Giraldo (1R bye)
• In last tournament at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, reached QF (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• In January, reached 2nd week of Australian Open for 7th time (l. to No. 7 Nishikori in 4R)
• Clinched France’s Davis Cup 1R win over Canada in doubles w/Gasquet (d. Bester/Pospisil)
• Squandered 1 MP in Auckland SF loss to eventual champion Bautista Agut
• Fell to World No. 338 Monteiro in Rio de Janeiro 1R – worst loss by ranking for a Top 10 player since No. 388 Olivetti beat No. 8 Fish at 2012 Marseille
[Q] Tim Smyczek (USA) vs [24] Nick Kyrgios (AUS) Smyczek Leads 1-0
14 Memphis (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Tim Smyczek 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3
Other meeting:
13 Sacramento CH (U.S.A.) Hard SF Tim Smyczek 6-3 6-1
Smyczek 2016 FastFacts:
QF: Delray Beach (l Querrey)
YTD W-L: 5-4 (5-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: December 30, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 132
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 3-2 (3R – 2016)
• The 28-year-old Wisconsin native opened on Thursday with a 64 57 75 win over fellow qualifier Tommy Paul before beating fellow Tampa resident No. 13-ranked Isner 62 26 76(5) for biggest career win
• He is making his 3rd tournament appearance (3-2 record) and has eclipsed last year’s 2R result (d. Menendez-Maceira, l. to No. 13 Tsonga in 3 sets). Made debut in 2013 as a qualifier and lost to Tursunov in 1R
• Last month, advanced to 2nd ATP World Tour QF of career at Delray Beach as WC (d. Fritz and Young, l. to eventual champion Querrey)
• Qualified at Australian Open for 2nd straight year and reached 2R (d. Gimeno-Traver, l. to Troicki)
• Reached Dallas, USA Challenger SF (d. Krueger, Harrison and Matosevic; l. to Edmund)
Kyrgios 2016 FastFacts:
W: Marseille (d Cilic); SF: Dubai (l Wawrinka)
YTD W-L: 11-3 (11-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: April 27, 1995
Emirates ATP Ranking: 26
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 1-0 (3R – 2016)
• The 20-year-old Aussie made his Miami debut Saturday with a 62 61 win over Baghdatis (1R bye)
• Last year didn’t win his 11th match until May at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid, 12th until May at Nice
• Last month, became youngest active player on ATP World Tour to win a title with 1st crown at Marseille (d. Cilic). Held in all 47 of his service games at Marseille, beating No. 10 Gasquet and No. 8 Berdych en route to title
• Beat Berdych again to reach Dubai SF, where he retired vs. No. 4 Wawrinka due to back problem
• Began season by reaching Australian Open 3R (d. Carreño Busta and Cuevas, l. to No. 6 Berdych)
• Withdrew from Rotterdam due to elbow injury and 1R Davis Cup tie vs. U.S. due to a viru
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs [Q] Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) First ATP Meeting
Other meeting:
13 Kosice CH (Slovak Republic) Clay F Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 1-6 6-2
Dzumhur 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 7-7 (7-7 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 20, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 94
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 2-1 (3R – 2016)
• The 23-year-old Bosnian native won his 1st match here on Thursday over Argentine Leonardo Mayer 46 63 64 and reached 3R after beating Nadal 26 64 30 ret. – his first victory against a top-10 opponent (now 1-5 career). Last year made debut as a qualifier and lost in 1R (l. to Duckworth)
• Lost in 2R at 1st 5 main draws of 2016 season: Doha, Australian Open, Sofia, Memphis, Delray Beach. Also fell in 1R at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Granollers)
• Rallied from 2 sets to 1 down to defeat Edmund in Australian Open 1R (l. to Goffin in 2R)
• Avenged Memphis 2R loss by beating Berankis in Delray Beach 1R (l. to Dimitrov in 2R)
Kukushkin 2016 FastFacts:
QF: Memphis (l Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 8-8 (8-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: December 26, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 90
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 5-5 (3R – 2016)
• The 28-year-old Kazakhstani is making his 6th Miami appearance and has a 5-5 match record. After three 2R appearances (2009 debut, l. to Tursunov; 2011, l. to Querrey; 2015, l. to Simon), through to 3R for first time with wins over Baker 64 62, and No. 30 seed Bellucci 57 63 ret.
• Last month advanced to QF at Memphis (d. Vanni and Kudla, l. to No. 7 Nishikori)
• Defeated Troicki and led No. 1 Djokovic 2 sets to 1 before falling in 5 sets during Davis Cup 1R (SRB d. KAZ 3-2)
• Fell to No. 6 Nishikori in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 2R – 9th straight loss vs. Top 10 opponents (2-26 overall)
• Qualified at Sydney with wins over both Reid and Cervantes 76 in 3rd (l. to Chardy in 1R)
• Suffered 4th straight Australian Open 1R loss (l. to Sousa)
• Retired vs. Young in Delray Beach 1R due to left leg injury
COURT 1
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) First Meeting
Mannarino 2016 FastFacts:
QF(2): Sofia (l Bautista Agut); Delray Beach (l Dimitrov)
YTD W-L: 9-6 (9-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: June 29, 1988
Emirates ATP Rankings: 64
Miami W-L (Best Result – Year): 5-3 (4R – 2015)
• The 27-year-old Frenchman is making his 4th tournament appearance and is bidding to match his career-best run by reaching 4R as he did last year (3R d. No. 8 Wawrinka, 4R l. to Thiem). Beat Marchenko 26 62 63 in 1R before 2R win over No. 29 seed Querrey 67(5) 62 64
• Advanced to QFs at Sofia (l. to Bautista Agut) and Delray Beach (l. to Dimitrov)
• Beat Rosol and Paire before falling to Isner in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R
• Reached Australian Open doubles SF w/Pouille (d. Bolelli/Fognini and Rojer/Tecau, l. to J. Murray/Soares).Entered Melbourne with 1-9 Grand Slam doubles record and 0-1 record overall w/Pouille
• Captured 11th ATP Challenger Tour title to start season at Noumea, CAL (d. Falla)
Kuznetsov 2016 FastFacts:
QF(2): Doha (l Nadal); Marseille (l Cilic)
YTD W-L: 11-5 (11-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: February 22, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 51 (Career-high)
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 2-1 (3R – 2016)
• The 25-year-old Russian won his 1st match in Miami on Thursday, defeating Brazilian lucky loser Rogerio Dutra Silva 62 63, before beating No. 4 Wawrinka 64 63 in 2R – the second top-10 win of his career (now 2-8, also No. 7 Ferrer in five sets in 2R at Wimbledon 2014). In previous showing here in 2013, ret. in 1R to Hanescu
• The No. 2 Russian (behind No. 49 Gabashvili) is off to a career-best 11-5 start and already surpassed last year’s match wins total (10-12)
• Advanced to Grand Slam 4R for 1st time in career at Australian Open (d. Chardy in 2R, l. to Monfils)
• Came into Miami at career-high No. 51 in Emirates ATP Rankings and will crack Top 50 after tournament and expected to become No. 1 Russian on April 4, surpassing No. 49 Gabashvili
• Reached QFs at Doha (l. to No. 5 Nadal) and Marseille (l. to Cilic)
• Improved to 6-0 lifetime in Davis Cup, winning opening rubber of Russia’s 5-0 sweep over Sweden (d. Arvidsson)
• Qualified at Rotterdam (l. to Troicki in 1R)
Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to who’s in action in the week to come
A LOOK BACK
San Luis Open (San Luis Potosi, Mexico): The longest-running active challenger (since 1980) once again returned to San Luis Potosi. The championship match featured two unseeded players in Pedja Krstin and Marcelo Arevalo, but it was Krstin who continued his dominant form by prevailing, 6-4, 6-2. The Serbian player, who didn’t drop a set all week, was overjoyed at winning the first ATP Challenger Tour title of his career.
The week also concluded a remarkable turn in form for Krstin. After going 1-8 at the Challenger level since July, he recorded a 9-2 record over the past month in Mexico. Krstin also reached the finals of the Challenger event in Puebla.
Despite the loss, the week was a success for Arevalo. The 25-year-old became the first player from El Salvador to ever reach an ATP Challenger Tour final.
Read: Safwat Flies The Flag For Egypt
Shenzhen Gemdale Challenger (Shenzhen, China): The ATP Challenger Tour returned to Shenzhen for the third consecutive year. No. 2 seed Dudi Sela didn’t drop a set throughout the week, defeating local favourite Di Wu in the championship match, 6-4, 6-3. The win gave Sela his 20th ATP Challenger Tour title.
Read: Sela Joins “20 Titles Club” In Shenzhen
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Krstin: “Arevalo played great. I feel wonderful because this is the first time I won a Challenger tournament this year. I feel excited because it was a hard game, but I really only played to win.”
Sela: “I am so happy to win my 20th Challenger title in Shenzhen. Winning a title here is very important. Because I didn’t play well after the Australian Open, the performance this week can boost my confidence for the rest of the year.”
“Even with all the success I’ve had in Challengers, my goal is still to win an ATP World Tour title. I’ve been a finalist two times and believe I can reach this goal one day.”
“I found my best level once the weather turned sunny. The best thing that happened to me during these three weeks in China is that I learned how to use chopsticks!”
A LOOK AHEAD
There are three tournaments on the calendar this week, with the $125,000 event in Raanana (Israel) taking top billing. The top four seeds are ranked inside the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, with world No. 82 Evgeny Donskoy appearing as the No. 1 seed. Local favourite and last week’s winner in Guangzhou, Dudi Sela, is the No. 2 seed.
The long-standing $75,000 Challenger in Leon (Mexico) returns for the 14th consecutive year and also features four players ranked inside the Top 100. Popular Aussie and 2014 finalist Sam Groth is the No. 1 seed, while #NextGen star Taylor Fritz appears as the No. 2 seed. Malek Jaziri, who prevailed earlier this month at the Challenger in Guadalajara, is the No. 3 seed, while defending champion Austin Krajicek returns as the No. 5 seed. Fittingly, last year’s championship between match between Krajicek and Adrian Menendez-Maceiras will be repeated as a first-round encounter this year.
The highly popular $50,000 event in St. Brieuc (France) also returns for the 13th straight year. Jan-Lennard Struff is the No. 1 seed, while Daniel Evans looks to build on his Challenger title earlier this month in Rimouski as the No. 2 seed. Other notable names in the draw include former Top 50 player Grega Zemlja and 2011 champion Maxime Teixeira.
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Despite first-round loss in Miami, Jamie Murray to claim top doubles spot
Jamie Murray will make British tennis history next month. Murray, No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, will jump to No. 1, becoming the first British male or female ever to reach No. 1 in the singles or doubles rankings. (Andy Murray, Jamie’s younger brother, is ranked No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.)
Jamie Murray will reach No. 1 because Marcelo Melo, the current No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, and his partner, Ivan Dodig of Croatia, lost their second-round match on Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau. Treat Huey of the Philippines and Max Mirnyi of Belarus beat Melo and Dodig 7-6(1), 6-4.
Melo has been ranked No. 1 since 2 November 2015. The new rankings will be published on 4 April. Huey and Mirnyi will play Americans John Isner and Nicholas Monroe in the third round.
In other doubles action on Sunday, German Philipp Petzschner and Austrian Alexander Peya beat Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas and Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-4, 7-6(5). Petzschner and Peya will face either Croats Marin Cilic and Marin Draganja or South African Raven Klaasen and American Rajeev Ram in the third round. Ram and Klaasen knocked out Murray and Bruno Soares of Brazil in the first round.
Serb wins third-round match
Five-time Miami champion Novak Djokovic remains on track to capture the 2016 Miami Open presented by Itau after downing Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1 in the third round on Sunday. Djokovic has not lost in Miami since 2013 (l. to Haas) and is 26-1 in his past 27 appearances at the event. He is trying to match Andre Agassi’s record six Miami Open titles and move ahead of Rafael Nadal by winning a record 28th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.
“[Sousa] made me play,” Djokovic said. “He made me push myself harder in the second set because he was staying close to the baseline and picking up the balls very efficiently, which I wasn’t expecting. I thought he was going to be playing from back of the court a little bit more.
“He was taking time away from me, especially from the side he was playing with the wind. He’s a good player, he’s very talented, he’s very quick around the court; he served well. I started to read his serve better in the second and just didn’t give him enough rhythm to maneuver.”
Sousa, who dropped to 1-21 lifetime against Top-10 opponents, punched above his weight class for most of the opening set. The No. 38 in the Emirates ATP Rankings won nine of 12 points returning the Djokovic second serve and broke the World No. 1 twice, but dropped serve three times.
With the first set under his belt, Djokovic rounded into form. He landed 86 per cent of first serves in the second set and only dropped three points on serve. Djokovic closed out the win in 78 minutes and improved to 3-0 in the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Sousa. He has never lost a set to the Portuguese.
“That first set came down to a few points,” Djokovic said. “After that, it was quite a good performance. In the second set I felt much more comfortable. I was serving very well the entire day. I’m glad that I managed to finish the match the way I did. Obviously, it gives me confidence for the next one.”
Next up for the top seed is promising Austrian Dominic Thiem, who made it four sets won in a row in Miami by beating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday. Djokovic won 6-3, 6-4 in Shanghai 2014, their only past meeting.
Richard Gasquet dispatched countryman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-0 in under one hour to move into the fourth round against Tomas Berdych. The No. 10 seed did not face a break point and converted four of six break points to maintain his perfect record (3-0) against Paire.
Youngster Lucas Pouille scored the biggest win of his career by downing No. 8 seed David Ferrer 6-7(1), 7-6(4), 7-5. The 22-year-old Frenchman saved match point serving at 4-5 in the deciding set before sweeping the final three games to secure his first victory over a Top-10 player.
Pouille saved 11 of 17 break points and broke Ferrer on seven occasions in the two-hour, 45-minute battle. He will face countryman Gilles Simon in the fourth round.
The three-week run of ATP Challenger Tour events throughout China concluded on Sunday in Shenzhen, but it certainly won’t be the last tournament held in the bustling city of seven million people.
Zhou Libin, tournament director for the Shenzhen Gemdale Challenger, said that the city’s government is making the sport a top priority and developing long-term plans to build a “city of tennis.” In addition to this week’s Challenger, the Shenzhen Longgang Tennis Center has held an ATP World Tour 250 event each September since 2014, with Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych prevailing in the first two years. The site also holds a WTA International event each January and an ITF women’s Challenger in April.
“This is one of the best tennis centers in Shenzhen,” said Libin. “We also built a brand new hotel next to it so it’s even more convenient for players to compete here.”
Tournament officials also continue to focus on the personalized details that players often remember most. With activities offered this week including a shopping tour to the famous Luohu Mall and a cultural visit to the Wanshi Habitat, many players make it a point to return to Shenzhen year after year.
“The same group of people from the ATP 250 event also run this Challenger, so you can feel how professional they are,” said Di Wu, China’s second-highest ranked player. “This tennis center is among the top in China and the new hotel is fantastic.”
With a 4,000-seat Centre Court, in addition to 32 outdoor and indoor courts, local residents can be found playing year-round at the facility. String company Tecnifibre also holds several junior and amateur events throughout the year in Shenzhen, which means that local kids who compete could one day find themselves in the main draw of an ATP World Tour event in their hometown.
“With Shenzhen holding so many tournaments in the past few years,” said Libin, “I believe the tennis population in this city will only keep getting better.”
Berdych hits 16 aces in the third-round win
American Steve Johnson played nearly even with No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych during their two-hour and 42-minute match on Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau. But on the biggest points in tennis – break points – Berdych was the clear winner.
The Czech converted two of his 10 break points, one in the first set and one in the third, to beat the No. 31 seed 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3. Johnson, meanwhile, was 0 for 10 on break points. Berdych moves into the fourth round in Miami for the fourth consecutive year.
He had a chance to get off the court earlier. The 30 year old had a match point during the second-set tie-break, but Johnson erased it with a service winner and evened the match. To start the third, it looked like Johnson was on his way to breaking his 12-match losing streak against Top 10 opponents.
The 26 year old had two break points in the first game of the third set, but Berdych held to reclaim the match’s momentum. He later broke Johnson in the fourth game of the third set and served out the match at 5-3.
Berdych, who has made the Miami Open semi-finals the past two years, will play a Frenchman in the fourth round, either No. 10 seed Richard Gasquet or No. 20 seed Benoit Paire.
Austrian Dominic Thiem also earned a place in the fourth round on Sunday. In a battle of up-and-coming ATP World Tour players, the No. 14 seed dismissed Next Generation star Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2. Thiem broke the Japanese qualifier four times. The 22 year old will face the winner of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Joao Sousa of Portugal.
No. 15 seed David Goffin continued his strong play at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments this month. Goffin, who made the semi-finals in Indian Wells last week, defeated the No. 19 seed Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-1. The Belgian broke the Serbian five times and erased the lone break point he faced during the 54-minute match.
British number one Johanna Konta had to dig deep to join compatriot Heather Watson in the Miami Open last 16.
Konta, the 24th seed, recovered from a sluggish end to the opening set to beat Russian qualifier Elena Vesnina 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-3) in two hours and 23 minutes.
The Briton looked to have weathered the storm when she went a break up in the third set but Vesnina fought back.
Konta twice had to serve to stay in the match but held her nerve before taking control of the tie-break.
She will face 32nd seed Monica Niculescu of Romania in the fourth round.
Jamie Murray will become the first British player to top the world rankings, in either singles or doubles, since the ATP and WTA introduced computerised rankings in the 1970s.
Marcelo Melo’s defeat in the second round of the Miami Masters means he will replace the Brazilian at the top when the next set of rankings is published on Monday, 4 April.
In doing so, Jamie will beat his younger brother Andy to the world number one spot – just as he did when he became the family’s first Grand Slam champion by winning the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon with Jelena Jankovic in 2007.
Three years ago, though, Jamie was contemplating retirement as his ranking threatened to drop into triple digits. Here, BBC Sport charts the 30 year old from Dunblane’s highs and lows.
Like his brother, Jamie’s first taste of tennis was trying to hit sponge balls and balloons around the living room with his mother Judy. And according to his mum, it was Jamie who had by far the better hand-eye co-ordination when young.
Despite the horror of the massacre at Dunblane Primary School – during which a 10-year-old Jamie hid under a desk in the headmaster’s office as Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and one teacher – his junior singles career started to flourish.
He was the runner-up in the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl in Florida at the age of 12, and ranked two in the world at the age of 13. But it was in his early teenage years that ambitions of a successful singles career started to fade.
He had a very unhappy spell at a Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) training centre in Cambridge. He became homesick and, by his own admission, was never quite the same player again.
His forehand went from being a strength to a weakness and he lost his enthusiasm for the game. Both his brother and mother felt the coaching he received had been damaging, and Jamie stopped playing the game altogether for the next few months.
Life as a doubles player has also had its ups and downs, but Jamie says he has no regrets and argues a successful doubles career is far preferable to struggling to make ends meet on the Challenger or Futures singles tour.
He has only entered three singles qualifying draws in the past eight years, but said during the grass-court event at Queen’s Club in 2014: “The doubles level is very high. The money is good. Contrary to other comments it is not just a bunch of poor players getting a lucky break with their career.”
He has earned around £1.5m in prize money thus far, and last year he was also – lest we forget – part of the first British Davis Cup winning team for 79 years.
Jamie was a Grand Slam champion at the age of 21, courtesy of his mixed doubles triumph on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, but it took a long time to find a partner with whom he could become a serial winner on the ATP Tour.
Having teamed up with Colin Fleming for the 2013 Australian Open and lost in straight sets in the first round to Michael Kohlmann and Jarkko Nieminen, he fell to a world ranking of 92.
He considered calling it a day, fed up with the grind of life as a doubles player without a regular partner.
Jamie has played with 63 different players – from Henry Adjei-Darko to Mischa Zverev – in a professional career stretching 13 years.
In 2012 alone, he played with 15 different partners, but when he teamed up with the Australian John Peers and Canada’s former Davis Cup captain and coach Louis Cayer for a second time in early 2013, life started to look up.
He and Peers won six titles together over the next three years, and reached 10 other finals. Last year, they were runners-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open – and qualified for London’s season-ending World Tour Finals for the first time.
But Jamie felt it was time for a change. A doubles partnership lasting three years is almost as impressive as a Hollywood marriage of the same duration, and with the two not exactly soul mates, he turned to Bruno Soares.
The results were instant. They won a tournament together at only their second attempt in Sydney, and then became Australian Open champions in Melbourne.
Jamie’s greatest strength is his volley, and he can also drive players to distraction with the glorious unpredictability of his service returns. The chip – often directed to the most inconvenient spot on the court – is his stock in trade, and the lob return is becoming his trademark.
His Davis Cup team-mate Dom Inglot thinks Jamie has followed the same advice he was given by a senior player when he first started out in the game.
“Know what you can and can’t do, and don’t bother trying to do the things you can’t do,” was the advice offered to a teenage Inglot.
“Jamie has now really perfected that. He doesn’t bother trying to hit crazy forehands. He hits that chip – at a world-class kind of level – his backhand is good, his volleys are exceptional. He doesn’t try to hit some of the serves he knows he’s not that comfortable with, and executes perfectly the ones he is capable of. Look how far it can take you.”
With a 43-year-old, a 39-year-old and 37-year-old twins all occupying places in the world’s top 15, Jamie could look forward to a sustained spell of success. It is hard to know when he might tire of life as a travelling professional, but the next few years at least could offer many more rewards.
There are still three Grand Slam men’s doubles titles he has not won, and with his brother Andy hoping to be ever-present in the Davis Cup team, last year’s victory in Ghent may not be the once-in-a-lifetime achievement it seemed at the time.
For now, though, Jamie can savour the moment and the knowledge that – however long it lasts – he will always be able to reflect on how he became the best in the world in his chosen event.