Spring Clay Season Commences: The focus shifts to the red clay in April with eight tournaments on the ATP World Tour taking place. The lone North American clay tournament in Houston and the only African event of the season in Marrakech, which is a new stop, kick off the swing. There are 12 clay court tournaments in the next seven weeks, leading into Roland Garros, which begins on May 22.

Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship (Houston): This year’s event will mark the 82^nd tournament hosted at River Oaks Country Club. The last four winners are in the 28-player field, with reigning champion Jack Sock, 2014 titlist Fernando Verdasco, 2013 champ John Isner, who is the top seed for the second time in three years, and 2012 titleholder Juan Monaco. The other seeds are: No. 2 Benoit Paire, No. 3 Feliciano Lopez, No. 4 Sock, No. 5/two-time finalist Sam Querrey, No. 6 Steve Johnson, No. 7 Marcos Baghdatis and No. 8 Denis Kudla. Overall, there are seven players in the Top 50 Emirates ATP Rankings in the draw.

Reigning Champion: Last year Sock defeated countryman Querrey 76(9) 76(2) to earn his maiden ATP World Tour singles crown. It was the first all-American final in Houston since 2003 (Agassi d. Roddick). Sock came in unseeded and ranked No. 46 before winning his last 10 sets (lost the opening set). Sock went on to reach the 4R at Roland Garros (l. to Nadal), his best career Grand Slam singles result. He finished a year-end best No. 26. This season he opened with a runner-up in Auckland (ret. vs. Bautista Agut) and afterwards reached a career-high No. 22 on Jan. 18.

Milestone Watch: Isner is four match wins away from reaching 300 in his career (296-183). The 30-year-old American comes in with an 8-6 match record on the season. He helped the U.S. to the Davis Cup quarter-finals (vs. Croatia) with a pair of wins in Australia. His last four losses have come in a third-set tie-break. He is 9-9 in tie-breaks on the season. Isner is making his ninth straight appearance in Houston (11-7 record) and he won his first clay court title in 2013 (d. Almagro). The last two years he lost in the opening round (after bye to D. Brown, Gabashvili). Last season Isner finished a year-end best No. 11 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Next Generation in Draw: There are three members of the ATP World Tour’s Next Generation in the main draw: last year’s ATP Most Improved Player of the Year, 19-year-old Hyeon Chung of Korea along with 18-year-old wild cards Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe. Paul won the Roland Garros boys’ title last year and was runner-up at the US Open boys’ tournament. He is expected to crack the Top 200 (from No. 215) after qualifying at the Miami Open. Tiafoe is ranked a career-high No. 167.

Querrey Starts Strong: No. 3 American and 2010 & last year’s runner-up Querrey is off to a 12-6 start this season, having captured his eighth career ATP World Tour title in Delray Beach (d. Ram) in February. Querrey has an 11-6 career record in Houston and along with his two runner-up finishes, he advanced to the SF in 2014.

Spaniards Return: Madrid natives Lopez and Verdasco are both playing in Houston for the fourth time. Lopez has a 4-3 record, reaching the SF in his 2012 debut while Verdasco won the title two years ago and SF last year. Verdasco has an 8-2 record at River Oaks Country Club.

Bryans Back: Five-time U.S. Clay Courts champions Bob and Mike Bryan, who      have finished No. 1 on the ATP World Tour in 10 of the last 13 years, are making their 12th appearance in Houston. They have won five titles (2007, ‘09’-10-11, ’14) in their last seven visits (DNP ’08, ’12) and have compiled a 24-2 mark since 2007. They are looking for their first title of the year. Their best result is a runner-up in Delray Beach. Their last title came at ATP Masters 1000 Montreal last August.

Grand Prix Hassan II (Marrakech): The only African tournament on the ATP World Tour, the Grand Prix Hassan II, inaugurated in 1986 in Casablanca, takes place at the newly relocated Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech. Leading the way is top seed and 2014 champion Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, No. 2 Joao Sousa, No. 3 Borna Coric, No. 4 Federico Delbonis, No. 5 Teymuraz Gabashvili, No. 6 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, No. 7 Pablo Carreno Busta and No. 8 Jiri Vesely.

Spanish Success: A Spaniard has hoisted the Casablanca trophy in five of the last seven years, with Stan Wawrinka lifting the trophy in 2010 and Martin Klizan last year. The Spanish winners are Garcia-Lopez (2014), Tommy Robredo (2013), Pablo Andujar, who won back-to-back titles in 2011-12,  and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2009). There are a tournament-high eight Spaniards in the main draw, including three former finalists: Daniel Gimeno-Traver (2015), Albert Ramos-Vinolas (2012) and Albert Montanes (2007).

Garcia-Lopez Top Seed: Garcia-Lopez, who won the title two years ago, is the top seed in the tournament for the second straight year. The 32-year-old Spaniard is making his fifth straight tournament appearance and eighth overall (10-6 record). Along with his title, Garcia-Lopez has reached the QFs three times. This season he has compiled a 6-8 match record with his best results the QFs in Chennai and Sofia. He also advanced to the 3R at the Australian Open.

Almagro on the Move: Former World No. 9 Nicolas Almagro is making his third tournament appearance and last year he returned for the first time in 10 years to reach the quarter-finals. In February, he reached the final in Buenos Aires with wins over No. 9 Tsonga (QF) and No. 6 Ferrer (SF) before losing to Thiem in a 3^rd set TB.

Morocco’s Hope: The are three local players in the draw: wild cards Amine Ahouda, Reda El Amrani and Lamine Ouahab. The 31-year-old Ouahab is the No. 1 Moroccan player at No. 315 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Moroccans won titles in 1997 with current tournament director Hicham Arazi and Younes El Aynaoui in 2002.

Next Generation Star: No. 3 seed Borna Coric, who is making his tournament debut, is the only teenager in the Top 50 Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 46. The 19-year-old Croat opened the season by reaching his maiden ATP World Tour final in Chennai (l. to Wawrinka).

Defending Champ Out: Reigning champion Martin Klizan withdrew from the tournament due to an ongoing foot injury. The No. 1 Slovak Republic player won the biggest ATP World Tour title of his career at the 500 level tournament in Rotterdam in February (d. Monfils).       

In Case You Missed It

Novak Djokovic downed Kei Nishikori in Miami to win a record 28^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. Read

Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut captured their second consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles title. Read

Birthdays

4 April – Dudi Sela (31)

6 April – Robin Haase (29)

7 April – Pere Riba (28) 

Ranking Movers

13 – David Goffin (+2, career-best)

20 – Nick Kyrgios (+6, career-best)

79 – Taylor Fritz (+2, career-best)

Milestones

Houston Singles

Marcos Baghdatis – 297 wins

John Isner – 296 wins

Benjamin Becker – 148 wins

Houston Doubles

Philipp Petzschner – 148 wins

Marrakech Singles

Albert Montanes – 248 wins

Albert Ramos-Vinolas – 97 wins

Marrakech Doubles

Maximo Gonzalez – 49 wins

Michael Venus – 46 wins

The tennis family is rallying around former player and coach Ricardo Acuna, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease.

A pro-am was held Wednesday to raise funds for the Chilean former Top 50 player, ATP and USTA national coach. Chilean gold medallists Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu, along with current and formers players Brian Baker, Brian Gottfried, Tommy Paul, Reilly Opelka, Giovanni Lapentti, Diego Moyano and Raleigh Smith took part in a pro-am at the Royal Palm Tennis Club in Pinecrest, just south of Miami.

Additionally, a Go Fund Me page has been set up to raise funds for his care.

Former player Andres Pedroso, who helped to set up the pro-am, said that Acuna was a mentor when he worked as a USTA national coach in Boca Raton, Florida. “Ricardo took me under his wing, taught me a lot and helped me become a better coach for the players I was working with,” Pedroso said.

“He was always very loyal and an important lesson he taught me over dinner once is that true friendship involves staying in touch with people, asking how they are doing, keeping up with their lives, asking about their families. It wasn’t just about the tennis; he exposed me to another side of life. He taught me to invest in people and I have never forgotten that. I have tried to live that way.”

Acuna, now 58, played college tennis at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, where he was an all-American in 1979. As a pro he reached a career-high singles Emirates ATP Ranking of 47 in 1986 and he won three doubles titles. One of his most memorable runs came at Wimbledon in 1985, when he defeated David Pate and future champion Pat Cash en route to the quarter-finals. Acuna also served on the ATP Player Council during his career.

Brian Gottfried, who played Acuna just once in 1983, said: “He was an unusual player to hail from Chile; he was one of the few South Americans who played better on a faster surface. He was a good serve and volleyer and an accomplished doubles player.”

Gottfried spent much more time with Acuna after both retired when they worked side by side at the ATP Tennis Club at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. When the club opened in 1989, Acuna was the club’s first head pro and he later became tennis director when Gottfried was promoted to general manager.

“Ricardo showed tremendous loyalty and work ethic and was always a great team player, covering whatever needed to be done,” Gottfried said. “He did a lot of teaching for us and he had clients who would stay with him for so long that we joked that those clients were his college trust fund for his kids.

“He brought in pros to train at the ATP club and he still could handle most of them even when he stopped playing professionally. He kept himself in great shape and was always doing something physical, whether it was tennis, golf or soccer, and he was always smiling.”

J. Wayne Richmond, a former ATP executive and now the general manager of the Emirates Airline US Open Series, says that he treasures his friendship with Acuna. “I was fortunate to meet Ricardo during his great quarter-final run at Wimbledon in 1985 and we continued our friendship through when we both came to work at the ATP in Ponte Vedra.  He loved the sport and made friends with everyone he met along the way. A true pro in every sense of the word. Ricardo was so much fun to be around on and off the court.”

American player Brian Baker said that Acuna was instrumental in his development: “He was the first coach I worked full time with from the USTA. I met him when I was 14 or 15 and in my last couple of junior years he would travel with me. When I turned pro he’d travel with me, Amer Delic, Bobby Reynolds and a little bit with Rajeev [Ram].

“Ricardo was a great coach but also a really good friend. He had a no-nonsense approach to practice which I enjoyed; although practices were hard you felt like you accomplished a lot. He took his job seriously and he worked hard and stayed in shape. He remained a really good player and early on he’d beat us pretty bad when we played.

“He could also easily flip roles from on court to off the court, where he had a lively personality and he could joke around with the best of us. He was always up for doing something. When he lived in Ponte Vedra I would come down to train with him and stay with him and his wife and kids (Rachel and Christian).”

As Acuna’s family, friends and colleagues coalesce to support him during his battle with Alzheimer’s, Gottfried best sums up the feeling within the tennis family. “This is something we want to do for Ricardo, not for charity, but to say thank you for touching our lives.”

It’s not often you see a former World No. 1 and 17-time Grand Slam champion competing in an ATP Challenger Tour event, but Leander Paes spoke of his time this week at the $75,000 event in Leon with the same reverence as some of the biggest events on the ATP World Tour.

Competing in the doubles draw with Sam Groth, the No. 3 seeds advanced to the final and held two championship points before narrowly losing to No. 1 seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Mate Pavic, 6-4, 3-6, 13-11. But despite the loss, Paes only had good things to say about the tournament.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played a Challenger, but the stadium was packed,” said Paes. “Everybody loves their tennis here in Leon. It’s really special for me to be able to come out and play here and make people happy. The club is beautiful and the local hospitality is something that I’m very appreciative of.”

Paes also expressed optimism about his partnership with Groth. Having reached the final of their first event together, the pair plan to team up again and Paes believes their combined skill sets could be a winning combination.

“Sam is a dear friend and a great tennis player,” said Paes. “The combination is excellent. He has a big serve and I’ve got some touch, so we’re just trying to keep each other happy out there.“

After 25 years on tour, Paes still remains determined to get back to the top of the game and has no plans of retiring. But as he reaches what even he acknowledges is the back end of his career, his main goal is to maximize the time he has left.

“After you’ve won 17 Grand Slams and played in six Olympics, you don’t really worry about expectations,” said Paes. “I just want to go out and have fun.”

Four other Grand Slam doubles champion joined Paes this week in competing in doubles on the ATP Challenger Tour. Former World No. 1 Mahesh Bhupathi and Jonathan Marray teamed up at the $50,000 event in St. Brieuc, while Frederik Nielsen and Jonathan Erlich competed separately in the $125,000 tournament in Ra’anana.

Kei Nishikori knows better than most about the challenges presented by Novak Djokovic.

Nishikori, a player known for his versatility, adjusted his game plan in an attempt to overcome the World No. 1 in the Miami Open presented by Itau final on Sunday.

“I don’t know for other players, but it’s tough to find his weakness,” he said. “I had a couple of strategies before this match, but I don’t think I did well enough to beat him today. I was missing a lot with my forehand and made too many unforced errors.

“He has great defense, so it’s tough to break his game,” the Japanese, who fell to 2-7 in the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Djokovic, added.  “He was very patient and he didn’t miss. It’s always tough to play Novak.”

The No. 6 player in the Emirates ATP Rankings recognised that Djokovic’s main strength is an uncanny ability to prevent his opponents from playing their best.

“Maybe five or six [out of 10],” replied Nishikori when asked how he rated his performance in the final. “I thought I wasn’t playing too badly. But at the same time, he played great tennis.

“My serve wasn’t going today. He has a great return, so I felt a little pressure on my service games. He’s definitely the No. 1 player right now. It was about him, even if I didn’t play the way I wanted to.”

Nishikori, a resident of Bradenton, Florida, will now head to Europe after a successful March hard court swing and attempt to re-enter the Top 5 Emirates ATP Rankings.

“Indian Wells and Miami have been important,” Nishikori noted. “I live in the States so I feel more comfortable playing these two tournaments. I’ve never done well at Indian Wells but this year I did make the quarter-finals. That’s progress.

“I’m excited to be back on clay. I been playing well on clay, so starting in Barcelona I hope to get my ranking up.”

A LOOK BACK

Israel Open (Ra’anana, Israel): In the third ATP Challenger Tour final this year to feature two Top 100 players, No. 1 seed Evgeny Donskoy (World No. 82) squared off against No. 3 seed Ricardas Berankis (World No. 86). A lone break of serve in each set was all Donskoy needed to take the match, 6-4, 6-4.

The win gives Donskoy the 8^th ATP Challenger Tour singles title of his career, with the most recent one coming last August in Segovia. He will also move up to No. 66 next week in the Emirates ATP Rankings, just one spot shy of his career-high ranking of No. 65.

No. 5 seed Thomas Fabbiano, who lost in the semi-finals to Donskoy, will crack the Top 100 of the ATP Emirates Rankings for the first time in his career when next week’s rankings are released. He becomes the third player to reach the Top 100 for the first time in 2016, joining Taylor Fritz and Yuichi Sugita.

Torneo Internacional Challenger Leon (Leon, Mexico): After advancing through four tight matches to reach the final, No. 6 seed Michael Berrer let loose in the championship against unseeded Joao Souza. The German needed just over an hour to win the title, 6-3, 6-2.

After nearly retiring from tennis last year, Berrer’s victory gives him the 11^th ATP Challenger Tour title of his career and his first since 2013. He’s also inching closer to returning to the Top 100 for the first time since January 2012. Berrer has also become the second 35-year-old winner this year on the ATP Challenger Tour, joining Stephane Robert, who prevailed in February in New Delhi.

In the doubles draw, former world No. 1 and 17-time Grand Slam champion Leander Paes reached the final with Sam Groth, marking his first time in a Challenger final since Sunrise in March 2010. The No. 3 seeds narrowly lost after holding two match points against No. 1 seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Mate Pavic, 6-4, 3-6, 13-11.

Open Harmonie Mutuelle (St. Brieuc, France): French wild card Alexandre Sidorenko capped off a dream week by winning the first ATP Challenger Tour title of his career at age 28. The World No. 379 came out on top in a marathon match against No. 6 seed Igor Sijsling, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3).

Competing in his first ATP Challenger Tour final in eight years (the last being in Grenoble in 2008), Sidorenko rebounded strongly after a nervy opening set and had an opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4. Sijsling responded brilliantly by breaking serve and the match eventually went into a final-set tiebreak. With the crowd firmly on his side, Sidorenko saved his best tennis for the end of the match. A backhand passing shot winner on match point saw Sidorenko collapse to the ground in celebration as the crowd leapt to their feet.

Sidorenko is the second-lowest ranked winner this year on the ATP Challemger Tour, with the lowest being No. 721 Blake Mott prevailing in February in Launceston. He’s also the fourth different French titlist on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, joining Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Stephane Robert and Adrian Mannarino. The win this week will also propel the Frenchman over 100 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Donskoy: “Thank you everyone for coming today. I hope you enjoyed the tennis today. Today was a hard match. I’m good friend with Ricardas, so I was a little bit nervous on the court, but I guess I was just more lucky today.”

“The atmosphere here is awesome. This is my second time in this tournament. I enjoyed coming back here and hope to come back here next year. “

A LOOK AHEAD

Two tournaments are the on the calendar this week, with the $100,000 event in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe taking top billing. This always-popular tournament returns for the sixth straight year and features three players inside the Top 100, with World No. 61 Rajeev Ram earning the honours of being the top seed. Other notable names in the draw include #NextGen stars Taylor Fritz and Yoshihito Nishioka as the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. Malek Jaziri, a winner last month at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Guadalajara, is the No. 3 seed.

The $50,000 event in Napoli, Italy is one of the oldest ATP Challenger Tour events on the calendar, with the first edition taking place in 1995. The prestigious list of winners includes Richard Gasquet, David Ferrer, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Thomas Johansson. Filip Krajinovic looks to join that notable list of names as the No. 1 seed this year. Thomas Fabbiano, a winner last month at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Zhuhai, is the No. 4 seed. Sidorenko and Sijsling will also play in Napoli and could potentially meet in the quarter-finals. Other notable names in the draw include last year’s finalist Matteo Donati and former Top 25 player Filippo Volandri.

View Draws & Watch Free Live Streams

ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ON TWITTER: New in 2016, the ATP Challenger Tour has launched a dedicated Twitter account for the latest news and information about players and events. Follow @ATPChallengerTour at twitter.com/ATPChallengerTour.

FINAL PREVIEW: The Miami Open championship on Sunday features World No. 1 and five-time Miami Open champion Novak Djokovic against No. 6 Kei Nishikori, who is trying to win his first career ATP Masters 1000 title. Djokovic has not lost a set while Nishikori has dropped one set en route to the final. Djokovic is attempting to win a record 28th career ATP Masters 1000 crown and tie Andre Agassi’s tournament mark of six titles. Djokovic has won the last five meetings and owns a  6-2 overall advantage in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Heads.

Djokovic has won 15 straight matches in Miami (29 of the last 30 back to 2011) since a 4R loss to Tommy Haas in 2013. He comes in with a 27-1 match record on the season. Djokovic is appearing in his seventh Miami final (5-1) and is attempting to become the first player to win three straight Miami titles since Agassi from 2001-03. Djokovic, co-leader (w/Nadal) with 27 career ATP Masters 1000 titles, has reached the final in his last 11 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments played (DNP ’15 Madrid) going back to 2014 Paris-Bercy. During that stretch, he has compiled a 55-2 record.

Nishikori, who saved five match points in his QF win over Gael Monfils on Thursday, is appearing in his second career ATP Masters 1000 final (’14 Madrid ret. vs. Nadal). The 26-year-old Japanese star is attempting to become the first Asian player to win an ATP Masters 1000 title. Nishikori is trying to become the first non-Big Four winner in Miami since Andy Roddick in 2010. The last non-Big Four ATP Masters 1000 champion was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto in 2014. Nishikori is 2-9 lifetime against World No. 1 opponents with both wins coming over Djokovic in 2011 Basel SF and 2014 US Open SF. He is 0-4 vs. Nadal and 2-5 vs. Djokovic when they ranked No. 1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: Winner – $1,028,300 and 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points
Runner-up     $501,815 and 600 Emirates ATP Rankings points  

FINALS HISTORY:     
Djokovic is bidding for a 28th ATP Masters 1000 title (27-12) and 63rd career title (62-26)
Nishikori is bidding for a 1st ATP Masters 1000 title (0-1) and 12th career title (11-5)    

ATP MASTERS 1000 TITLE LEADERS: Djokovic is trying to become the new career ATP Masters 1000 titles leader, passing Nadal with his 28th title.

INDIAN WELLS, MIAMI TITLE SWEEP: Since 1991, seven players have won the first two ATP Masters 1000 events of the season (10 times) in Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic is the only player to win both titles in the same year three times (2011, ’14-15). He’s trying to accomplish the feat for the third year in a row and fourth overall.

BIG FOUR DOMINATION: In 49 of the last 53 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (since ’10 Monte-Carlo), one of the Big Four: Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal have lifted the trophy. During that stretch, Djokovic have won 22 titles, Nadal 12, Federer 8 and Murray 7. The last non-Big Four winner in Miami was Andy Roddick in 2010. The only exceptions came at ’10 Paris-Bercy (Soderling), ‘12 Paris-Bercy (Ferrer) and in 2014 in Monte-Carlo (Wawrinka) and Toronto (Tsonga). This is the 29th straight ATP Masters 1000 tournament at least one member of Big Four has reached the final. Last time without a Big Four in final (’12 Paris-Bercy: Ferrer d. Janowicz).

40 MATCH WINS CLUB: Djokovic won his 40th career match in Miami on Wednesday and he is one win away from tying Sampras for third place on the tournament’s all-time match wins list, behind only Agassi (61) and Federer (44).

PRIZE MONEY LEADERS: If Djokovic wins the title, he will earn $1,028,300 and surpass Federer as the all-time prize money leader on the ATP World Tour.
                 Coming into Miami    If Wins Title    
Federer        $97,855,881        —————-
Djokovic        $97,171,248        $98,199,548

FINAL FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEAD
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [6] Kei Nishikori (JPN)        Djokovic Leads 6-2

Djokovic 2016 FastFacts:
W(3): Doha (d Nadal); Australian Open (d Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d Raonic);           QF: Dubai (l Lopez)
YTD W-L: 27-1 (27-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 3 / Career Titles: 62
Date of Birth: May 22, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 1
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 41-5 (Winner – 2007, ’11-12, ’14-15)

• The 28-year-old Serb comes into his 7th Miami final (5-1) in 11 yrs. with a 41-5 career record. He has not dropped a set in wins over Edmund 63 63 (after 1R bye), No. 33 seed Sousa 64 61, No. 14 Thiem 63 64 (saving 14 of 15 BPs), No. 7 Berdych 63 63 and No. 15 Goffin 76(5) 64. Has won his last 15 matches in Miami since losing to No. 18 Haas in 4R 2013. Since 2011, has a 29-1 record
• Last year defeated No. 7 Ferrer (QF) and No. 4 Murray (F) to win his 5th Miami title (second behind Agassi-6). Trying to become 1st three-peat winner since Agassi from 2001-03
• In 2014, beat No. 6 Murray (QF) and No. 1 Nadal (F) to earn fourth title. Has a 4-1 record vs. Murray, 3-0 vs. Nadal and 1-0 vs. Federer (10-2 overall vs. Top 10 foes). Overall, has won 20 of last 21 matches vs. Top 10 going back to last year’s US Open
• In 2007, became youngest winner in tournament history (at 19 yrs., 314 days) and did not drop a set (d. Canas) en route to first ATP Masters 1000 title. Won 2nd title in 2011 (d. No. 1 Nadal) and repeated in ’12 (d. No. 4 Murray). Also reached final in 2009 (d. No. 2 Federer, l. to No. 4 Murray)
• Comes in with a 27-1 match record on the season and ATP World Tour-leading three titles. Won record-tying 5th title (w/Federer) at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d. Raonic). It was also his 27th career ATP Masters 1000 crown (tied w/Nadal) and has reached final in last 11 Masters 1000 events played (DNP ’15 Madrid) going back to ’14 Paris-Bercy. Has 8-2 record in finals and 55-2 record during stretch
• Trying to reach 19th final in last 21 tournaments since beginning of 2015. Has compiled a 109-7 match record (39-5 vs. Top 10) in 21 tournaments (including Miami), winning 14 titles in 18 finals over that span. Appearing in 40th ATP Masters 1000 final (27-12) and aiming for record 28th Masters 1000 title
• Has held No. 1 the 5th-most weeks (192) in history of Emirates ATP Rankings. Has been No. 1 every week since July 7, 2014 (91 straight weeks as of Mar. 28) and will reach 200 week mark on May 23
• Captured 60th career title to start season at Doha, not dropping a set all week (d. No. 5 Nadal
• Then 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)
• Became 3rd active player (Federer, Nadal) to reach 700 wins by beating Jaziri in Dubai 2R on Feb. 24. Has 713 career match wins, tying coach Boris Becker for No. 11 on Open Era wins list
• Fell 1 shy of Lendl’s Open-Era record 18 straight finals when eye problem forced retirement in Dubai QF (vs. Lopez). Had not retired since ‘11 Davis Cup SF vs. del Potro, a stretch of 350 matches (318-32)
• Beat Nedovyesov (in 3) and Kukushkin (in 5) to lead Serbia to a 3-2 Davis Cup win over Kazakhstan

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: 19-5 (19-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11
Date of Birth: December 29, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 6
Miami W-L (Best Result-Year): 17-5 (Finalist – 2016)

• The 26-year-old Japanese star is making his first final appearance after wins over French qualifier Herbert 62 76(4), No. 27 Dolgopolov 62 62, No. 17 Bautista Agut 62 64, No. 16 Monfils 46 63 76(3), saving 5 MPs, and No. 24 Kyrgios 63 75. Owns a 17-5 record and reached SF two years ago (W/O vs. Djokovic after wins over No. 4 Ferrer in 4R & No. 5 Federer in QF). Last year reached QF (l. to Isner). Also 4R in 2012 (l. to No. 2 Nadal) & ’13 (l. to No. 5 Ferrer). Three of his 5 losses have come to Top 5
• Trying to become first player to win maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami since Djokovic in 2007 (d. Canas). Agassi also won his first Masters 1000 crown in Miami in 1990 (d. Edberg)
• In last tournament at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, reached QF (l. to Nadal), his 10th career QF-better in an ATP Masters 1000 event. Has a 62-35 career record in Masters 1000 events (2-5 in SFs)). His lone ATP Masters 1000 final came in Madrid in May 2014 (ret. vs. 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)
• Has a 27-43 career record vs. Top 10 opponents, including 2-9 vs. World No. 1s. He is 2-5 vs. Djokovic with wins coming in 2011 Basel SF and 2014 US Open SF, and 0-4 vs. Nadal

France’s Nicolas Mahut hardly could comprehend all the success his doubles team is having.

Two weeks ago, he and compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert were giving victory speeches in Indian Wells after winning the year’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. On Saturday, they were saying thanks in South Florida after winning the Miami Open presented by Itau, another Masters 1000 event. The Frenchmen beat American Rajeev Ram and South African Raven Klaasen 5-7, 6-1, 10-7 on Saturday afternoon. Herbert and Mahut became the first doubles team to win Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back since Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan did in 2014.

“Winning last week in Indian Wells was already fantastic but winning back-to-back, Indian Wells and here, it’s maybe too much,” Mahut said. “I don’t know what to say. It’s great for us.”

The Frenchmen have now won 10 consecutive matches and four tour-level titles as a team. For Mahut, the Miami victory gives him his 13^th doubles title; Herbert earned his fifth. They won Miami with a comeback that featured stellar serving and controlled net play.

Herbert and Mahut had four break chances in the first set, but Ram and Klaasen erased them. The American and South African used their only break chance at 6-5 to win the set.

The second set, though, was all France. After losing the final eight points of the first set, the Frenchmen won the next eight points, including a service break. They broke Ram and Klaasen two more times and more than doubled their point total – 26-12 – in the second set to level the match.

Mahut and Herbert carried their momentum into the match tie-break. Serving at 7-5, Mahut sliced a second serve out wide on the deuce court for an ace to give the French team some margin. A Mahut forehand volley winner gave them the championship.

For the match, Mahut and Herbert landed 70 per cent of their first serves and won 72 per cent of those points. They also won a high percentage of their second serve points – 71.

“It’s a dream come true for us to be playing at this level of doubles,” Herbert said.

They will receive 1,000 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $336,920 in prize money.

Ram and Klaasen achieved their best showing at a Masters 1000 tournament and of late. Ram was playing in his first Masters 1000 final; Klaasen, his second. The doubles team also had lost in the first round at their three prior tournaments (Acapulco, Delray Beach, Indian Wells.) The two will receive 600 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $164,420 in prize money.

Top seed Novak Djokovic is poised to make Sunday a historic day at the Miami Open presented by Itau. Two weeks after drawing level with Rafael Nadal for the all-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title lead, lifting his 27th trophy, the World No. 1 has a chance to assume sole ownership with a third consecutive championship in South Florida.

The Masters 1000 series is the benchmark for success on the ATP World Tour. In May 2010, Nadal pulled even with Andre Agassi when he captured his 17th crown at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, and for the past six years he has owned at least a share of the title lead.

Djokovic will face a surging Kei Nishikori in Sunday’s final, squaring off for the ninth time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. The Serb has claimed the previous five encounters, including a straight-sets victory in this year’s Australian Open quarter-finals. The top seed is ready.

“He looks very mature on the court, very experienced, as well,” Djokovic said of Nishikori. “He’s somebody that has been around and played so many matches on the big stage. I don’t see him being too overwhelmed or nervous about the occasion.

“I think even though he has played only one [ATP World Tour Masters 1000] final, he’s played many other big finals, a Grand Slam final. He’s been around for many years.”

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Title Leaders

The sixth-seeded Japanese will hope to dethrone Djokovic from his Miami perch. The two-time defending champion is vying to achieve a three-peat at a record seventh different tour-level event, having already accomplished the feat at the Australian Open, Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Paris, and the 500 series events in Beijing and Dubai. Djokovic is also one match victory from moving past coach Boris Becker for 11th place on the Open Era wins list. Both players are currently tied with 713 victories.

With plenty at stake, Nishikori is ready for the challenge.

“If I can maintain this [level of] tennis in the final, I think I have a chance to win the title,” Nishikori said. “Obviously he’s playing really good tennis from last week, in Indian Wells, and also here. I know it’s going to be tough. But I have to discuss with my team what I have to do against him and what I can do better.

“I have a good confidence to play him. He’s at a little bit different level right now from last year, but if I can play another good match, aggressive and also patient, I think I have a chance. I will have to play 100 per cent or 120 per cent to beat him, but I will try to enjoy my first final here.”

Nishikori is contesting his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final, having retired due to injury against Rafael Nadal in the Madrid title match in 2014. Nearly two years later, fitness issues are a thing of the past for the Japanese, and his endurance was on full display in outlasting Gael Monfils in a two-hour and 30-minute marathon in Thursday’s quarter-finals. He would save five match points to prevail in oppressive heat and humidity.

“I’m happy to be here in the final for the first time in Miami. I have been playing well this tournament so I’m not surprised that I’m here. Tomorrow I have to really focus and think of what I have to do against him and work on some stuff to play good tennis on Sunday. I know it’s going to be a tough match, but I will try to recover and have fun in the final.”