LIVE: Federer In Full Flight In Miami Final

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

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

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

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

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

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

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