TENNIS – Novak Djokovic survived a big scare after losing the first set at the tie-break and going down a break at the start of the second set against Aleksander Dolgopolov. Andy Murray battled past Kevin Anderson with 6-4 3-6 6-3 to win his 500th match Diego Sampaolo
The first set went on serve in the first four service games. Nole faced three break point chances. He saved the first two but Dlgopolov converted on the third chance. Dolgoplov faced two break-back point chances but he saved them with two winners to go up 4-2. Djokovic received a warning from the umpire but he broke serve in the 8th game. With a series of winners and spectacular shots Dolgopolov broke serve. A frustrated Nole broke his raquet and received a penalty point for the next game but he managed to break back to draw level to 5-5 after Dolgopolov made four unforced errors. Dolgopolov clinched the first set at the tie-break with 7-1 as Djokovic sent his backhand long
The Ukrainian player broke serve to open up a 3-0 lead and earned two break points for 4-0 but Djokovic clawed his way into the match by saving them for 1-3. Dolgopolov came close to a sensational win when he pulled away to 4-2. In the seventh game Djokovic broke back. At 4-5 Djokovic reeled off three consecutive games with a crucial break in the 11th game for 6-5 before holding serve to seal the second set with 7-5 to force the match to the third set. Dolgopolov was too tired and suffered from problems on his foot and this affected him in the third set where Djokovic won 24 of his 27 points to win it with a bagel after one hour and 58 minutes to set up a quarter final against David Ferrer who beat Giles Simon 7-6 (7-5) 6-0. Ferrer converted on six of his 11 break point chances to reach the Miami quarter finals for the sixth time in his career.
“I fought my way through. I was frustrated. I was losing my composure in the third set because I didn’t feel good. I was just trying to find a way to come back in the match. I don’t feel I am fresh on the court, even though I am trying. This day off tomorrow will definitely serve me and help me to recover mentally because physically I am fine. Hopefully I can perform better in the next one”, said Djokovic.
Andy Murray has reached the 500th win in the Open Era with a 6.4 3-6 6-3 win over Kevin Anderson. Murray become the first British player to reach this milestone and the 46th player in the Open Era in 10 years of professional tennis.
Murray converted on his third break point on his first service game as Anderson sent his forehand long. The Dunblane star brought up another break point at 3-1 after a very long rally on Anderson’s serve. Anderson saved it with a volley. At 4-3 Murray faced two break points but he saved them to hold serve before sealing the win with 6-4.
Anderson broke twice to pull away to 4-0 in the second set. Murray recovered a break in the fifth game but on serve at 5-3 Anderson forced the match to the decider with a winner The two players traded breaks for three consecutive games of the third set. Murray pulled away at 3-1. Anderson held hs serves but did not pose any threats to Murray who sealed the win with 6-3 in the decider to set up a quarter final against Dominic Thiem who came back from a break down before breaking serve in the final game of the match to battle past Frenchman Adrain Mannarino 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-5 after a fantastic two-hour and 13-minute match.
The first set went on serve without a single break point until the tie-break where Thiem converted on the set point with his backhand passing shot to win 7-5. Thiem was the first to drop the serve in the 8th game and went down 3-5. Mannarino sealed the win in the second set with 6-4 to force the match to the third set. Mannarino broke to love in the third set but Thiem broke back to draw level to 3-3. Mannarino sarved when Thiem was leading 6-5 but he committed a series of errors and was broken to love. Thiem was on the verge of defeat but he took advantage of the costly errors made by Mannarino in the most crucial moments of the match.
John Isner fought back from a set down to battle past Milos Raonic 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-3) after 2 hours and 40 minutes in the clash between two of the biggest servers on the circuit. The match lived up to the predictions but pulled off an unexpected result. All three sets came down to the tie-break after both players managed to hold their serve. In the first-set tie-break Raonic got two mini-breaks to win 7-3. In the second set Raonic got two mini-breaks but Isner recovered them before winning the best point of the entire match at 6-6 on Raonic’s serve. Isner won the third tie-break with 7-3.
Isner will take on Kei Nishikori who cruised past David Goffin 6-1 6-2 to advance to the quarter finals. The Japanese player faced a break point in the third game but he saved it. Goffin went up 30-0 on serve but Nishikori rallied by reeling off 16 points to 4 to clinch the first set with 6-1. Goffin got an early break in the first set of the second set and held serve for 2-0. Nishikori reeled off five consecutive games with three breaks of serve. In the final game he saved two break points and closed out on the second match points after one hour and eight minutes. Nishikori will move up to Number 4 in the ATP Ranking.
Tomas Berdych, runner-up to Andy Roddick in Miami in 2010, was leading 6-3 3-2 when Gael Monfils withdrew after falling heavily during the fifth game of the second set. Berdych has got through to his sixth quarter final in six tournaments.
“I feel sorry for Gael. That’s not the ideal way to finish up the match but in the end I am through”, said Berdych.
Berdych will take on Juan Monaco who beat Fernando Verrdasco in 83 minutes. Monaco, who reached the semifinals at Key Biscayne in 2012, has never won in his seven head-to-head matches against Berdych.
Berdych will take on Monaco who broke serve in the early stages of the opening set Verdasco committed too many errors and was broken in the final game of the first set when Monaco was leading 5-3. Verdasco recovered by breaking early in the second set before getting a point for 4-1 but Monaco bounced back by reeling off four break point chances. Monaco served for the match and sealed the win with 6-3 6-3
