TENNIS – Serena Williams cruised past Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-0 clinching her eighth title in Miami. Williams and Suarez Navarro met for the fifth time in their careers. The US legend dominated all their previous matches dropping just four games. Diego Sampaolo
The first se went on serve until the fourth game at 2-2 with both players holding their first two service games. Williams held her serve to love in the first game with a backhand volley, a drive volley, a backhand winner and an ace. Suarez Navarro missed a forehand to go down 15-30 but she won her service game as Williams made two unforced errors. Williams won the third game on serve easily to go up 2-1. Williams made a couple of backhand errors in the fourth game. Suarez Navarro hit a forehand pass before drawing level to 2-2 following a backhand errors from Williams.
From then on Williams reeled off ten consecutive games to cruise to 6-2 6-0 in 56 minutes with a series of 27 winners. She dropped 14 points in ten one-sided games.
Williams got her first break in the sixth game to pull away to 4-2. Suarez Navarro hit her backhand long to go down 15-40 to face two break points. She fended off the first two break points but Williams clinched the break at the third opportunity when Suarez Navarro hit her backhand beyond the baseline.
Williams hit a cross-court forehand winner and went up 40-0 with an ace and held her serve for 5-2 when Suarez Navarro hit her backhand long. Suarez Navarro started the 8th game with a forehand winner but Williams hit a forehand winner before earning two set points on Suarez Navarro’s serve with her volley. Suarez Navarro saved them but Williams soon broke serve to seal the first set with 6-2.
Suarez Navarro brought up two break points in the first game of the second set when Williams made three unforced errors. Williams, who has never lost in Miami after winning the first set, saved them with two aces and a first-serve winner.
Williams took an early break for 2-0 with a return winner and a forehand. Williams won 11 straight points to pull away to 3-0 before getting a second break in the next game for 4-0. Williams hit a forehand winner down the middle on the opening point of the final game before producing a couple of winners to close out the match with a bagel. She won 23 points to 2 in the second set.
Williams has improved her record to 5-0 over Suarez Navarro. She is 10-0 on sets She beat 6-0 6-0 in the quarter finals of the 2013 US Open on Suarez Navarro’s birthday and won two more sets with a bagel at the 2010 Australian Open and in Rome quarter finals in 2013.
Williams lifted her 8th title in Miami after her previous triumphs in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2014 and her 66th trophy in her home tournament as she lives in Palm Beach, just a few miles away from Miami. She becomes the fourth player in history to win a WTA Tournament at least eight times after Chris Evert (8 wins at Hilton Head), Martina Navratilova (12 wins in Chicago, 11 in Eastbourne, 9 in Dallas, Washington and Wimbledon and 8 in Los Angeles, at the WTA Finals and Orlando) and Steffi Graf (nine titles in Berlin)
With her six US Open titles and six Australian Open and her eight wins in Miami wins Serena is the most successful player in history on hard-court.
The US legend won her 21st match in a row. She has remained unbeaten since losing to Simona Halep in the round robin at the WTA Championships Final in Singapore.
Suarez Navarro crowned a fantastic week in which she beat Venus Williams in the quarter finals and Andrea Petkovic in the semifinal to reach the first Premier Mandatory final of her career. She was bidding to become the eighth player to beat both Venus and Serena in the same tournament. Suarez Navarro has become the third Spanish player to reach the top-10 after Aranxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez.
Serena had sweet words for Suarez Navarro who is enjoying her breakthrough season.
“Congratulations to Carla. She has had a fabulous two weeks. This is just the beginning. I am really proud of you. We always get along. It’s always great to see you do well”, said Williams
“I would like to dedicate this title to my dad. He is not here. I miss him. I hope he is watching. I love you daddy. This one is for you”, said Williams
