Novak Djokovic topples Andy Murray to lift the crown – Sony Ericsson Open 2012
World number one, Novak Djokovic, outgunned the fourth seed, Any Murray, with a breadstick at the Sony Ericsson Open 2012 on Sunday. He nudged up a 6-1, 7-6(4) victory against the Scot to grab his third title at Key Biscayne in Miami, United States.
The top seed successfully defended his title at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Masters 1000 event after outclassing Murray in their 13th outing. After overpowering the British number one in two hours and 18 minutes,
Djokovic not only extended his lead in their FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series by 8-5 but also avenged his loss at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships earlier this circuit.
"Any title is big, and it means a lot," the jubilant Serb commented after the match. "I've won three times here. I have been really playing well in the last couple of years here, so this is going to be very encouraging for me prior to the clay-court season."
Djokovic assertively entered the Tennis Center at Crandon Park and held his serve in the opening game. After Murray kept his serve in the second game, the 24-year-old Serb unleashed powerful groundstrokes from his arsenal of skills, subsequently wiping out
the following five games in a row. He cashed in two out of four break opportunities to pull out the opener with a breadstick.
The Serbian number one kept momentum rolling into the following set and held his serve in the second game to square the scores at 1-1. He maintained consistency in his game and swiped in his remaining serves with poise.
Murray on the other hand raised the bar of his game as he kept his entire serves after brushing off all four breakpoints he encountered.
As a result, the set went to the tie-breaker where the Belgrade native jumped to a 5-2 lead before sealing the set with a 7-6(4) score line.
Overall, the high flying Serb ruled throughout the match. He produced a better first serve share and impressively clicked 35 out of 47 points on it.
"When he feels the chance, he always grabs it," Djokovic commented further. "Luckily for me, I came out with some good serving when I needed to. I think I served over 70 per cent of first serves in, which was really important today."
Djokovic displayed his flawless performance throughout the tournament and clinched all of his matches without losing a set. It was his 11th Masters 1000 title and his second year-to-date title (the Serb triumphed the Australian Open earlier this
season).
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