- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Great Britain’s Andy Murray has won the Miami Masters tournament after defeating Spain’s David Ferrer in a thrilling championship match, which saw him save a match point on his serve in a frantic final set.
Entering the championship match, Murray had not won a Masters 1000 tournament since, ironically, defeating Ferrer to win the Shanghai Masters in 2011.
He also had the chance to rise to world number two in the rankings following Roger Federer’s decision to skip the tournament as he begins to enter the twilight of his career.
Ferrer, meanwhile, was looking for only his second title in the category, having captured his maiden title in Paris last year, when he defeated Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz in the final.
Most players would start thinking about retirement or slowing down once they reach age 30, but for a man like Ferrer (he turns 31 tomorrow), winning such a high-level title at that age shows that he can still be a physical and mental force in this sport.
All the pre-match statistics pointed towards a Murray victory; he had won six of his 11 career meetings against the Spaniard, who entered the match 0-11 against top four opposition in finals at any level. This includes the aforementioned Shanghai Masters loss in 2011, and the Rome Masters loss to Rafael Nadal in 2010.
Ferrer got off to a fast start, taking the first set 6-2. But that would spark Murray into action, as he would take the second set 6-4 and thus force a deciding set.
The final set had it all. Breaks of serve in the first six games of the final set preceded what appeared to be the turning point of the set (and the match), Murray breaking Ferrer at 4-all to place himself in the position to serve for the championship at 5-4. The Spaniard broke back though, to level at 5-all, then held his serve to take the lead 6-5.
Ferrer then reached championship point on Murray’s serve, but a Murray forehand which the Spaniard believed was out, was challenged unsuccessfully, with the Hawk-Eye replay showing that Murray just clipped the baseline. Murray survived the call and subsequently held to force a final set tiebreak.
Murray dominated the final set tiebreak, reaching his first championship point at 6-1. This gave him five such opportunities; this was the same number of chances he had to win his third Shanghai title last year, only to be denied by Novak Djokovic on that occasion.
However, this time there would be no choking, and Murray required only one match point to take what is now his second Miami Masters title after two hours and 45 minutes of intense tennis.
Murray’s 26th career title, and second this year after winning in Brisbane, will see him rise to world number two in the rankings, behind Novak Djokovic, and end an almost-decade long run in which either Roger Federer and/or Rafael Nadal were ranked either one or two.
Ferrer, meanwhile, will regain his number four ranking, pushing Nadal down to five.
In the women’s championship match played on Saturday, number one Serena Williams came back from the loss of the first set to defeat Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and capture her sixth Miami title, after previously triumphing in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008.
It is the first time that Williams has won six titles at any tournament (she has the chance to do this at Wimbledon later this year), and consolidates the number one ranking, which she re-captured in February.
For Sharapova, it is the fifth time in which she has fallen short in the Florida capital.
This is also the 11th straight time in which she has lost to Williams since the 2004 year-end championships; furthermore, this was only the third set (and second since turning 18) she had ever won against Williams during this 11-match losing streak.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.