The History of Men's Tennis (Open Era)

(2)Andy Murray d. (3)David Ferrer    2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1)    [2:45 h]

What was at stake besides 719,160 dollars and prestige? For Murray the No. 2 in the world, for Ferrer No. 4; admittedly rankings they had reached before, but at current set-up in men’s tennis, a winner of the final would be placed closer than ever to approach a new highest position. Ferrer started strongly this unusually early final (11:30 a.m.), anyway his 5:0* lead might have been a bit illusive because Murray had break/game points in four of the first five games, including a 40/0 lead in game 4. The Scot felt certainly that the big difference in the score wasn’t a matter of Ferrer’s overwhelming performance and broke calmly at 1-all in the 2nd set. After a change of ends at 3:2, there were two games that imprinted the rest of the final – both were won by servers from a 15/40 deficit with hilarious running from both sides, Ferrer won one rally wandering 20-meter longer distance. Actually from another changeover to the end of the match, both guys were playing with grimace on their faces. Ferrer came back from 2:4 to 4-all, but next three games went to Murray. The last set was bizarre: they exchanged breaks in the first six games (!); at 2:3 Ferrer took a medical time-out and needed a treatment to his left thigh two more times. Sixth consecutive break occurred as Murray stumbled allowing his opponent to produce the only backhand winner! Ferrer finally ended the streak of breaks to hold for a 4:3 lead, but Murray broke him once again in the 9th game only to lose his serve to ’30’ serving for the championships. Ferrer looked fresher and more animated in that moment like he believed he couldn’t lose coming back as many as four times from a break down. When he led 6:5* he managed to win three straight points from 15/40 which meant a match point. There was a solid rally (15 strokes), Murray played an offensive forehand and Ferrer stopped the point asking for a challenge: hawk-eye showed the ball clipped the line! It devastated Ferrer’s spirit, he afterwards said: “I [made] my decision in that moment. It’s a bad moment now. I don’t want to think anymore about that. I want to forget as [fast] as possible.” It limited his physical fitness as well. The first point of the tie-break was punishing, Ferrer should have won it after fantastic defense, but netted a forehand trying to play a winner. The following three points lost quickly. Good serve gave him a sparkle of hope. At 4:1 another long rally, Ferrer lost it and fell down on the court like a mannequin. It was sensational view considering his physical firmness. The Spaniard changed the ends limping. Even the biggest fans couldn’t believe in his success then. Murray hadn’t any problems to get another two points, finishing the job with a backhand return winner, very equal match was concluded with 10 out of the last 11 points won by the Scot, who celebrated his 26th title dropping his racquet, baseball cap, and covering his face with hands. “It’s taking a little while to sink in, because it’s tough to think really at the end of the match,” said Murray. “It was so tough physically and mentally that you were just trying to play each point. I wasn’t thinking too much only because I was so tired and [did] not [have] too many nerves at the end of the match, either.” Murray has won a match saving a match point for the first time since Autumn 2007 when he beat Youzhny, also 7/1 in the deciding tie-break. Stats of the final

Doubles final:
(5)A.Qureshi/JJ.Rojer d. (8)M.Fyrstenberg/M.Matkowski 6-4, 6-1

Match stats (total points: 106-102):
Winners:
Murray: 19 service, 2 aces, 9 FH, 6 BH, 3 volleys, 1 dropshot
Ferrer: 16 service, 4 aces, 4 FH, 1 BH, 1 volley, 4 overheads
Errors:
Murray: 7 double faults, 31 FH, 31 BH, 4 volleys
Ferrer: 4 double faults, 33 FH, 26 BH, 3 volleys
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Murray: 7/15 (eleven games), 0/6
Ferrer: 8/14 (ten games), 1/6

2nd semifinal:

(2)Andy Murray d. (8)Richard Gasquet    6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2    [1:59 h]

Murray’s first match this year in Miami in night session… He is a slow-starter, especially against players who don’t get too many cheap points thanks to serves. He had begun with a *0:3 deficit when figured out which tactics should have been applied, and dominated since then. However, leading *5:4 (30/15) made two casual errors and a double fault. In the tie-break Gasquet won two crucial points at the net: first at *4:3 with a phenomenal backhand half-volley followed by a lunge forehand volley. It didn’t allow him to get the momentum, the match lost its intensity from the end of the 1st set and another two sets lasted as long as the first one; Murray was hitting strong forehands mixing up with penetrating lobs, forcing the Frenchman to constant running which found consequences in some problems with his right ankle. “The first set was a tough one to lose, because I obviously served for the set. Then at the end of the set, you look up at the stats and I had hit over 20 winners and lost the set,” said Murray. “So I realized I had to cut out the unforced errors. I did a good job of that.”

Match stats (total points: 92-66):
Winners:
Murray: 14 service, 6 aces, 20 FH, 4 BH, 3 volleys, 2 lobs, 1 overhead, 1 dropshot
Gasquet: 8 service, 2 aces, 4 FH, 5 BH, 6 volleys, 3 overheads
Errors:
Murray: 5 double faults, 15 FH, 16 BH, 1 volley
Gasquet: 5 double faults, 20 FH, 11 BH, 3 volleys, 2 overheads
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Murray: 7/8 (eight games), 0/1
Gasquet: 3/3 (three games), 0/2

1st semifinal:

(3)David Ferrer d. (15)Tommy Haas    4-6, 6-2, 6-3    [2:02 h]

In terms of the scoreline it was a similar match to Ferrer’s quarterfinal win over Melzer. The Spaniard was again 2:5* down in the 1st set (having lost 12 points in a row!), then cut it to 4:5, but Haas served out to ‘love’ on his second chance. Through the 1st set and a half of the 2nd, Haas was nearly flawless on forehand. Errors crept into his game though, and some nervousness as well. He looked tired at the beginning of the decider, regardless of that he built a 3:1* lead. Ferrer didn’t panic, he has made so many great comebacks in his career that a 2-game deficit in the final set doesn’t interrupt his mental focus at all. He managed to keep his stable level consistently running his backhand around while Haas collapsed physically and the last five games went to the Spaniard, who celebrated on knees his advancement to a fifth different Masters 1000 final. “I tried to fight every point,” said Ferrer. “I knew Tommy, in the third set, he was a little bit more tired than me. I knew that. But when I started the third set, I served very badly. But anyway, I tried to forget and to play, focus every point.”

Match stats (total points: 89-78):
Winners:
Ferrer: 15 service, 7 aces, 13 FH, 0 BH, 2 volleys, 3 overheads
Haas: 21 service, 1 ace, 5 FH, 10 BH, 2 volleys, 3 overheads, 1 dropshot
Errors:
Ferrer: 5 double faults, 24 FH, 6 BH
Haas: 6 double faults, 18 FH, 20 BH, 5 volleys
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Ferrer: 6/10 (six games), 1/4
Haas: 4/9 (four games), 1/5

As Joca mentioned yesterday, the 24th all-European quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event, for the first time men from Europe rule in Miami completely from quarterfinals and onwards.

4th quarterfinal:

(8)Richard Gasquet d. (4)Tomas Berdych    6-3, 6-3    [1:14 h]

They met two weeks ago at Indian Wells, and Berdych won 6-1 7-5 so there was tough to expect he would be defeated in a similar fashion… but it happened, he got only six games despite very neutral start: he led 3:2* in the 1st set making a better impression, had a couple of break points in the 6th game, however, after he couldn’t convert them, completely lost his rhythm spreading forehand errors all over the place and lost seven games in a row! In my opinion he was more erratic than Gasquet magnificent. The Frenchman can produce an all-court tennis, but this time he was limited to grabbing points off Berdych’s errors, from time to time entertaining the crowd with sharp-angle backhands. “I’m really happy with the way I played,” Gasquet expressed the obviousness. “It was a good match for me. And I think I was solid mentally. I was playing very good. It’s an important match for me.”

Match stats (total points: 61-47):
Winners:
Gasquet: 15 service, 2 aces, 4 FH, 3 BH, 1 volley, 1 overhead, 1 dropshot
Berdych: 8 service, 5 aces, 9 FH, 2 BH, 6 volleys
Errors:
Gasquet: 1 double fault, 7 FH, 8 BH, 1 volley
Berdych: 2 double faults, 20 FH, 10 BH, 2 volleys
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Gasquet: 3/4 (three games), 0/1
Berdych: 0/2 (one game)

3rd quarterfinal:

(2)Andy Murray d. (9)Marin Cilic   6-4, 6-3   [1:42 h]

This match showed how far away Cilic is from the best guys despite he’s approaching Top 10. The start was promising for him as he saved a triple break point in the opening game to establish a 3:1 lead, nevertheless he was broken three times in the 1st set (had lost two service games in two previous matches). He figured out that staying on the back of the court he’s chance-less against the consistent Murray, so he changed his tactics in the 2nd set, and was more offensive than ever, only in the 4th game he played more good volleys than usually in the entire match, all in vain – lost it after seven deuces in 15 minutes. I had an impression that Murray was all the time at 70% of his mental & physical involvement, so when Cilic fought strongly, and saved six match points at the end, it didn’t impress me at all because I know he isn’t a guy who would build a momentum coming back from a big hole against a superior opponent. The Scot improves to an 8-1 record over Cilic.

Match stats (total points: 75-58):
Winners:
Murray: 9 service, 6 aces, 4 FH, 3 BH, 5 volleys, 1 dropshot
Cilic: 6 service, 4 aces, 4 FH, 3 BH, 7 volleys, 5 overheads
Errors:
Murray: 3 double faults, 9 FH, 15 BH, 1 volley
Cilic: 3 double faults, 20 FH, 16 BH, 8 volleys
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Murray: 6/18 (eight games), 1/4
Cilic: 3/8 (four games), 1/3

2nd quarterfinal:

(15)Tommy Haas d. (11)Gilles Simon    6-3, 6-1    [1:04 h]
–
Clinical performance from Haas. He didn’t overreact after sensational win over No. 1 in the world. He returned on Centre Court twenty-two hours later being well motivated and in a great physical shape, also relaxed because he laughed when his little daughter was depicted on a big screen during the warm-up. The match seemed open until 3-all in the 1st set, since then Haas was doing on court what he wanted, Simon couldn’t respond with one of his biggest merits – patience; he was outplayed even in this department when Haas won a 30-stroke rally without anhelation. The German will play in the semifinals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2006 (Paris). He said: “I used my chances right away in the second set and took that momentum..”

Match stats (total points: 56-35):
Winners:
Haas: 7 service, 2 aces, 5 FH, 2 BH, 3 volleys, 3 overheads, 1 lob
Simon: 3 service, 0 aces, 4 FH, 1 BH, 1 volleys, 2 overheads
Errors:
Haas: 0 double faults, 10 FH, 10 BH, 2 volleys
Simon: 2 double faults, 19 FH, 9 BH, 3 volleys
Break point conversions & Challenges:
Haas: 4/8 (four games), 0/2
Simon: –

1st quarterfinal:

(3)David Ferrer d. Jurgen Melzer    4-6, 6-3, 6-0    [1:55 h]

The 1st set was bizarre, Ferrer led 2:0, then was 2:5* down having a double break point to level at 5 games apiece. So almost six breaks of serve in the first ten games! Perhaps Ferrer would have broken Melzer in the 10th game if he hadn’t received a warning due to shouting “puta!” after losing the second break point at 4:5. It hurt him so much that he called for a warning for Melzer in the 2nd set when the Austrian hit the ball into the stands. Melzer implemented the right tactics generally speaking: hard ground-strokes, risky 2nd serve and changing of pace, but it worked only the first 40 minutes. From start of the 2nd set to the end of the match Ferrer’s domination was overwhelming. He’s fitter and too stubborn to collapse being 0-1 in sets against anyone except Nadal. He was patiently collecting points on Melzer’s errors and double faults (they separated them the most, Melzer committed 11 to none by Ferrer at 14-point discrepancy). Ferrer moves through to the Miami semifinals for the third time in career (2005-06) improving H2H against Melzer to 7-2.

Match stats (total points: 93-79):
Winners:
Ferrer: 13 service, 0 aces, 13 FH, 2 BH, 5 volleys, 1 overhead
Melzer: 15 service, 0 aces, 10 FH, 3 BH, 5 volleys, 1 overhead, 1 lob
Errors:
Ferrer: 0 double faults, 19 FH, 24 BH, 1 overhead
Melzer: 11 double faults, 22 FH, 22 BH, 3 volleys, 1 overhead
 Break point conversions & Challenges:
Ferrer: 7/19 (ten games), 1/2
Melzer: 4/6 (four games), 0/5