Hot but happy, Novak Djokovic had just begun celebrating his latest championship when he tossed his towel and sweatbands into the crowd. They were soggy souvenirs for sure. Djokovic earned his fifth Key Biscayne title Sunday, beating Andy Murray for the seventh consecutive time by showing superior stamina in the subtropical heat to win the Miami Open final 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0. Murray broke in the final game of the second set to even the match, but fatigue then became a factor on a sunny, humid, 80-degree afternoon.
Djokovic was the fitter player down the stretch. “It was brutal — it’s very warm,” he said. “I was prepared for a physical battle. But it’s one thing to prepare and another thing to experience it on the court. I was expecting very long rallies and just managed to play the third set the way I was supposed to, and I’m thrilled with this win.” Murray fell to 8-18 against Djokovic. “I’m not quite there with Novak yet, but I feel like I’m getting a little closer,” Murray said with a chuckle. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make more of a fight of it in the third set.
Murray will climb from fourth to third in the new rankings, but he has lost 12 consecutive matches to his biggest rivals — Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — since winning Wimbledon in 2013 by beating Djokovic in the final. Djokovic’s fresher legs at the end of the 2-hour, 47-minute match were especially impressive because Murray lives in Miami and is more accustomed to the South Florida heat. “I wasn’t feeling great at all on the court,” Djokovic said. “He was making me work. But he felt the same.” The player with his back to the sun won the first 10 games, which included 4 service breaks. In tiebreaker, Djokovic took 4-0 lead and won the final two points. As the angle of the sun changed, both players settled on their serves and traded holds to 6-5 in the second set.